Abstract:
A sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments is provided. The plant includes at least one original building ( 1 ) having at least one first process line that extends, at least partly, essentially parallel to a first one ( 2 ) of the essentially limiting external walls ( 2, 3, 4, 5 ) of the original building ( 1 ). The sterilization plant further includes at least one extension module ( 31 ) located next to and, at least partly, essentially parallel to the first external wall ( 2 ). Also provided are an extension module ( 31 ) and a method of increasing the capacity of a sterilization plant.

Description:
The present invention relates to a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments, the plant comprising at least one original building having at least one first process line, in turn comprising at least one first contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one first sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. The invention also relates to an extension module as well as a method of increasing the capacity of a sterilization plant. 
     PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,594 discloses modular pharmacy system and pharmacy process. The interior spaces may be changed and/or brought to expand as required in order to provide more or less space for an individual workstation or individual room. Additional modular units may be connected. For instance, additional office space may be connected as a modular unit to the left of the modular pharmacy. In the pharmaceutic system, at least one workstation is included for the cleaning or sterilization of equipment from a workstation. The intention here is not to sterilize surgical instruments and the plant does not comprise at least one original building having at least one first process line, in turn comprising at least one first contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one first sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. The publication neither shows any extension module for the use in a sterilization plant nor any method of increasing the capacity of a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first object of the invention is to provide a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments, which sterilization plant is easily extensible. A second object of the invention is to provide an extension module for direct and easy use in a sterilization plant according to the invention. A third object of the invention is to provide an easy way of increasing the capacity of a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments. 
     Thus, the invention comprises a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments, the plant comprising at least one original building having at least one first process line, in turn comprising at least one first contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one first sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. Said at least one first process line extends, at least partly, essentially parallel to a first one of the essentially limiting external walls of said original building, the sterilization plant further comprising at least one extension module located next to and, at least partly, essentially parallel to said first external wall and comprising at least one second process line, in turn comprising at least one second contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one second sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. 
     Said at least one first process line may comprise at least one first clean zone for the handling of clean, but not sterile, surgical instruments and located between said at least one first contaminated zone and said at least one first sterile zone and said at least one second process line may comprise at least one second clean zone for the handling of clean, but not sterile, surgical instruments and located between said at least one second contaminated zone and said at least one second sterile zone. 
     Said first external wall may have at least one through first passage that connects said at least one first contaminated zone and said at least one second contaminated zone. Said first external wall may have at least one through second passage that connects said at least one first clean zone and said at least one second clean zone. Said first external wall may have at least one through third passage that connects said at least one first sterile zone and said at least one second sterile zone. At least one of said at least one first, second and third passages may consist of at least one emergency exit existing in the original building. Said first external wall may have three emergency exits. 
     The sterilization plant may comprise at least one storage space intended for transport trolleys or the like, which storage space may be positioned in said original building and extend next to and essentially parallel to said first external wall. Said at least one third passage may run through said storage space for transport trolleys. 
     Said extension module may have an essentially rectangular shape having three extension external walls, no extension external wall being present along said first external wall. A first one of said extension external walls may have three emergency exits, wherein said first extension external wall may be positioned essentially opposite said first external wall. 
     Said at least one first process line may comprise at least one entrance for the intake of contaminated instruments in said original building, at least one department for manual rough washing, and at least one instrument dishwasher in said at least one first contaminated zone, at least one packing table and at least one autoclave in said at least one first clean zone as well as at least one exit for the take out of sterile instruments in said at least one first sterile zone. 
     Thus, the invention also comprises an extension module for the use in a sterilization plant according to the above. The extension module comprises at least one second process line having at least one second contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one second sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. 
     Said at least one second process line may comprise at least one second clean zone for the handling of clean, but not sterile, surgical instruments and located between said at least one second contaminated zone and said at least one second sterile zone. The extension module may have an essentially rectangular form having three extension external walls. A first one of said extension external walls may have three emergency exits. 
