JPS6010729B2 - Vacuum sterilization method - Google Patents

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 この発明は殺菌容器内に被殺菌物を収納して減圧状態に
し、該殺菌容器内にアルコール等の殺菌剤を霧化薮気さ
せて減圧状態で殺菌する方法に関するものであり〜特に
減圧状態を常時大気圧より低い状態にして急速に殺菌剤
を霧化散気させて殺菌作用を急速且つ効果的に行う様に
した方法に係るものである。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method of storing objects to be sterilized in a sterilization container, bringing the object under reduced pressure, and atomizing a sterilizing agent such as alcohol into the sterilization container to sterilize the object under reduced pressure. In particular, it relates to a method in which the sterilizing agent is rapidly atomized and diffused in a reduced pressure state that is always lower than atmospheric pressure to rapidly and effectively perform the sterilizing action.

従釆「被殺菌物に対する殺菌方法には種々の手段が館い
られており、例えば、菌の大きさが大きなものについて
は常圧で加熱アルコール液等に浸潰滅菌した上「更に大
気圧以上の圧力を加えて菌に殺菌剤を浸透させる様な殺
菌方法が用いられて来た。``Various methods are available for sterilizing objects to be sterilized. For example, for large bacteria, sterilize them by immersion in a heated alcohol solution at normal pressure, and then sterilize them by sterilizing them at atmospheric pressure or above. Sterilization methods have been used that apply pressure to allow disinfectants to penetrate bacteria.

しかしながら、その様な従来技術に基づく殺菌方法では
常圧、或は加圧状態による殺菌手段が用いられるため装
層や殺菌容器の耐圧構造が複雑化し大型化、堅牢化に難
点があった。However, such sterilization methods based on conventional techniques use sterilization means under normal pressure or pressurized conditions, which complicates the pressure-resistant structure of the layering and sterilization container, making it difficult to increase the size and robustness.

又、菌類も耐圧生態に特異性があるという生態的性質か
ら加圧条件の他に加熱条件が必要であったりする併合条
件にデメリットがあり、更に被殺菌物が衣服類の様な殺
菌剤の浸透性の良好なものの場合は良いが、固型培養器
や複雑な理化学、医療器機の殺菌に際しては必らずしも
殺菌液浸濃手段がとれない場合があり、しかも斯種器機
の表面が内部の微細な凹部に付着する菌に対して浸透殺
菌が及ばないという欠点があった。In addition, due to the ecological nature of fungi, which has a specific pressure-resistant ecology, there are disadvantages to the combined conditions such as requiring heating conditions in addition to pressurizing conditions. This is fine if the material has good permeability, but when sterilizing solid culture vessels, complex physical and chemical equipment, or medical equipment, it may not always be possible to immerse the sterilizing solution in a concentrated manner, and the surface of such equipment may There was a drawback that osmotic sterilization was not effective against bacteria that adhered to the minute recesses inside.

この発明の目的は上記従来技術に基づく加圧殺菌方法の
問題点に鑑み、被殺菌物を収納した殺菌容器を予め大気
圧以下に減圧することによりあらゆる部分の菌をして減
圧雰囲気中に露呈させ、更にその減圧露呈状態に於てア
ルコール等の殺菌剤を急激に霧化させて急速に殺菌容器
内に散気させることにより減圧露呈菌に霧化殺菌剤を包
囲衝突させしかも、その殺菌雰囲気をなお大気より低い
減圧状態に維持することにより菌の生息条件を苛酸にし
て殺菌作用を効果的にする減圧殺菌方法を提供せんとす
るものである。In view of the problems of the pressure sterilization method based on the above-mentioned conventional technology, the purpose of this invention is to reduce the pressure of the sterilization container containing the object to be sterilized to below atmospheric pressure in advance, thereby removing bacteria from all parts and exposing it to the reduced pressure atmosphere. Furthermore, by rapidly atomizing a sterilizing agent such as alcohol and rapidly diffusing it into the sterilization container while exposed to reduced pressure, the atomized sterilizing agent surrounds and collides with the bacteria exposed to reduced pressure, and the sterilizing atmosphere The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum sterilization method that maintains bacteria at a reduced pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, thereby changing the living conditions for bacteria to caustic acid, thereby making the sterilization effect more effective.

次に上記目的に沿うこの発明の実施例を図面を参照して
説明すれば以下の通りである。Next, embodiments of the present invention in accordance with the above object will be described below with reference to the drawings.

