WO1998001165A1

WO1998001165A1 - Process and device for sterilisation of contaminated material

Info

Publication number: WO1998001165A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/003502
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norbert Stauder; Peter Ott; Arno Endress
Original assignee: Elastomere Technology Gmbh
Priority date: 1996-07-03
Filing date: 1997-07-03
Publication date: 1998-01-15
Also published as: DE19626672A1; AU3442797A

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and a device which can be used to sterilise contaminated material completely in a short period of time without additional contaminants occurring during treatment. The process provides that the material, in particular infectious hospital waste, is subjected to an ionised gas in a treatment chamber. A plasma chamber (25) is provided as the treatment chamber. An intermediate chamber (8) is arranged above the plasma chamber, and the crushed hospital waste which is delivered continuously can be stored in said intermediate chamber until treatment in the treatment chamber (25). The plasma chamber (25) is loaded via a sluice with two sluice openings (12, 14). A sluice gate (23) is arranged on the lower surface of the plasma chamber (25), and the treated material (26) can be conveyed away therethrough.

Description

Method and device for sterilizing contaminated material

The invention relates to a method for sterilizing contaminated material, in particular infectious hospital waste. The invention also relates to a device for sterilizing contaminated material with a treatment chamber.

Infectious waste is generated everywhere in the hospital where there are pathogens of communicable diseases that require reporting. The patient with an infectious disease, e.g. Typhoid, excretes infectious stool, which in this case can represent the transmission route. All waste contaminated with stool therefore belongs to this waste category. Hospital laboratories that examine samples from viral hepatitis patients must declare and dispose of the blood or serum residues as infectious waste. Infectious diseases include, for example, brucellosis, cholera, anthrax or scarlet fever.

Infectious waste from the hospital sector is therefore, for example, syringes, cannulas, scalpels, infection kits, infusion bottles, wound dressings, diapers, disposable laundry or disposable items such as Disposable gloves. In addition, there is infectious and unsanitary waste from other facilities, such as Blood and serum residues, test samples and scientific test material. In order to make disposal of this waste as domestic waste possible, this waste must be sterile.

Sterilization means according to "Practice of Sterilization, Disinfection - Preservation" by Karl-Heinz Wallhäuser, Georg-Thieme- Verlag, 1988, p. 213 "the elimination (separation, killing) of all microorganisms and the inactivation of all viruses that are in or on a product or object". Sterilization therefore goes beyond simply disinfecting hospital waste.

DE 3800821 C2 discloses a disinfection system for contaminated hospital waste that works with water vapor. The hospital waste to be treated is first fed to a cutting unit, where water vapor is already being sprayed. From there, the shredded hospital waste goes into a heated screw conveyor, which is also subjected to superheated steam, so that the disinfection of the shredded waste is completed there. Afterwards, the waste treated in this way should be able to be disposed of as normal household waste, which is not possible in all cases, however, because not all microorganisms have been killed. This method has the further disadvantage that, due to the high temperatures, Plastic objects are heated above their softening temperature, so that pollutants are released, which must be filtered out of the steam.

DE 2842407 C2 discloses a device for the surface treatment of workpieces by discharging ionized gases and a method for operating this device. The ceramic fiber material or the silicate fibers arranged on the chamber wall have the effect of heat insulation of the chamber, so that comparatively high temperatures can be reached due to the gas discharge, which favor the ionization of the gas. This method is therefore only suitable for the treatment of heat-stable materials. An application for the treatment and sterilization of hospital waste has not yet been considered.

The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device with which a complete sterilization of contaminated Material is guaranteed in a short time without additional pollutants arising during the treatment.

This object is achieved with a method according to the features of patent claim 1. The device is the subject of claim 10.

It has been shown that the treatment of contaminated material with an ionized gas leads to the complete killing of all microorganisms, so that the material can be disposed of like normal household waste after the treatment. The ionized gas destroys the molecules of the microorganisms so sustainably that recombination is no longer possible.

