Isolation Shelter Pressurized to Avoid Transfer of Contaminants Between an Isolation Space and the Outside Environment

Abstract

An isolation shelter includes, in its interior, an inner closure defining an isolation space. The isolation space is at a pressure less than the pressure of the environment in the shelter interior, at the outside of the inner enclosure. An outer enclosure of the shelter encloses a sealed region defined at least in part by a structural element contained within the shelter interior A sealed space, which is partially defined by any portion of the outer enclosure that can become exposed to the environment outside the outer enclosure, extends from the outer enclosure into the shelter interior. The sealed space is at a pressure exceeding the pressure of the environment outside of the shelter, thereby substantially preventing contamination in the environment outside the shelter from entering the shelter interior and passing to the isolation space. The pressure in the isolation space substantially prevents contaminants from escaping the isolation space into the environment outside the isolation shelter.

1 . An isolation shelter having an interior region, the shelter comprising: 
 an inner enclosure defining an isolation space; and    an outer enclosure defined at least in part by a first structural element contained within the interior region of the shelter, wherein any portion of the outer enclosure that can become exposed to an environment outside the outer enclosure defines at least a portion of a sealed wall space, wherein the wall space extends from the outer enclosure into the interior region and is at a pressure exceeding the pressure of the environment at the outside of the outer enclosure, and wherein the isolation space is at a pressure less than the pressure of the environment of the interior region of the shelter outside the inner enclosure.    
   
   
       2 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner enclosure defines at least a portion of the wall space.  
   
   
       3 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the wall space substantially prevents contamination in the environment outside the shelter from entering through the outer enclosure, into the wall space, and then passing from the wall space into the isolation space.  
   
   
       4 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural element is a wail of the inner enclosure.  
   
   
       5 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural element is not a part of the inner enclosure and defines a portion of an intermediate space, wherein the intermediate space is further defined by at least portion of the inner enclosure.  
   
   
       6 . The isolation shelter of  claim 5 , wherein the pressure in the wall space substantially prevents contamination in the environment outside the shelter from entering through the outer enclosure into the wall space, passing from the wall space into the intermediate space, and then passing from the intermediate space, through the inner enclosure and into the isolation space.  
   
   
       7 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure within the isolation space substantially prevents contaminants from escaping the isolation space, passing through the inner enclosure into the wall space, and then passing from the wall space through the outer enclosure and into the outside environment.  
   
   
       8 . The isolation shelter of  claim 5 , wherein the pressure within the isolation space substantially prevents contaminants from escaping the isolation space, passing through the inner enclosure into the intermediate space, passing from the intermediate space into the wall space, and then passing from the wall space through the outer enclosure and into the outside environment.  
   
   
       9 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of at least one of an outer wall of the outer enclosure and an inner wall of the inner enclosure includes an entry/egress port.  
   
   
       10 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of each of an outer wall of the outer enclosure and an inner wall of the inner enclosure includes at least one entry/egress port.  
   
   
       11 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the outer enclosure includes a first port and the inner enclosure includes second and third ports, wherein a desired pressure is maintained in the isolation space by supplying more air at the second port than withdrawn at the third port and wherein a desired pressure is maintained in the wall space by supplying air at the first port.  
   
   
       12 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the air supplied at the first and second ports is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated air.  
   
   
       13 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the air withdrawn at the third port is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated  
   
   
       14 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein any portion of the air withdrawn at the third port is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated before release to the outside environment.  
   
   
       15 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the amount of air supplied at the first port is regulated by at least one of an air pressure sensor coupled to an air conduit extending into the first port and a pressure regulation valve within the air conduit.  
   
   
       16 . The isolation shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the amount of air being supplied at the second port and withdrawn at the third port are regulated, such that a desired pressure is maintained in the isolation space.  
   
   
       17 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of an outer wall of the outer enclosure and an inner wall of the inner enclosure includes first and second entry/egress port, respectively, and wherein an air lock passageway extends between the first and second ports.  
   
   
       18 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a portion of an outer wall of the outer enclosure and an inner wall of the inner enclosure includes an entry/egress port and wherein an air lock passageway constitutes the port.  
   
   
       19 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural element is not a part of the inner enclosure and includes an entry/egress port and wherein an air lock passageway constitutes the port.  
   