１は殺菌容器であり、前部の被殺菌物出入口２には扉３
がヒンジ４により気密的に密閉可能に開閉される様に設
けられている。1 is a sterilization container, and a door 3 is provided at the entrance 2 of the object to be sterilized at the front.
is provided so that it can be opened and closed in an airtight manner by a hinge 4.

上記殺菌容器１内部には両内壁に被殺菌物戦暦用の網棚
５が適宜数懸架されている。Inside the sterilization container 1, an appropriate number of net shelves 5 for displaying items to be sterilized are suspended on both inner walls.

そして殺菌容器１の前後側（或は両側）にアルコール等
の適宜殺菌剤を収納した容器６，６が談けられており、
各々電磁バルブ７，７を介して注薬管１８７１８を殺菌
容器１の内部に連絡する様に設けられている。Containers 6, 6 containing an appropriate sterilizing agent such as alcohol are installed on the front and rear sides (or both sides) of the sterilizing container 1.
A drug injection pipe 18718 is provided to communicate with the inside of the sterilization container 1 via electromagnetic valves 7 and 7, respectively.

そして、それらの注薬管１８，１８のノズル富９，蔓９
の下方には鋼板の通電加熱ヒーター型の蒸散皿２０，２
０が対向して臨まされている。２川ま圧力計であり、２
２はバルブ２３を介して設けた給気管であり、それぞれ
殺菌容器１の後面及び上蓋に設けられている。And those injection pipes 18, 18 nozzles 9, vines 9
Below the transpiration plate 20, 2 is a steel plate electric heating heater type.
0 is facing me. 2 rivers are pressure gauges, 2
Reference numeral 2 denotes an air supply pipe provided via a valve 23, which is provided on the rear surface and the upper lid of the sterilization container 1, respectively.

２４‘まシャッター２５を介して殺菌装置１の後面に設
けた減圧ダクトであり、その途中には適宜の真空ポンプ
２６が設けられている。24' is a decompression duct provided on the rear surface of the sterilizer 1 through a shutter 25, and an appropriate vacuum pump 26 is provided in the middle of the duct.

上記の各機構は電気的に連絡制御されており「変圧器２
７１こより所定電圧電流にして前記蒸散皿２８を通電加
熱するようになっており〜一方〜同時に作動する減圧圧
力計２１が所定設定圧に減圧量に達するとその減圧信号
がリレー２８を作動して殺菌剤容器６の電磁バルブｙを
開く様に作動する。Each of the above mechanisms is electrically connected and controlled, and "Transformer 2
71, the transpiration plate 28 is heated by applying electricity to a predetermined voltage and current. On the other hand, when the pressure reducing pressure gauge 21, which operates at the same time, reaches a predetermined set pressure and the amount of pressure reduction, the pressure reduction signal activates the relay 28. It operates to open the electromagnetic valve y of the disinfectant container 6.

２９は殺菌剤の散気量を設定する電磁バルブ７の開時間
設定装置である。Reference numeral 29 denotes an opening time setting device for the electromagnetic valve 7 that sets the amount of aeration of the disinfectant.

上記装置により殺菌するには〜予め大気圧状態にされて
いた殺菌容器亀内の網棚５１こその扉３を開いて医療器
具等の被殺菌物を収納鼓瞳し、扉３を再び密閉し、バル
ブ２３を閉じ「スイッチＳを入れてシャッター２５を開
くと同時に真空ポンプ２６を作動させ殺菌容器富内を大
気圧より低い所定圧力値まで減圧し、それにより棚５上
の被殺菌物の菌を非生息状態にしておく〜その間蒸散皿
２０を所定温度に通電加熱しておく。To sterilize with the above device, open the door 3 of the mesh shelf 51 of the sterilization container Kamenai, which has been brought to atmospheric pressure in advance, to store medical instruments and other objects to be sterilized, and then close the door 3 again. The valve 23 is closed and the switch S is turned on to open the shutter 25. Simultaneously, the vacuum pump 26 is activated to reduce the pressure inside the sterilization container to a predetermined pressure value lower than atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the bacteria on the objects to be sterilized on the shelf 5. During this period, the transpiration plate 20 is heated to a predetermined temperature with electricity.

