JPH031074B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a device for preventing the occurrence of contamination by microorganisms from the outside world in water or other fluids that have been previously sterilized to ensure that they are free of microorganisms. It is related to. Fluid drawn through the device, either continuously or intermittently, remains free of microorganisms even after the exterior surfaces of the device have become significantly contaminated with bacteria. This contamination is caused by hand contact and/or by external factors.

PRIOR ART AND PROBLEMS There is a continuing need for highly clean water, free of bacteria and endotoxins, for research purposes and as admixtures for intravenous injections. U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,749 describes an apparatus for producing such water. The references in this application disclose prior art systems for producing highly clean water free of bacteria and endotoxins.

Briefly, this patent includes a distillation flask,
An apparatus is described that has a carboy and a condensing unit and continuously produces water of high purity.
Filters are provided between the atmosphere and the interior of the flask, carboy and condensing unit to prevent airborne bacteria from entering the apparatus. The openings are interconnected by non-chemical flexible tube parts. A two-way stop allows clean water to move out of the carboy.

Although the apparatus for producing highly clean water described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,749 produces a high quality product, the product stored in the carboy system It has been discovered that bacteria can be contaminated from the outside through two-way faucets. Bacteria are commonly airborne or grow on human skin and are transferred to the valve during handling.

Various devices have been proposed for producing sterile liquids. U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,152 describes a device in which the outlet tap is continuously immersed in steam. U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,774 relates to an apparatus for sterilizing liquids using ultraviolet radiation. French Patent No. 1101643 uses a combination of ultraviolet and infrared radiation to create a sterile liquid.

In all these devices either the liquid being withdrawn is heated to a temperature significantly above room temperature or there is no provision to prevent contamination by bacteria from external sources.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device for preventing pre-treated and reliably sterilized water and other liquids from becoming contaminated with bacteria without increasing the temperature of the liquid being withdrawn. be.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure that water and fluid sources are not re-contaminated by bacteria build-up on valves and faucets connected to the system, thereby producing highly clean, bacteria-free water. and other fluids.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a device for preventing bacterial contamination of sterile water, comprising: (a) a faucet designed to be attached to a source of sterile distilled water; The faucet has a hollow casing with a water receiving chamber, the casing having an outlet member communicating with the receiving chamber and further having an inlet element communicating with the receiving chamber. the inlet element has threads for receiving a conduit for connection with the source of sterile distilled water, and the faucet has means for selectively closing the inlet to prevent flow. (b) said outlet has a wide cylindrical portion located above a narrow cylindrical portion, in said wide portion a source of ultraviolet radiation is generated, said source of ultraviolet radiation is filled with mercury vapor; a quartz tube extending from the wide section to the narrow cylindrical section, a pair of electrodes operably associated with the mercury vapor within the quartz tube, the electrodes having a plastic collar; a control unit disposed within the means and connected to an energized control unit, said collar means being dimensioned to fit snugly within said wide cylindrical portion within said outlet so that said A quartz tube is suspended in the center of the narrow cylindrical portion of the outlet and defines a generally annular passageway through which the sterile fluid can flow without restriction for the discharge of the sterile fluid, the combination of which prevents bacterial contamination of the sterile water. It is a device that does

[Operation] An ultraviolet source disposed within the faucet outlet emits ultraviolet light to keep the outlet free of bacterial contamination.

Fluid passing through the faucet also comes into contact with ultraviolet radiation.

EXAMPLE Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a faucet connected to a conduit 10 designed for easy attachment and removal from a sterile water source (not shown). installed. Elbow 18 is 19
It is screwed onto one end of the conduit 10 at. A short conduit 20 is attached to the elbow 18 at a joint 21. A nipple 12 is threaded onto the conduit 20 and has corrugations 23 to facilitate attachment to rubber or plastic tubing. When attaching the faucet to a post, the locking nut 22 tightens the faucet.

