Methods for performing operations, a housing for such methods, and furnishings for such housing

A method for performing, at a particular partial pressure of a selected gas species in a gaseous atmosphere or at a particular total gas pressure of a gaseous atmosphere, said housing comprising first chamber walls defining a first chamber containing a gaseous atmosphere and second chamber walls defining a second chamber substantially enclosing the first chamber, the second chamber containing a gaseous atmosphere between said first and second chamber walls, and said operation being performed in the said first chamber while

• a) the partial pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the second chamber is lower than the partial pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure, respectively, in the gaseous atmosphere in the first chamber, and
• b) the partial gas pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the second chamber is lower than the partial pressure of the selected species or the total gas pressure, respectively, of the gaseous atmosphere in an adjacent surrounding space,
• c) the partial pressure of the selected gas species of the first chamber is lower than the partial pressure of the selected gas species in the gaseous atmosphere in the adjacent surrounding space, or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the first chamber is lower than the total gas pressure in the gaseous atmosphere in the adjacent surrounding space, and
• d) materials and/or devices for carrying out the operation is carried through to the first chamber from the adjacent surrounding space through the second chamber walls, through the second chamber and through the first chamber walls along transit means in at least the first chamber wall, preferably along transit means in both the first chamber walls and the second chamber walls, in such a way that no gas from at least the second chamber is capable of migrating from the second chamber through the transit means in the first chamber walls to the first chamber, and
• e) the carrying through taking place through transit means capable of keeping the materials between the carrying through from the adjacent surroundings through the second chamber walls to the transit means and the carrying through from the transit means through the first chamber walls to the first chamber.

A method for performing, in a particular antiseptic, a-septic or sterile environment, an operation in a housing comprising performing the operation in a housing comprising first chamber walls defining a first chamber containing an antiseptic, an a-septic, a sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment, the operation being performed in the said first chamber while

• a) the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of the first chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in any adjacent surrounding space or the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of a selected part of the first chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in other parts of the first chamber, and
• b) materials and/or devices for carrying out the operation is carried through to the first chamber from the adjacent surrounding space through the first chamber wall along transit means in the first chamber walls in such a way that no contamination from at least the adjacent surrounding space is capable of migrating from the adjacent surrounding space through the transit means in the first chamber walls to the first chamber.
• c) the carrying through taking place through an air lock, said air lock being provided with a carrousel for transferring material and/or devices into the first chamber, said carrousel being angularly displaced during rotating from a first angular position where materials and/or devices are placed in the carrousel to a second angular position where the materials and/or devices are removed from the carrousel and placed in the first chamber.

A method for performing, in a particular antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment, an operation in a housing, said housing comprising first chamber walls defining a first chamber containing an antiseptic, an a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment and second chamber walls defining a second chamber substantially enclosing the first chamber, the second chamber containing an antiseptic, an a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment between said first and second chamber walls, the operation being performed in the said first chamber while

• a) the partial pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the second chamber is lower than the partial pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure, respectively, in the gaseous atmosphere in the first chamber, and
• b) the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of the first chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in the second chamber or the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of a selected part of the first chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in other parts of the first chamber, and
• c) the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of the second chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in any adjacent surrounding space or the antiseptic, a-septic, sterile or in other way other levels of contaminated environment of a selected part of the second chamber is less polluted than the degree of pollution in other parts of the second chamber, and
• d) materials and devices for carrying out the operation is carried through to the first chamber from the adjacent surrounding space through the second chamber walls, through the second chamber and through the first chamber walls along transit means in at least the first chamber wall, preferably along transit means in both the first chamber walls and the second chamber wall, in such a way that no gas from at least the second chamber is capable of migrating from the second chamber through the transit means in the first chamber walls to the first chamber.

A housing, in particular for housing a material and/or device while an operation involving the material is performed, the housing comprising first chamber walls defining a first chamber containing a first gaseous atmosphere, and second chamber walls defining a second chamber between said first and second chamber walls, said second chamber walls substantially enclosing the first chamber and containing a second gaseous atmosphere, and said housing comprising

• a) means for maintaining the partial pressure of a selected gas species or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the second chamber lower than the partial pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure, respectively, in the gaseous atmosphere in the first chamber,
• b) means for maintaining the partial gas pressure of the selected gas species or the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the second chamber lower than the partial pressure of the selected species or the total gas pressure, respectively, of the gaseous atmosphere in an adjacent surrounding space,
• c) means for maintaining the partial pressure of the selected gas species of the first chamber lower than the partial pressure of the selected gas species in the gaseous atmosphere in the adjacent surrounding space, or means for maintaining the total gas pressure in the atmosphere of the first chamber lower than the total gas pressure in the gaseous atmosphere in the adjacent surrounding space, and
• d) means for carrying through materials and devices for carrying out the operation to the first chamber from the adjacent surrounding space through the second chamber walls, through the second chamber and through the first chamber walls along transit means in at least the first chamber wall, preferably along transit means in both the first chamber walls and the second chamber wall, in such a way that no gas from at least the second chamber is capable of migrating from the second chamber through the transit means in the first chamber walls to the first chamber.