Design and verification of an interlocked centrifugal exhaust system for hatch-type boiling disinfectors
- 1Central Sterile Supply Department, Sichuan GEM Flower Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College, Chengdu, China
- 2Human Resources Department, Sichuan Integrative Medicine Hospital, Chengdu, China
- 3Central Sterile Supply Department, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
Abstract
Objective: To address the occupational exposure risks caused by instantaneous steam overflow when opening the top cover of hatch-type boiling disinfectors in the central sterile supply department, this study developed an interlocked centrifugal exhaust system (ICES) characterized by operational simplicity and high adaptability. Methods: The ICES was assembled using a centrifugal fan, Hall effect switch, instant relay, time-delay relay, solid-state relay, and piping. The system achieved automatic start/stop of the fan based on the open‑or‑closed status of the top cover. A self-controlled design was adopted on one hatch-type boiling disinfector. Temperature was measured at the chamber edge (T1) and at the technician’s facial position (T2). Airborne particle counts were also measured at the technician’s facial position. Measurements were performed under conditions with and without the ICES enabled. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: After enabling the ICES, T1 and T2 decreased by 20.89% and 31.31%, respectively. The median temperature at T2 was 21.5 °C, which was close to the ambient temperature. The reduction ratios for airborne particle counts of six different sizes at the technician’s facial position ranged from 53.09% to 67.83%. All differences between groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: The ICES effectively reduces steam overflow upon the top-cover opening of hatch-type boiling disinfectors and lowers the risk of occupational injury. With advantages such as wide installation adaptability, imperceptible operation, and convenient maintenance, it provides a stable and reliable solution for the safety retrofitting of existing hatch-type boiling disinfectors.
Related
- The potential of AI inspired approaches for patient monitoring in drug development for Huntington's disease: capturing the digital exhaust for activities of daily living.
- Effects of Processing Practices (Boiling and Drying) on the Nutritional, Microbial, and Physical Quality Attributes of Small Fish (Dagaa) in Small-Scale Fishery Systems.
- Corrections to: Color as a gate to verification: Super-additive costs in oculomotor disengagement.
- Reproductive Biology, Pollination Optimization, and Hybrid Verification of Acacia mangium × A. auriculiformis
- Reliable extraction of clinical-trial evidence with provenance, verification, and targeted review
BibTeX
@article{sun2026design,
title = {{Design and verification of an interlocked centrifugal exhaust system for hatch-type boiling disinfectors}},
author = {Xiaoxue Sun and Qinqin Wang and Wei Zheng},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360909},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360909},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Design and verification of an interlocked centrifugal exhaust system for hatch-type boiling disinfectors
AU - Xiaoxue Sun
AU - Qinqin Wang
AU - Wei Zheng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360909
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360909
AB - Objective: To address the occupational exposure risks caused by instantaneous steam overflow when opening the top cover of hatch-type boiling disinfectors in the central sterile supply department, this study developed an interlocked centrifugal exhaust system (ICES) characterized by operational simplicity and high adaptability. Methods: The ICES was assembled using a centrifugal fan, Hall effect switch, instant relay, time-delay relay, solid-state relay, and piping. The system achieved automatic start/stop of the fan based on the open‑or‑closed status of the top cover. A self-controlled design was adopted on one hatch-type boiling disinfector. Temperature was measured at the chamber edge (T1) and at the technician’s facial position (T2). Airborne particle counts were also measured at the technician’s facial position. Measurements were performed under conditions with and without the ICES enabled. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: After enabling the ICES, T1 and T2 decreased by 20.89% and 31.31%, respectively. The median temperature at T2 was 21.5 °C, which was close to the ambient temperature. The reduction ratios for airborne particle counts of six different sizes at the technician’s facial position ranged from 53.09% to 67.83%. All differences between groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: The ICES effectively reduces steam overflow upon the top-cover opening of hatch-type boiling disinfectors and lowers the risk of occupational injury. With advantages such as wide installation adaptability, imperceptible operation, and convenient maintenance, it provides a stable and reliable solution for the safety retrofitting of existing hatch-type boiling disinfectors.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -