ASSEMBLY FOR CHECKING THE ATMOSPHERE PREVAILING WITHIN A FIRST ENVIRONMENT ISOLATED FROM A SECOND ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

An assembly for checking the atmosphere within a first environment isolated from a second environment, which differs by air quality and/or composition of the atmosphere. The assembly includes an isolation element for isolating the first environment from the second environment, a sampling device to collect elements present in the atmosphere within the first environment, and a suction device. The isolation element has an item of isolating personal protective equipment, and the sampling device includes a cassette defining a compartment having an inlet orifice as the sampling orifice and an outlet orifice as the connection orifice, which can be connected to the suction device, an element for capturing the elements being researched, interposed between the two orifices, in the compartment, the cassette further having an attachment element for mounting the sampling device on the isolating personal protective equipment, and the sampling orifice opening into the isolated first environment.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An assembly for checking the atmosphere prevailing within a first environment isolated from a second environment that is different in terms of air quality and/or atmospheric composition, said assembly comprising in particular isolation means isolating said first environment from the second environment, a sampling device suitable for collecting elements present in the atmosphere prevailing within the first environment, and suction means, wherein the isolation means consist of isolation personal protective equipment and the sampling device comprises a cassette defining a compartment that has a so-called sampling inlet orifice and a so-called connecting outlet orifice that can be connected to the suction means, means for retaining the elements the presence and/or concentration of which is sought being housed in the compartment, interposed between the two orifices, the cassette further including fastening means configured to mount the sampling device on the isolation personal protective equipment, which has complementary fastening means, with the sampling orifice of said sampling device emerging into said isolated first environment.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the compartment of the cassette is sealed.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein that the retention means are selected as a function of the type of elements sought and are selected from filters and sampling tubes including adsorbents such as activated carbon, black carbon graphite, porous polymer, silica gels.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cassette comprises a base in the form of a tubular cylindrical body defining the compartment in which are housed the retention means, said body having two open opposite ends, one end forming the sampling orifice and the opposite end forming the connecting orifice, the retaining means being housed in the compartment, interposed between the two orifices.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the base includes a first portion having a given diameter Da and a second portion having a diameter Db smaller than the diameter Da of the first portion, a shoulder being formed at the join between the two portions of the base against which is housed a disk-shaped filter as retention means.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the open end of the portion with a smaller diameter forms the sampling orifice and is arranged to be fastened to separating means between the environments and the end of the portion with a larger diameter is the end forming the connecting orifice suitable for being connected to a suction device such as a pump using connecting means provided on said orifice.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the connecting orifice of the base has a cover sealably fastened to said base and provided with a central orifice in which an element for connection to a suction device is mounted.

23. The assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the connecting element is a gland fitting allowing the sealed fastening of one end of a hose, preferably flexible, the other end of which is connected to a suction device.

24. The assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the cover is sealably fastened to the connecting end of the base, the cover and the connecting end of the base having complementary fastening means, such as screwing means, making possible sealed fastening due to the tightening torque.

25. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the isolation personal protective equipment is a respiratory protective equipment (RPE) comprising a mask (M).

26. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the isolation personal protective equipment is an all-in-one isolation suit protecting against biological and chemical hazards, comprising a respiratory mask portion.

27. The assembly as claimed in claim 25, wherein the sampling orifice of the base has means for fastening to an orifice made in the mask M of the RPE, said orifice having complementary fastening means for achieving sealed mounting.

28. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sampling device includes elements for closing the connecting and sampling orifices.

29. A method for checking the quality and/or composition of the atmosphere prevailing within isolation personal protective equipment such as respiratory protective equipment (RPE) defining in said equipment a first environment isolated from a second environment that is different in terms of air quality and/or atmospheric composition, comprising the following steps: a sampling device comprising a cassette defining a compartment that has a so-called sampling inlet orifice and a so-called connecting outlet orifice that can be connected to suction means is mounted on the isolation means of the personal protective equipment, said device being mounted with its sampling orifice emerging into the first environment, the suction means are activated in order to sample the atmosphere within the first environment, which passes through the sampling device, which includes means for retaining the elements the presence and/or concentration of which is sought, housed in the compartment, interposed between the sampling orifice and the connecting orifice, and the sampling device is then removed and the retention means are recovered from the device in order to carry out an analysis of the elements recovered from said retention means.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the retaining means are stored in archives.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the figures, which show:

[0068] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a sampling device of an assembly according to the invention;

[0069] FIG. 2 an exploded perspective view of the device in FIG. 1;

[0070] FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of a device according to FIG. 1;

[0071] FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention; and

[0072] FIG. 5 a block diagram of an assembly according to the invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The sampling device 1 according to the invention, also referred to as a sampling cassette, takes the form of a cassette that can be installed in personal protective equipment PPE such as isolating respiratory protective equipment RPE. In the example described here, such a device can be installed in a class III (serious or fatal hazard) respiratory protection mask for operators working in an environment involving an asbestos hazard.