圧力計２亀の圧力量が設定減圧値になってその信号がリ
レー２８をしてシャッター２６を閉じかつ真空ポンプの
動作を停止すると共に他方に於て殺菌剤容器６の電磁バ
ルブ７を開くとト談殺菌剤容器内のアルコール等の殺菌
剤は圧力差によりそのノズル１９より各蒸散皿２０１こ
向かって瞬間的に噴射され、噴射されて蒸散皿に到達し
た霧滴の殺菌剤は該蒸散皿の加熱により又瞬間的に到達
するかしないうちに蒸散霧化され、殺菌容器１内の減圧
状態内に高速飛散され、棚５上に戦贋されている被殺菌
物に付着し、減圧により非生息条件下にさらされていた
菌に打撃的な殺菌作用を与える。When the pressure amount of the pressure gauge 2 reaches the set pressure reduction value, the signal causes the relay 28 to close the shutter 26 and stop the operation of the vacuum pump, while at the same time opening the electromagnetic valve 7 of the sterilizer container 6. Disinfectant such as alcohol in the disinfectant container is instantaneously sprayed from the nozzle 19 toward each evaporation plate 201 due to the pressure difference, and the sprayed disinfectant in the mist that reaches the evaporation plate is sprayed onto the transpiration plate. By heating, it is evaporated and atomized instantaneously before reaching the sterilization container 1, and is dispersed at high speed in the reduced pressure state in the sterilization container 1, and adheres to the objects to be sterilized on the shelf 5, and is sterilized by the reduced pressure. It has a devastating bactericidal effect on bacteria exposed to the living conditions.

そしてＬ この間設定減圧状態は維持されるので菌に対
する該非生息条件及び殺菌剤の霧化高速散気状態による
効果的殺菌作用も持続される。そして、所定量の殺菌剤
の投与が設定装置２９により電磁バルブ７の閉鎖で終了
すると殺菌容器を所定時間そのままの殺菌減圧状態に維
持する。而して、殺菌完了後バルブ２３を開き、外気ま
たは滅菌気体を給気管２２より殺菌容器１内に導入して
該殺菌容器１内を大気圧に戻し、扉３を開き、殺菌済の
被殺菌物を取り出す。上記実施例に則す実験例によれば
「豆腐１タ中に水ｌｃｃを加えて更に汚泥ｌｃｃ加え３
５ｏｏ〜３７０で４鞘時間加熱により大腸菌、陽炎ビブ
リオ菌、ブドウ球菌、サルモネラ菌等を増殖倍覆したも
のをシャーレ‘こ入れ７〆殺菌容器中に収納し〜該殺菌
容器内を５０〆′ｍｉｎの真空ポンプにより１５個Ｈｇ
まで減圧し同時に２Ｖ、４００Ａのヒーター鋼蒸散皿を
２２０℃に加熱しておく。この状態でアルコールを５０
ｃｃ噴霧蒸散させたところアルコール蒸散霧滴粒子は１
′ｉｏ瓜ｅｃ以下の速度で蒸散すると共に殺菌容器内温
度４０℃で１００肌′ｓｅｃの拡散速度で高速飛散し、
菌類に付着殺菌した。その結果縦藤にｌｃｃ中の菌数Ｌ
機軸に蒸発時間及び対応飛散速度をとれば第２図の表の
通りであり「極めて満足すべき結果が得られた。尚ト減
圧後「殺菌剤蒸気圧によって圧力増昇がわずかにあって
も殺菌圧が大気圧より低く充分に保たれることが判った
。During this time, the set reduced pressure state is maintained, so that the non-habitating conditions for bacteria and the effective sterilization effect due to the atomization and high-speed aeration state of the sterilizer are also maintained. When the administration of a predetermined amount of sterilizing agent is completed by closing the electromagnetic valve 7 by the setting device 29, the sterilizing container is maintained in the sterilizing reduced pressure state for a predetermined period of time. After sterilization is completed, the valve 23 is opened, outside air or sterilized gas is introduced into the sterilization container 1 through the air supply pipe 22 to return the inside of the sterilization container 1 to atmospheric pressure, and the door 3 is opened to remove the sterilized and sterilized objects. take things out. According to an experimental example based on the above-mentioned example, "1 cc of water was added to 1 tat of tofu, and 3 cc of sludge was added.
After multiplying Escherichia coli, Vibrio haemolytica, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, etc. by heating at 50°C to 370°C for 4 hours, put it in a Petri dish and store it in a sterilized container. 15 Hg by vacuum pump
At the same time, a 2V, 400A heater steel evaporation plate was heated to 220°C. In this state, drink 50% alcohol.
When evaporated by cc spray, the alcohol evaporated droplet particles were 1
It transpires at a rate of less than 100 sec, and scatters at a high speed of 100 seconds at a temperature inside the sterilization container of 40°C.
It adheres to fungi and sterilizes them. As a result, the number of bacteria in lcc was L.
If we take the evaporation time and the corresponding scattering speed as the axis, the table in Figure 2 shows that extremely satisfactory results were obtained. It was found that the sterilization pressure was kept sufficiently lower than atmospheric pressure.

