Isolator system and decontamination method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093892-B2
Application number	US-201715450344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An isolator system 1 includes: a main isolator 3 in which an aseptic state is maintained and which is for performing an aseptic operation; an incubator 4 in which the aseptic state is maintained and which is connected to the main isolator 3 and is for culturing cells and the like; decontamination means 35 for decontaminating the inside of the main isolator 3 ; and a decontamination station 9 that decontaminates the inside of the incubator 4 . The isolator system 1 further includes a blocking member 30 for sealing a connection port 13 from the outside, the port being provided in the main isolator 3 and being for connection with the incubator 4 . When the inside of the main isolator 3 is decontaminated, the connection port 13 is sealed from the outside with the blocking member 30 . The isolator system that can efficiently decontaminate the main isolator and the subisolator connected to this main isolator can be provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of decontaminating an isolator system including a main isolator in which an aseptic operation is performed, and a subisolator connectable to the main isolator, comprising the steps of:
when decontaminating an inside of the main isolator, disengaging a connection between a first opening connector formed at the main isolator and a second opening connector formed at the subisolator, blocking the first opening connector with a first blocking member provided outside the main isolator at an outside of the first opening connector, opening a first opening/closing member which opens and closes the first opening connector in the main isolator, and supplying a decontamination medium into the main isolator to perform decontamination in this state to decontaminate a covered spot which is not exposed when the first opening/closing member is closed;
when decontaminating an inside of the subisolator, disengaging a connection between the first opening connector and the second opening connector, blocking the second opening connector with a second blocking member provided outside the subisolator at an outside of the second opening connector, opening a second opening/closing member which opens and closes the second opening connector in the subisolator, and supplying the decontamination medium into the subisolator to perform decontamination in this state to decontaminate a covered spot which is not exposed when the second opening/closing member is closed; and
when decontaminating the insides of the main isolator and the subisolator, closing the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member, subsequently releasing blockage by the first blocking member and the second blocking member, connecting the first opening connector and the second opening connector to each other, bringing the inside of the main isolator and the inside of the subisolator into a state of allowing communication with each other with inflow of an external atmosphere being blocked, supplying the decontamination medium to decontaminate a spot exposed to an external atmosphere when the blockage by the first blocking member and the second blocking member is released, and opening the first opening/closing member and the second opening/closing member to cause the insides of the main isolator and the subisolator to communicate with each other via the first opening connector and the second opening connector.

Assignees

• Shibuya Corp

Inventors

• Nishimura Tetsuya
• Hashimoto Katsuki
• Tanimoto Kazuhito

Classifications

• C12M47/16

  Sterilization (autoclaves in general B01J3/04) · CPC title

• C12M41/14

  Incubators; Climatic chambers (per se B01L1/00) · CPC title

• C12M37/04 Primary

  Seals · CPC title

• B01L1/02

  Air-pressure chambers; Air-locks therefor · CPC title

• A61L2/208

  Hydrogen peroxide · CPC title