Modular port system and replacement method thereof

Abstract

A chemical or biological containment apparatus having a seal to contain contaminants in an inside thereof from passing to an outside, including an outer envelope; a port disposed in the envelope, the port including an outer portion having a circumferential portion extending away from the envelope and a flange extending from the circumferential portion and attached to the envelope, and an inner portion. The inner portion includes a circumferential surface corresponding to the circumferential portion, a plurality of grooves formed in the circumferential surface, and a plurality of O-rings respectively received in the grooves to form the seal with the outer portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] In medical situations, it is sometimes necessary to isolate a patient to prevent medical personnel or the environment at large from being contaminated by the patient. For example, victims of chemical or biological attacks, and certain infectious diseases require isolation. This isolation system may be in the form of a pod, with gloves provided therein to allow access by the medical worker without risk of contamination. However, these gloves may require replacement due to failure or contamination. A related replacement operation is illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B. During normal operation, a glove 102 is provided in a wall 100 of an isolation device, and is disposed on the inside of the isolation device, where a patient is located. The glove 102 is attached to a flap 104, which is made of a flexible material. During replacement, the glove 102 is pulled to the outside, and portions of the flaps 104 are pulled together below the glove 102 and tied with ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] To possibly address the above concerns and/or different concerns, the inventors also propose a method including providing a first inner port to create a first seal between an inside and an outside of a biological or chemical containment device, and r

Problems solved by technology

However, these gloves may require replacement due to failure or contamination.

However, such preventative measures may not be sufficient.

Furthermore, the seal formed by tying the flaps 104 may not be sufficient to prevent contaminants from escaping, especially in light of the small size of biological microorganisms and chemical molecules.

Also, this operation is cumbersome and time consuming because it requires several steps (tying and untying seals 104, removing and replacing gloves 102).

In life and death situations, when time is of the essence, patient safety is compromised.

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