[0074] This device 1 thus installed in the respiratory protection mask M makes it possible to take a sample from the air contained in the mask M, that is, the air that the user of the mask M is breathing, which forms an environment sealably isolated from the external environment. It is thus possible to directly check the asbestos fiber content inside the mask M, in a working situation, by sampling the air inside the mask M during use in a polluted, hazardous working environment without breaching the isolation of the air contained in the mask M.

[0075] Such a device 1 is used to guarantee the safety of the operators. The air sampled is thus directly the air present inside the mask M and inhaled by the user of the mask M, originating from an air source and/or from the external environment, and which has been filtered appropriately.

[0076] The device takes the form of a cassette 1 including a base 11, in the form of a tubular cylindrical body open at its two ends. The space inside this base 11 defines the compartment 110 of the device 1 in which are housed a filter holder 2 and a filter 3 as retention means for collecting asbestos fibers.

[0077] Preferably, a mixed cellulose ester (MCE) membrane filter 3 is used, made up of pure and biologically inert mixtures of cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate. MCE filters are hydrophilic and autoclavable, and are particularly suitable for capturing and then analyzing asbestos fibers.

[0078] The body or base 11 has a first portion 11a having a diameter Da and a second portion 11b having a diameter Db smaller than Da. The body 11 thus has two open opposite ends, one on the portion 11a side and one on the portion 11b side.

[0079] At the junction between the two portions 11a and 11b of the base 11 there is a shoulder 12 against which the filter 3 is housed, on which the filter holder 2 is then positioned.

[0080] The portion 11b side end has an inlet orifice into the compartment referred to as the sampling orifice 111b, this so-called sampling end 11b is arranged to be fastened to the mask M so that the sampling orifice 111b emerges into the atmosphere prevailing inside said mask M when it is worn by a user.

[0081] The opposite portion 11a side end is referred to as the connecting end 11a and forms the connecting orifice 111a suitable for being connected to a suction device P such as a pump.

[0082] The use of the pump P thus makes it possible to sample the air present in the mask M through the sampling cassette, the air entering the cassette by the sampling orifice 111b, passing through the filter 3 and leaving the base 11 by the connecting orifice 111a to the pump P.

[0083] To this end, the portion 11a side end of the body 11 has a cover 13 sealably fastened to said body 11. This cover 13 consists of a disk 130 provided with a central orifice in which an element 14 for connection to the suction device P is mounted.

[0084] This connecting element 14 is preferably a gland fitting allowing the sealed fastening of the end of a hose 5, preferably flexible, the other end of which is connected to the suction pump P. Before use of the device on RPE, the connecting element 14 has a closure plug 15, maintaining the sealing of the device 1 before and after use.

[0085] The cover 13 is sealably fastened to the connecting end 11a of the base 11. Preferably, the cover 13 and the connecting end 11a have complementary fastening means, such as screwing means.

[0086] The cover 13 thus has a skirt 131 formed protruding from the disk 130 and provided on its outer face with an external thread suitable for interacting with an internal thread formed on the inner face of the connecting end 11a of the base 11.

[0087] In order to guarantee the sealed mounting of the cover 13 on the base 11, a gasket 4 is positioned on the filter holder 2, the end of the skirt 131 of the cover 13 pressing on said gasket 4 when it is screwed on, the end of the base 11 pressing against the cover 13. The cover has a disk 130 the diameter of which corresponds to the outer diameter of the base 11, the cover 13 aligning with the base 11 and the tightening ensuring that there is no slit between the base 11 and the cover 13. Preferably, a seal is affixed to the intersection between the base and the cover to guarantee that the cassette thus formed has never been used. This seal will only be broken when, after use, the retention means contained in the compartment 110 are extracted for analysis.

[0088] The sampling end 111b of the body 11 has means for fastening to an orifice formed on the mask M.

[0089] Preferably, the orifice of the mask M is provided with a fastening ring through which the sampling end 111b of the device 1 is engaged towards the inside of the mask M when it is worn by a user.

[0090] The fastening ring includes fastening means that complement fastening means provided on the sampling end 11b of the base 11. These fastening means are preferably complementary screwing means such as an internal thread formed inside the fastening ring of the mask M, complementing an external thread 7 formed on the outer face of the portion 11b of the body 11. A gasket 9 is further placed between the base 11 and the fastening ring in order to guarantee sealed mounting of the sampling device on the mask M.

[0091] These screwing means also make it possible to place a plug 8 on the sampling end 11b of the base 11, closing this end when the sampling device is not in use. The gasket 9 is also present between the plug 8 and the base 11 so as to guarantee the sealing of the device 1. As a variant, an element for closing the end in the form of a cap 6 having a skirt that can be engaged in the sampling end 11b can be proposed.

[0092] To secure the mounting of the cartridge on the mask M, the base 11 has on its outer face protruding ridges 16 making it possible to rotate the device 1 in order to screw it onto the fastening ring.