In the treatment chamber, where the contaminated material is exposed to the plasma, a base voltage U _{B is} applied between the cathode and the anode, which is in the range of preferably 10 to 200 volts. The tension is preferably laid out between the wall of the treatment chamber and the support, for example a table, on which the material to be treated rests. It is advantageously carried out in the area of the falling voltage current characteristic, so that high currents occur at relatively low voltages. As a result of the increased ionization, short treatment times can be achieved.

A high-frequency voltage with frequencies in the kilohertz to megahertz range, in particular in the range from 300 kHertz to 100 MHz, is preferably superimposed on this base voltage. It has been shown that it is advantageous to select the frequency the higher the larger the surface to be treated. Larger surfaces usually mean more complicated surfaces. In this respect, work can be carried out on smooth surfaces in the lower frequency range, for example. This short-term polarity reversal caused by the high-frequency voltage leads to the ions move omnidirectionally in the room so that a turbulent plasma is created which surrounds the material to be treated like a mist. The high-frequency voltage obviously supports the destruction of the molecular bonds and thus the molecular structures, voltage peaks in the kilovolt range, in particular between 2 kVolt and 3 kVolt, being particularly advantageous.

The high-frequency voltage is preferably applied briefly. Pulse lengths in the microsecond range, which are separated by equally long pulse pauses, are advantageous. As a result, there are only slight increases in temperature, which can be limited to a maximum of 40 ° C by selecting the pulse length and the pulse pause.

The treatment is preferably carried out at a pressure of 0.1 mbar - 1000 mbar, which depends on the material to be treated. If e.g. "Soft" materials such as diapers, gauze bandages, laundry items or gloves are to be sterilized, a slight negative pressure in the treatment chamber of e.g. 900 - 980 mbar because, due to the high humidity in these wastes, no greater vacuum can be achieved. If, on the other hand, metallic parts such as scalpels or the like, glass, plastic and ceramic parts or implants and medical device parts are to be sterilized, work is preferably carried out at pressures between 0.5 and 3 mbar.

The treatment is preferably carried out at room temperature, which, depending on the type of material to be treated, can heat up during the treatment. In this case, however, temperatures of up to a maximum of 60 ° C. are reached, so that the plastic materials usually used in hospitals do not release any pollutants.

It has been shown that a treatment time of 5 minutes is quite sufficient to sterilize the contaminated material. Around In particular in the case of hospital wastes to meet the required safety standard, a treatment time of approximately 15-20 minutes is preferred.

In order to keep the volume to be treated as small as possible with regard to the treatment chamber to be provided, the material to be treated is comminuted before the treatment. In hospital waste, this results in a compaction of around a factor of four.

The device has a plasma chamber as the treatment chamber, which is equipped with the usual additional devices, such as vacuum devices and voltage supply devices.

The voltage supply device is preferably designed such that, on the one hand, a predetermined base voltage can be applied to the cathode and anode and, on the other hand, a high-frequency voltage can be superimposed on this base voltage. The walls of the treatment chamber serve as the anode, and a table in the treatment chamber is preferably provided as the cathode, on which the material to be treated is placed.

A shredding device is preferably arranged in front of the treatment chamber, from which the shredded material is fed to the treatment chamber, for example via a screw conveyor. In order to achieve the highest possible throughput, the comminution device must be operated continuously. The shredded material is therefore first fed to an intermediate chamber which is arranged between the shredding device and the treatment chamber and receives the next batch during the treatment period. The volume of the intermediate chamber is therefore adapted to the receiving volume of the treatment chamber. In order to facilitate the infestation of the treatment chamber, the intermediate chamber is advantageously arranged above the treatment chamber. To fill the treatment chamber, the material to be treated falls down into the treatment chamber from the intermediate chamber. However, it must be ensured that the walls of the treatment chamber do not become dirty, which would significantly impair the plasma. Since, in particular, the feed opening of the treatment chamber can be contaminated by the falling garbage, a lock is preferably arranged between the intermediate chamber and the treatment chamber. The first lock opening leading to the intermediate chamber has a smaller cross section than the second lock opening leading to the treatment chamber, so that the falling material can at most come into contact with the boundary of the first lock opening.