     Thus, the invention also comprises a method of increasing the capacity of a sterilization plant for the sterilization of surgical instruments, which sterilization plant comprises at least one original building having at least one first process line, in turn comprising at least one first contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one first sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. The method comprises extension of the original building, or of an extension on the original building, by at least one extension module that is placed next to and, at least partly, essentially parallel to a first external wall of the original building, or on the already existing extension, and that comprises at least one second process line having at least one second contaminated zone for the handling of contaminated surgical instruments and at least one second sterile zone for the handling of sterile surgical instruments. 
     Said at least one first process line may be brought to comprise at least one first clean zone for the handling of clean, but not sterile, surgical instruments and located between said at least one first contaminated zone and said at least one first sterile zone and said at least one second process line may be brought to comprise at least one second clean zone for the handling of clean, but not sterile, surgical instruments and located between said at least one second contaminated zone and said at least one second sterile zone. At least one through first passage may be opened in said first external wall, which passage connects said at least one first contaminated zone and said at least one second contaminated zone. At least one through second passage may be opened in said first external wall, which passage connects said at least one first clean zone and said at least one second clean zone. At least one through third passage may be opened in said first external wall, which passage connects said at least one first sterile zone and said at least one second sterile zone. 
    
    
     
       LIST OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  shows, in a top view, in section and in principle, a lower floor in an original building included in a sterilization plant according to the invention. 
         FIG. 1   b  shows, in a top view, in section and in principle, an extension module according to the invention and included in the sterilization plant according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2   a  shows, in a top view, in section and in principle, a lower floor in an alternative form of the original building included in the sterilization plant according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2   b  shows, in a top view, in section and in principle, an alternative form of the extension module according to the invention and included in the sterilization plant according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows, in a top view, partly in section and in principle, an upper floor in the original building included in the sterilization plant according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIG. 1   a , it is seen how a lower floor in an original building  1  included in a sterilization plant according to the invention appears. The basic shape of the building  1  is essentially rectangular and is limited by a first external wall  2 , a second external wall  3 , a third external wall  4 , and a fourth external wall  5 . In the building  1 , two process lines for the sterilization of surgical instruments are present, each process line comprising a contaminated zone  6   a ,  6   b , a clean zone  7   a,    7   b  and a sterile zone  8   a ,  8   b.  In addition to these process lines, the following passages and spaces are present in the building  1 . 
     In said first external wall  2 , three emergency exits  9   a - c  are present and inside and along said first external wall  2  a space  10  is present, arranged in said contaminated zone  6   b , for the washing of transport trolleys or the like and a storage space  11 , arranged in said sterile zone  8   b , for transport trolleys or the like. In the space  10 , two trolley-washing units are present. In said second external wall  3 , an emergency exit  9   d  and exit  12  are present for the take out of sterilized goods and inside and along said second external wall  3 , storage space  13  is present for said sterilized goods, In said third external wall  4 , a main entrance  14  is present and inside and along the same external wall  4 , a number of service spaces are present, such as room  15  for chemical storage, steam-generator room  16 , water-treatment room  17 , staircase  18  including elevator and wardrobe, workroom  19  for sterile-service engineer, toilets  20   a - d , locker room  21   a  for women, locker room  21   b  for men, rooms  22   a - c  for protective clothing, entries  23   a ,  23   b , storage space  24  for package material or the like, and storage space  25  for raw materials. In said fourth external wall  5 , entrance  26  is present for the intake of contaminated goods and inside and along said fourth external wall  5 , space  27  is present for manual rough washing, space  28  for vehicle washing equipment as well as driver reception  29  including toilet. 
     In  FIG. 1   b  it is seen how an extension module  31  according to the invention, and in turn included in a sterilization plant according to the invention, appears. The basic shape of the extension module  31  is essentially rectangular and is limited by a first extension external wall  32 , a second extension external wall  33 , a third side  34 —but no third extension external wall—as well as a fourth extension external wall  35 . In the extension module  31 , a process line is present for the sterilization of surgical instruments, the process line comprising a contaminated zone  36 , a clean zone  37  and a sterile zone  38 . In addition to these process lines, following passages and spaces are present in the extension module  31 . 