   
       20 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure is substantially impermeable to substantially all liquids, solids and gases.  
   
   
       21 . The isolation shelter of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure includes at least one of flexible polymeric material, steel and plaster.  
   
   
       22 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure is an integral unit.  
   
   
       23 . The isolation shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the outer enclosure and inner enclosure define the wall space.  
   
   
       24 . An air blower system for coupling to an isolation shelter, wherein the isolation shelter comprises: 
 an inner enclosure defining an isolation space;    an outer enclosure defined at least in part by a first structural element contained within the interior region of the shelter, wherein any portion of the outer enclosure that can become exposed to an environment outside the outer enclosure defines at least a portion of a sealed wall space, wherein the wall space extends from the outer enclosure into the interior region and is at a pressure exceeding the pressure of the environment at the outside of the outer enclosure and wherein the isolation space is at a pressure less than the pressure of the environment of the interior region at the outside of the inner enclosure; and    wherein the outer enclosure includes a first port and the inner enclosure includes second and third ports;    the blower system comprising: 
 first, second and third ducts coupled to the first, second and third ports, respectively, wherein air is supplied to the wall space and the isolation space, respectively, through the first and second ducts and wherein air is withdrawn from the isolation space through the third duct;  
 an inlet for receiving outside air; and  
 a first means for regulating the amount of air being supplied to the wall space, such that a desired pressure is maintained in the wall space.  
   
   
   
       25 . The blower system of  claim 24 , wherein the first means is a pressure regulating valve included in the first duct or a pressure sensor coupled to the first duct.  
   
   
       26 . The blower system of  claim 24 , wherein the air supplied at the first and second ports is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated air.  
   
   
       27 . The blower system of  claim 24 , wherein the air withdrawn at the third port is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated.  
   
   
       28 . The blower system of  claim 24 , wherein any portion of the air withdrawn at the third port is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated before release to the outside environment.  
   
   
       29 . The blower system of  claim 24  further comprising: 
 a second means for regulating the amount of air being supplied to and withdrawn from the isolation space, such that a desired pressure is maintained in the isolation space.    
   
   
       30 . The blower system of  claim 29 , wherein the amount of air being supplied to the second port exceeds the amount of air being withdrawn at the third port.  
   
   
       31 . The blower system of  claim 24 , wherein the air received at the inlet is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated.  
   
   
       32 . A method of isolating an isolation space within an isolation shelter comprising: 
 at any portion of the shelter that can become exposed to an environment outside the shelter, maintaining a pressure exceeding the pressure of the environment outside the shelter; and    maintaining an isolation space, defined within an interior region of the shelter and surrounded by an inner enclosure, at a pressure less than the pressure of the environment of the interior region outside the inner enclosure.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising: 
 defining a sealed wall space extending from any portion of the outer enclosure that can become exposed to the outer environment to the interior region; and    maintaining the wall space at a pressure exceeding the pressure of the environment outside the shelter.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising: 
 maintaining the desired pressure in the isolation space and the wall space by controllably supplying air to the isolation and wall spaces.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the supplied air is at least one of particulate filtered, charcoal filtered and decontaminated.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising the steps of: 
 withdrawing air from the isolation space;    supplying at a least a portion of the withdrawn air to at least one of the isolation space and the wall space; and    at least one of particulate filtering, charcoal filtering and decontaminating the withdrawn air before the supplying step.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising the steps of: 
 returning at least a portion of the withdrawn air to the outside environment; and    at least one of particulate filtering, charcoal filtering and decontaminating the withdrawn air before the returning step.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising: 
 receiving air from the outside environment;    supplying at a least a portion of the supplied air to at least one of the isolation space and the wall space; and    at least one of particulate filtering, charcoal filtering and decontaminating the received air before the supplying step.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising: 
 providing an air lock passageway extending from the outside environment to a first location in the interior region.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the first location is within at least one of the isolation space, a sealed wall space extending from any portion of the outer enclosure that can become exposed to the outer environment to the interior region and a portion of the interior region disposed intermediate the isolation space and the wall space.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising: 
 providing an air lock passageway extending through at least one structural element of the shelter, wherein the structural element is at least one of (i) an outer wall of the outer enclosure that can be exposed to the outside environment, (ii) an inner wall of the inner enclosure and (ii) a first structural element within the interior region and forming a part of the outer enclosure.