The lock openings are preferably closable with a pair of locking flaps, which are pivotally arranged for opening into the lock chamber, so that both the intermediate chamber and the treatment chamber are not affected by the locking means.

In the area of the lock openings, inflatable seals are advantageously provided, against which the closure means abut in the closed position. To open the lock openings, the pressure medium can be drained off in the seals, so that, depending on the design, the movement of the closure means is not hindered.

Metallic or non-metallic inhibitors can also be arranged in the treatment chamber, which inhibit during the plasma treatment on the materials to be treated and develop an antibacterial effect there. Gold is particularly suitable as a metallic inhibitor. The entire device with comminution device, conveyor device, plasma chamber and supply devices can be installed on a truck, so that the sterilization can be carried out on site, for example at the hospitals.

Exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

Show it:

FIG. 1 shows the schematic representation of a device for sterilizing hospital waste,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the lock chamber in

Vertical section,

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the lower lock gate and

Figure 4 is a diagram of the voltage characteristic.

A device 1 for sterilizing hospital waste is shown schematically in FIG. The contaminated material is usually collected in standard roll containers, which are first weighed on an electronic weighing device. When the process is started, the exact mass is recorded for billing and automatically documented. Above the weighing device, which is not shown in FIG. 1, there is a hydraulic lifting and tilting device, also not shown, as is known from conventional refuse transport vehicles. The lifting and tipping device is connected to the closing cover 3 of the receiving funnel 2 by means of lifting rods. As a result, the closure cover 3 is simultaneously in the up and down movement of the Lift-tilt device opened or closed. The roller container is rotated by 180 ° at the apex of the lifting and tipping device above the receiving funnel 2, so that complete emptying is ensured. In this position, the roll container is cleaned with a steam boost to disinfect the roll container and also to put any waste that may still be in the hopper.

When the lifting and tipping device is lowered, the receiving funnel is closed and hermetically locked with a hydraulic lock. The closure cover 3 can only be opened after the process has ended and, in the event of a fault, after the emergency program has ended.

A comminution device 4 is located below the receiving funnel, the structure of which is known per se. After the closure cover 3 has been locked, saturated steam at a temperature of 140-160 ° C. and a pressure of 3.5-5 bar is injected via the steam nozzles located on the receiving funnel 2 and on the cutting device of the comminution device 4. This ensures that after opening the cover 3, a saturated steam cloud over the already pre-shredded, contaminated waste keeps the germs below and they are therefore not released into the environment. Before opening the closure lid 3, the atmosphere in the receiving funnel is sucked off by means of a suction device in a special filter system and passed over a steam condenser. The extracted atmosphere is sterilized either with UV radiation or with ozone gas. The condensate in the steam generator is thus preheated and sterilized and fed again. The cover 3 is only opened after the fresh saturated steam has been injected.

The atmosphere in the receiving funnel 2 is regulated and preferably at 105 ° C. and 150 mbar after the end of the treatment and during an accident by injecting saturated steam into a saturated steam atmosphere controlled by a parameter control of pressure and temperature. By exchanging the steam atmosphere several times, the steam flow method is used to disinfect the entire system.

Simultaneously with the injection of the saturated steam, the cutting unit of the shredding device 4 starts and the material is pressed onto a feed arm by means of a depressing device, where the shredding of the waste begins. The shredding takes place via a multi-stage cutting unit, whereby the first stage of the cutting unit is used to tear sacks and disposable containers with the help of standing ripping knives and a rotating feed arm. In the second stage, the waste is pressed by the geometry into the rotation of the feed arm against the level knife and further crushed by means of the rotor knife, which is located on the same drive shaft as the feed arm. In the third and last stage, the waste which has been comminuted in this way is pressed by the post-waste from the first stage by the level knife onto the spiral knife and is finally comminuted against the level knife by the rotation of the spiral knife, which is provided with several cutting edges. The waste comminuted in this way is then brought into the first screw conveyor 6 by a passage reduction which is based on a plate pusher and serves to determine the size of the clippings.