     In said first external wall  32 , three emergency exits  39   a - c  are present. Inside and along said second external wall  33 , a storage space  40  is present for sterilized goods. 
     Each one of said contaminated zones  6   a ,  6   b ,  36 , in said original building  1  as well as in said extension module  31 , comprises two instrument dishwashers  41  and one multi-chamber dishwasher  42 . Furthermore, a fast-processing dishwasher  43  is present in a first contaminated zone  6   a  of said contaminated zones  6   a ,  6   b,   36 . Each one of said clean zones  7   a ,  7   b ,  37 , in said original building  1  as well as in said extension module  31 , comprises six double packing tables  44  and four autoclaves  45 , i.e., sterilizers  45 . Furthermore, a fast-processing autoclave  46  is present in a first clean zone  7   a  of said clean zones  7   a ,  7   b ,  37 . In a second sterile zone  8   b  of said sterile zones  8   a ,  8   b ,  38 , a storage space  13  is present for sterilized and possibly packed goods. Furthermore, a loading area  47  for contaminated goods adjacent to the entrance  26  and a loading area  48  for sterilized goods adjacent to the exit  12  outside the original building  1  are present. The original building  1  may be provided with additional storage space  30 . 
     Thus, the sterilization plant according to the invention is composed of the original building  1  provided with the extension module  31  according to the invention, the extension module  31  being located next to the original building  1  in such a way that said first external wall  2  in the original building  1  coincides with said third side  34  in the extension module  31 . The extension can be easily made since the extension module  31  is open towards said first external wall  2  in the original building  1  and is also, as regards dimensions and design, adapted to the original building  1 . The presence of said emergency exits  9   a - c  in said first external wall  2  also simplifies the connection of the extension module  31  to the original building  1 , since it is only necessary to open or remove said emergency exits  9   a - c  in order to create passages between the respective zones of the same types in the original building  1  and the extension module  31 , respectively. However, in order to provide a passage between the clean zones in question, it is required that an additional emergency exit  9   e  in the storage space  11  is opened or removed and that a partition wall is provided in the storage space  11  in order to separate the clean zones in question from the sterile zones in question. If larger passages are required between the original building  1  and the extension module  31 , naturally the entire or parts of said first external wall  2  can be dismantled. 
     The extension module  31  may be built on-site, next to the original building  1 , but may also be completed on another location, complete including floor, three extension external walls, roof and fittings, and be transported to the site of the original building  1  and there be lifted in place by means of a crane or the like. The extension module  31  may then, in turn and in an analogous way, be extended by one or more additional extension modules  31  and the plant may accordingly expand without hindrance, and in view of the need of sterilization of surgical instruments, on the assumption that there is ground space. 
     Now, the travel of the contaminated goods through the plant will be described briefly. Contaminated surgical instruments, which have been used in operations on hospitals or the like, are received from, for instance, lorry transport, in the loading area  47 . The goods are transported by industrial truck, or in another suitable way, through the entrance  26 . If the goods are really heavily contaminated, the same may be brought to the space  27  for manual rough washing to be washed there before dishwashing, otherwise the same are normally brought directly to someone of the dishwashers  41 - 43  in someone of the contaminated zones  6   a ,  6   b ,  36 . The dishwashing goods are brought, after dishwashing, to someone of the packing tables  44  in someone of the clean zones  7   a ,  7   b ,  37 , for manual packaging in one or more paper bags and additional envelope material that is semi-permeable. Instead of said paper bags and additional envelope material, the dishwashing goods may be placed in one or more containers including lid, where each lid is provided with a through hole that in turn is covered by a filter. In the clean zones  7   a ,  7   b ,  37 , overpressure prevails by the action of a ventilating system. The packaged goods are then brought for sterilization to someone of the autoclaves  45  and further out in someone of the sterile zones  8   a,    8   b ,  38  and, via possible intermediate storage in the storage space  13 , further out through the exit  12  to the loading area  48  for sterilized goods. From here, the goods may be collected for transportation to users of the surgical equipment. 