轍ちト１５脚Ｈｇに減圧された容器内の圧力は「殺菌剤
の噴射とほぼ同時に約１０仇奴Ｈｇ程度に増大し、それ
以後幾分増加する傾向は示すが「通常数１仇倣Ｈｇ程度
の増加で、２０比舷Ｈｇに達することはなかつた。The pressure inside the container, which had been reduced to 15 Hg, increased to about 10 Hg almost immediately after the disinfectant was injected, and although it showed a tendency to increase somewhat after that, it usually remained at about 10 Hg. The increase in the number of ships did not reach 20 Hg.

上記実施例は殺菌剤としてアルコールを示してあるが、
その外エチレンオキシド、アルキレンィミド「アルキレ
ンオキシド等を適宜用いることが可能である。Although the above examples show alcohol as a disinfectant,
In addition, ethylene oxide, alkyleneimide, alkylene oxide, etc. can be used as appropriate.

又、殺菌剤蒸散手段にはワイヤエキスブロージョン法、
沸騰液加熱法、超音波活性化法等適宜用いることも可能
である。上記の様にこの発明によれば、予め殺菌容器を
大気圧以下に減圧することにより「単に被殺菌物に付着
している菌が露呈されるばかりでなく、非生息条件を与
えられ、そこに衝撃的に殺菌剤を高速且つ瞬間的に霧化
飛散させることにより菌に打撃的殺菌作用を与えるので
被殺菌物の隅々、凹部にまで殺菌効果を及ぼすことが可
能となる。更に、殺菌作用を大気圧より低い減圧状態で
行うので加圧殺菌に比し耐圧容器等の堅牢化〜複雑化を
横ずることなく、簡単な構成で装置を作ることが出来、
しかも制御操作も容易に出来るメリットがあり、他方殺
菌の直接作用には熱を使用しない低温または常温殺菌法
であるから適用分野も広いものである。In addition, wire expansion method is used as a disinfectant evaporation method.
It is also possible to use a boiling liquid heating method, an ultrasonic activation method, etc. as appropriate. As described above, according to the present invention, by reducing the pressure of the sterilization container to below atmospheric pressure in advance, "bacteria attached to the object to be sterilized are not only exposed, but also non-inhabitable conditions are given to them. By atomizing and scattering the sterilizing agent at high speed and instantaneously, it gives an impact sterilizing effect to the bacteria, so it is possible to exert the sterilizing effect to every corner and crevice of the object to be sterilized.Furthermore, it has a sterilizing effect. Since the sterilization is carried out under reduced pressure, which is lower than atmospheric pressure, compared to pressure sterilization, the equipment can be made with a simple structure without having to make the pressure-resistant container more robust or complicated.
Moreover, it has the advantage of being easy to control, and on the other hand, it is a low-temperature or room-temperature sterilization method that does not use heat for direct sterilization, so it has a wide range of applications.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

図面はこの発明の実施例を示すものであり、第１図は装
置による概略説明図、第２図は実験例のデータ表である
。 １・・・・・・殺菌容器、２６・・・・・・減圧（装置
）、６・・・・・・殺菌剤（容器）、１９，２０・・・
・・・霧化散気（装置）。 第１図 第２図The drawings show examples of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a data table of an experimental example. 1... Sterilization container, 26... Depressurization (device), 6... Sterilizer (container), 19, 20...
... Atomization diffuser (device). Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] １ 殺菌容器内に被殺菌物を収納して該殺菌容器内部を
減圧し、減圧状態で殺菌剤を殺菌容器に霧化して散気さ
せることにより殺菌する方法において、上記殺菌容器を
１気圧より充分に減圧状態にしておき、その状態で殺菌
剤を急速に霧化して散気させ、且つその間の殺菌雰囲気
圧を１気圧より低い状態に保持して殺菌することを特徴
とする減圧殺菌方法。1. A method of sterilizing by storing an object to be sterilized in a sterilizing container, reducing the pressure inside the sterilizing container, and atomizing a sterilizing agent into the sterilizing container under reduced pressure and aerating the sterilizing container. A method for sterilizing under reduced pressure, characterized in that the sterilizing agent is kept in a reduced pressure state, rapidly atomized and diffused in that state, and sterilized by maintaining the sterilizing atmosphere pressure at a state lower than 1 atm.