The shredded material is transported above the screw conveyor 6 into an intermediate chamber 8, where the material is initially stored until the plasma chamber 25 underneath is ready to receive new material. The volume of the intermediate chamber 8 is adapted to the receiving volume of the plasma chamber 25. Between the intermediate chamber 8 and the plasma chamber 25 there is a lock chamber 10 which has two openings of different sizes. The first lock opening 12 facing the intermediate chamber 8 has a smaller cross section than that of the second facing the plasma chamber 25 Sluice opening 14. The first sluice opening 12 facing the intermediate chamber 8 has a smaller cross-section than the second sluice opening 14 facing under the plasma chamber 25 Figure 2 are explained in more detail. The hermetic seal is particularly important in the area of the second lock opening 14 because the treatment chamber 25 is operated at least at a low negative pressure. After the treatment chamber 25 has been emptied and the intermediate chamber 8 has been filled, the closure caps 11a, b in the second lock opening 14 are first opened and the two closure flaps are raised laterally in the lock chamber 10. Only then do the flaps 11a, b of the first lock opening 12 open. This guarantees that no material can adhere to the lock flaps of the second lock and thus no sufficient closure can take place. After opening of the lock openings 12 and 14, the material located in the intermediate chamber 8 falls down through the openings, contact with the boundary of the second lock opening 14 being excluded due to the larger cross section. Since both lock openings 12 and 14 are arranged one above the other, the material to be treated falls down through the two openings onto a table 24 arranged in the plasma chamber 25 and forms a heap of material to be treated there. The two lock openings 12 and 14 are then closed . In the illustration shown here, the lower lock opening 14 is arranged in the top wall 20 of the treatment chamber 25.

The sterilization treatment in the plasma chamber 25 is based on the discharge of ionized gas, here in particular ionized air. The inside of the plasma chamber 25 is lined with a heat-insulating, fire-resistant, ceramic fiber material based on alumina-silicate fiber. After introducing the materials to be treated, the chamber evacuated to approximately 900 mbar in the case of soft materials and to approximately 1 mbar in the case of metallic or "solid" materials by means of a high-performance vacuum pump. The evacuated air is disinfected via an ion grid and fed to a filter system (not shown). For ionization of the remaining air in the plasma chamber 25, the chamber walls, in particular the side walls 21 as an anode and the table 24 arranged on the bottom wall as a cathode, are connected to a voltage source which is accommodated in the supply and control unit denoted by 34. A constant voltage is applied as the base voltage U _B , to which a high-frequency AC voltage is superimposed.

During the sterilization process, one

Ionization plasma torch 36 emits externally generated ions 38 into the plasma chamber 25, which cause the air to be pre-ionized and thus intensify the gas discharge between the chamber side wall 21 and the materials 26 to be treated. The superimposed high-frequency voltage leads to an area discharge with high discharge energy. In this way, a turbulent plasma is generated, which surrounds the crushed materials 26 to be treated from all sides, almost like an “ion mist”. The ions break the molecular bonds in the microorganisms and thereby destroy them.

After the treatment, the decontaminated material is fed down through the third lock opening 23 in the bottom wall 22 to a second screw conveyor 28 and then discharged through a third screw conveyor 30 through the outlet opening 32. This lower lock with the lock opening 23 is shown in FIG. 3 and is explained in more detail in connection with this figure. There is an optical control between the screw conveyor 28 and the lock opening 23. When the visual control releases, ie there is no more waste in the lock area, the lock opening 23 can be closed. To When the lock opening 23 is closed, the upper lock openings 12, 14 are opened and the waste which has not yet been treated can now fall into the plasma chamber 25 and be treated after the upper lock system has been closed.