The other end 24 of the conduit 10 is threaded onto a faucet structure 25. The faucet 25 has a toggle member 15 screwed onto the handle 16. The handle 16 moves around the pin 11 from the open position to the closed position to open and close the faucet. The present invention consists in modifying this commercially available faucet to include an ultraviolet source connected by electrical leads to a control unit (not shown). A UV source is placed within the outlet 14 to keep the outlet 14 free of bacterial contamination. Water passing through the faucet 25 will also come into contact with ultraviolet radiation. The water passing through the outlet 14 is thus constantly sterilized.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the figures show details of the faucet construction and essential features of the invention.

Faucet 25 is shown in cross section and has a threaded portion 24 designed to be attached to conduit 10 and leading to conduit 31 . This conduit 31 leads to a water receiving chamber 32 . A partition plate is disposed within the seat 33 and is moved from an open position to a closed position by movement of the handle 16 shown in FIG. Conduit 3
4 connects the receiving chamber 32 to a water channel 35 in the outlet 14. The water channel 35 also cuts the narrow part at 36 to 37
It has a wide area.

The light source 13 has an upper part 38, and the upper part 3
8 contains electrodes (not shown) which are connected to the control unit 39 by means of conductive wires 40.
The lower part of the light source 13 is a quartz tube 41 filled with mercury vapor.
Consisting of Plastic collar 42 is at exit 1
Machined to fit within the wide section of 4.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a base 50 is attached to a conduit 51 which extends to the toggle valve member 25 described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The outlet 52 is releasably connected to an L-shaped conduit 54 by means of a collar 53. Conduit 54
terminates in a conduit 55 at its front end. Conduit 55 has a wide section 56 and a narrow section 57. The ultraviolet light source 13 is inserted into the stop bar 58. The UV radiation source 13 has an electrode (not shown) which is connected by means of a conductor 40 to a control unit (not shown). The lower part of the ultraviolet light source 13 consists of a quartz tube 41 filled with mercury vapor.

In operation of the device, the UV lamp 13 is placed within the faucet 25 as shown.
Water enters faucet 25 through conduit 10. The faucet handle 16 moves the toggle member 15 to move the partition plate 33 in FIG.
1, 34 into the conduit 35. The ultraviolet light source is the control unit 39.
energized by conduit 3 in FIG.
Ultraviolet rays are emitted through a quartz tube 41 disposed within 5. The water in line 35 (FIG. 3) is protected by ultraviolet light. A control unit 39 manages the time at which the ultraviolet light source is energized. The ultraviolet light source is energized periodically for short periods of time to prevent contamination of the outlet 14 from external sources.

[Summary] A device that prevents the passage of external microorganisms into a sterile, closed system containing sterile water or other fluid used in general or biomedical applications.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the lower part of the faucet shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the faucet shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device for preventing bacterial contamination of sterile water, comprising: (a) a faucet designed to be attached to a source of sterile distilled water, the faucet being connected to a source of sterile distilled water; a hollow casing having a receiving chamber, the casing having an outlet member communicating with the receiving chamber and also having an inlet element communicating with the receiving chamber; (b) having a threaded portion for receiving a conduit for connection with said source of sterile distilled water, said faucet having means for selectively closing the inlet to prevent flow; The outlet has a wide cylindrical part located above a narrow cylindrical part, in which a UV source is disposed, the UV source consisting of a quartz tube filled with mercury vapor; A quartz tube extends from said wide portion to said narrow cylindrical portion, and a pair of electrodes are operatively associated with said mercury vapor within said quartz tube, said electrodes being disposed within a plastic collar means. and is connected to an energized control unit, said collar means being dimensioned to fit snugly within a wide cylindrical portion within said outlet, so that said quartz tube is connected to said outlet. A device for preventing bacterial contamination of sterile water comprising a combination of the above, wherein the device is suspended in the center of the narrow cylindrical portion and defines a generally annular passageway through which the sterile fluid can flow without restriction for release.