     In  FIG. 2   a , it is seen how a lower floor in an alternative form of the original building  1 , included in the sterilization plant according to the invention, appears. No principal differences between the alternative form and the one already described are present. However, some rooms according to  FIG. 2   a  occupies another part of the area of the building plan than the same rooms according to  FIG. 1   a , refer to the figures, where rooms for the same purpose have the same reference designations. Some rooms have also been added in the alternative form according to  FIG. 2   a , namely room  49  for general storage of waste, room  50  for first aid, material transfer rooms  51   a ,  51   b , and broom cupboard  52 . The workroom  19  for sterile-service engineer previously present has been supplemented with space for testing and data equipment. The storage space  13  for sterilized goods previously present has been divided into a space  13   a  having cooling facility and a space  13   b  that lacks this facility. An additional storage space  13   a  having cooling facility has been created in the storage space  11  for transport trolleys or the like by the addition of a wall  53 . An additional wall  54  has been added between the contaminated zone  6   b  and the space  10  for the washing of transport trolleys or the like. The wall  53  is provided with one door and the wall  54  is provided with two doors. Doors are also present between the space  10  for the washing of transport trolleys or the like and the storage space  11  for transport trolleys or the like. 
     In  FIG. 2   b , it is seen how an alternative form of the extension module  31  according to the invention, and in turn included in the sterilization plant according to the invention, appears. No principal differences between the alternative form and the one already described are present. However, the storage space  40  for sterilized goods has been divided into a space  40   a  having cooling facility and a space  40   b  that lacks this facility. 
     In  FIG. 3 , it is seen how an upper floor in the original building, included in the sterilization plant according to the invention, appears. Inside and along the external wall  4   a , a number of service spaces are present, such as office  55 , canteen  56 , assembly room  57 , library  58 , conference room  59 , terrace  60 , kitchen  61 , and space  62  for heating, ventilating and air-conditioning equipment. The remaining area in the building plan consists of at least one roof  63  of any known expedient type. 
     Even if it is primarily meant to combine the original building according to  FIG. 1   a  with the extension module, one or more, according to  FIG. 1   b  and/or the original building according to  FIG. 2   a  with the extension module, one or more, according to  FIG. 2   b , it is naturally fully possible instead to combine the original building according to  FIG. 1   a  with the extension module, one or more, according to  FIG. 2   b  and/or the original building according to  FIG. 2   a  with the extension module, one or more, according to  FIG. 1   b.  If use is made of a plurality of extension modules for an original building, the extension modules may be of the same type or of different types. Each one of all these feasible combinations is then in turn combined with the upper floor according to  FIG. 3  as well as one or more roofs, of any known expedient type, on existing extension module and/or -modules in the case that this and/or these are built on-site. The upper floor may also be entirely spared if required equipment for the operation, i.e., above all heating, ventilating and air-conditioning equipment, is accommodated in existing spaces in the lower floor at the same time as the at least one roof  63  as is enlarged so that it covers the entire area of the lower floor. A sterilization plant in more planes than two is also conceivable without deviating from the general idea of the invention. 
     Each one of said contaminated zones  6   a ,  6   b ,  36 , in said original building  1  as well as in said extension module  31 , may, instead of two instrument dishwashers  41  and one multi-chamber dishwasher  42 , comprise one instrument dishwasher  41  and two multi-chamber dishwashers  42 . Many variations of analogous type are feasible without deviating from the general idea of the invention. In each one of said contaminated zones  6   a ,  6   b ,  36 , negative pressure may prevail by the action of a ventilating system. Instead, each one of said autoclaves  45 ,  46  may consist of a sterilizer  45 ,  46  of any other known expedient type. 
     The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown here but may be varied within the scope of the subsequent claims.