The lock opening 23 is opened after the treatment has ended, in that the two lock gates 25 are moved laterally by means of a hydraulic or electric drive (not shown) and the waste thus reaches the second screw conveyor 28. The lock opening 23 remains open until the second screw conveyor 28 has discharged all waste. This is controlled by means of a level indicator or by means of a time interrogation in the plasma chamber 25. The lock opening 23 is hermetically closed by moving the two lock gates 29 into one another (see FIG. 3). In order to further reduce the residual moisture in the waste, the disinfected / sterilized "homogeneously" shredded waste is inserted into the third screw conveyor 30 after the second screw conveyor 28. This screw conveyor 30 rises by approximately 70 °, as a result of which the waste pressed in the screw is dehumidified. This moisture collects in the container (not shown) attached under the screw and provided with a sieve. This condensate collected in this way can be fed into the municipal wastewater disposal system using a normal sewage pipe. This condensate no longer contains any infectious germs, since this condensate is removed from the screw conveyor 30 at the end of the sterilization chamber. A connection of the filter system to the head of the screw conveyor 30 enables the volatile condensates to be extracted. At the end of the third screw conveyor 30 there is a knife gate valve with which the entire system can be hermetically sealed in connection with the sealing cover 3. This is only required in the event of a malfunction in the system, so that it can be completely disinfected using the steam flow method. The entire system cannot be opened while an emergency program is running; the defined one must Disinfection time has only expired in compliance with the disinfection parameters in order to be able to open the system. The control and regulation of the system via the device 34 takes place via a PLC control which is integrated in a control cabinet. All parameters are recorded by means of a central process unit and documented continuously in order to meet the obligation to provide evidence.

In Figure 2, the lock chamber 10 is shown enlarged in section. The upper lock opening 12, which is adjacent to the intermediate chamber 8, has a smaller cross section than the lower lock opening 14, which adjoins the plasma chamber 25. The lock openings 12 and 14 are delimited by boundary walls 12a and 14a. Below the boundary wall 12a, two closure flaps 11a and 11b are articulated in the articulation points 15a and 15b. Both flaps 11a and 11b are pivotable about a horizontal axis, so that when the flaps are opened, they are pivoted into the interior of the lock chamber 10, as is indicated by dashed lines. In the closed position (solid lines of the flaps 11a, 11b), the flaps rest on the underside of the boundary wall 12a, in which seals, in particular inflatable seals 18a and 18b, are arranged. Furthermore, one of the two flaps 11a or 11b has a seal 19a which interacts with the respectively adjacent flap 11a, 11b in the closed position.

A corresponding embodiment is located in the area of the lower lock opening 14. The two lower closing flaps 13a and 13b are also mounted about a horizontal axis in the articulation points 16a and 16b above the boundary wall 14a. To open the lower lock opening 14, the two flaps 13a and 13b are set up in the lock chamber 10, as is also shown in broken lines. This ensures that there is no waste in the lock chamber 10 gets stuck, the lower flaps 13a, 13b are first set up and then the upper flaps 11a, 11b are pivoted downward so that they cover the lower flaps at the upper edge region. Under certain circumstances, a slight inclination of the upper flaps 11a, 11b can be advantageous in order to ensure that actually all of the waste falling from the intermediate chamber 8 falls within the cross section of the lower lock opening 14 into the treatment chamber 25.

The lower flaps 13a, 13b also bear against seals 18c, 18d in the boundary wall 14a in the closed position. These seals are also preferably inflatable seals. One of the two lower closure flaps 13a, 13b also has a seal 19d on the flap edge, which cooperates with the adjacent closure flap 13a, 13b in the closed position. The use of inflatable seals in the boundary walls 12a, 14a has the advantage that they can be inflated by means of the steam present. This inflation always occurs at the point in time when the two lock openings 12 and 14 are closed, so that the flaps 11a, 11b and 13a and 13b can rest against these seals. Because of the negative pressure prevailing in the plasma chamber 25, a hermetic seal is necessary, in particular in the area of the lower lock opening 14. Here, the flaps 13a, 13b are pressed against the inflatable seals 18c and 18d due to the negative pressure prevailing in the plasma chamber 25.