[0093] So as to allow appropriate use of the sampling device 1 according to the invention, a seal is placed where the cover 13 is mounted on the base 11, which guarantees, when it is installed on a mask M for use, the integrity of the cassette 1, in particular the sealing of the compartment 110, and therefore as a result the effectiveness and reliability thereof with respect to the expected results. It is thus guaranteed that the retention means contained in the cassette 1 are pure and ready to use.

[0094] FIG. 4 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a device 1′ according to the invention, having a base 11′ defining a compartment 110′. On the shoulder 12′ formed by the two portions 11′a and 11′b of the base 11′ with diameters Da′ and Db′, where Db′<Da′, a cartridge of porous material 30 is put in place as means for retaining or trapping the elements sought. The cover 13′ is put in place with its threaded skirt 131′ and its disk 130′ on the connecting end 11′, the end of the skirt 131′ sealably pressing on a gasket 4′ fitted on the cartridge 30. The connecting orifice 111′a includes a gland fitting 14′ provided with a closure plug 15′. The base 11′ also includes ridges 16′ making it possible in particular to mount the device 1′ by its sampling orifice 111′b on a mask.

[0095] An example will now be described of the use of an assembly according to the invention including a sampling device, with isolating respiratory protective equipment M that thus makes it possible to take measurements of the concentration of asbestos fibers inside the mask M in a working situation by sampling air, for example at a flow rate of between 7 and 10 l/minute.

[0096] The mask M is specifically designed to make it possible to take samples of the air present inside the mask and directly inhaled by the user. To this end, it therefore has an orifice making it possible to put in place the sampling device according to the invention. The cassette and the mask M are prepared.

[0097] Before installing the cassette, the seal is checked to ensure that it is not damaged. The cassette 1 includes the respective closure elements 8, 15 on the sampling orifice and the connecting orifice.

[0098] The presence of the gasket 9 and the general good condition of the cassette and of said gasket 9 are also checked. The cassette 1 must be removed from its packaging and installed on the mask M in a clean, uncontaminated area.

[0099] The plug 15 is then removed from the cassette 1 on the connecting orifice side and the suction hose 5 is connected. The end of the hose provided with a metal insert is inserted into the gland 14 up to the stop. The gland 14 is then tightened up to the stop using a specific wrench supplied with the device.

[0100] The plug is then removed from the mask M and the plug 8 on the sampling orifice side of the base 11 is removed. This end is screwed manually onto the mask M using only the ridges 16 provided to this end on the cassette. It is tightened so as to compress the gasket 9 to ensure the sealed mounting.

[0101] Once the user is dressed, in accordance with the regulations in force, the hose 5 can be slid into the loops of a harness worn by the operator and clipped to the breathable air hose supplying the mask M using two clips supplied with the sampling device.

[0102] The suction pump P is then installed using a harness and connected to the sampling hose 5. Thus equipped, the operator can then enter the contaminated site. The use of the mask provided with the sampling cassette is identical to that of a normal mask. The operation or stopping of the air sampling pump does not have any impact on its use.

[0103] However, some precautions should be taken, such as not handling, unscrewing or removing the cassette under any circumstances when the atmosphere cannot be breathed in without danger.

[0104] In order to make sampling safe, in addition to the usual decontamination procedure, the following procedural instructions should be followed:

[0105] The connecting hose 5 must be closed off if the pump P is removed before entry into the shower decontamination facilities.

[0106] When the mask M is removed, the shower is switched off, the sampling hose 5 is separated from the harness, and the air intake valve of the mask M is closed before it is removed by raising the head.

[0107] The mask M provided with the cassette 1 and the connecting hose 5 are handed to the person responsible for managing the cassettes, holding the sampling opening of the cassette 1 facing downwards until it is removed from the mask. Particular care should also be taken not to wet the inside of the mask at this time.

[0108] It is imperative that the person responsible for managing the sampling cassettes: [0109] Dries the mask, the cassette 1 and the hose 5 thoroughly using paper towel. [0110] Unscrews the cassette 1 from the mask M, handling only the ridges 16 and keeping the sampling opening 111b thus liberated facing downwards, and then closes the opening 111b with the correct plug 8. [0111] Disconnects the hose 5 from the cassette 1 by loosening the gland fitting 14 using the wrenches supplied, and then closes the gland fitting 14 with the upper plug 15 of the cassette 1. [0112] Returns the mask M to the user for completion of the cleaning and maintenance operations.

[0113] The cassette 1 with the potentially contaminated filter 3 is thus recovered and sent for handling by an accredited laboratory, for analysis and possible archiving.

[0114] The cassette 1 is inserted for example into a dismantling case and the laboratory recovers the filter 3 by unscrewing the cover 13 (which breaks the seal), holding the cassette 1 with the connecting orifice and its cover 13 upwards so that the filter 3 does not fall out. The potentially contaminated cassette 1 is then removed. The cassettes according to the invention are preferably single-use.