In FIG. 3, the lower lock, which closes the lock opening 23, is shown enlarged in partial section. Below the side wall 21 of the plasma chamber 25 there is a gate guide element 40, in which the lock gates 29, of which only one lock gate is shown in FIG. 3, are slidably mounted in the horizontal direction. The side guide will guaranteed by balls 42 and springs 44 inside the lock gate 29. From above, balls 41 press over the spring and an inflatable seal 27 onto the lock gate 29. When the lock opening 23 is to be opened, the pressure is released from the inflatable seal 27, so that the lock gate 29 can be moved freely. When the lock gate 29 has reached the closed position, the seal 27 is inflated, the lock gate 29 additionally being pulled against the seal 27 due to the negative pressure prevailing in the plasma chamber.

The relationship between the current intensity I and the voltage U in the case of a gas discharge is plotted in the illustration in FIG. Starting from a current intensity 1 = 0, the voltage U initially runs approximately constant in a region a of a dark discharge, temporarily rises to a higher value in a region b, the so-called Townsend discharge, and then drops again in a subsequent region c of a normal glow discharge to a value which is only slightly above that of area a. If a certain current strength is exceeded at the end of the range c, the range d for the abnormal glow discharge is reached, in which the voltage U rises sharply with increasing current strength I in order to drop sharply again within a range e after a maximum M has been reached. While in the known ionization processes the gas discharge takes place at voltages between 1000 and 2000 V (increasing current-voltage characteristic in the range d), the ionization process according to the invention runs in the range f between 10 and 200 V (falling current-voltage characteristic). The base voltage U _{B is} laid in this voltage range.

The electromagnetic waves generated during gas discharge are in the UV range. The internal lining of the chamber prevents the formation of an arc. The ceramic fibers form a variety of pointed needles, which are the starting and ending points of a current path. As a result, the entire electrical current flowing between the electrodes is divided into an extremely large number of paths.

If the plasma chamber 25 is designed in such a way that about 1 m ^{3 of} crushed hospital waste can be taken up and a treatment time of not more than 20 min is provided, a total of 3 m ^{3 of} crushed hospital waste can be sterilized in one hour, which is about 12 m ^{3 of} less crushed Waste or approx. 1.2 t of hospital waste. The plasma chamber is designed for an output of approximately 10 kW for such batch quantities. This results from the values on which EN 552 is based, which however deals with the validation and routine monitoring of sterilization with ionizing radiation. The sterilization dose given there for γ-rays can also be transferred to the plasma process. The sterilization dose is the absorbed energy dose per unit mass of material that is required to achieve a certain level of sterilization safety. The energy dose is usually given in Gray (Gy) = joule / kilogram. According to this regulation, the material to be treated must be treated with a minimum dose of 25 kGy.

Microbiological tests to demonstrate the sterilization effect were carried out with the plasma chamber. For this purpose, 5 test strips with the bacillus subtilus were used in a test body according to DIN 58949, part 13 and placed directly on the table in the treatment chamber. The internal chamber pressure was set to 700 mbar and the electrical power was 0.2 kW. The treatment time was 20 min. In the course of the test, the test specimens heated from room temperature to about 35 °. Examination of the treated material showed that all microorganisms had been killed. Reference numerals:

1 sterilization device

2 receiving funnels

3 lids

4 shredding device

6 first screw conveyor

8 Intermediate chamber

10 lock l la.b flap

12 first lock opening

12a boundary wall

13a, b flap

14 second lock opening

14a boundary wall

15a, b pivot point

16a, b pivot point

17 lock wall

18a, b, c, d seal

19a, b seal 0 top wall 1 side wall 2 bottom wall 3 third lock opening 4 table 5 plasma chamber 6 material to be treated 7 seal 8 second screw conveyor 9 lock gate 0 third screw conveyor Supply and control device

Plasma torch

Ions

Gate guide element

Bullet

feather

Claims

claims

1. A method for sterilizing contaminated material, in particular infectious hospital waste, characterized in that

that the material is exposed to an ionized gas in a treatment chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that air is used as gas.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gas is excited and ionized by a base voltage U _B in the range of 10 to 200V.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the base voltage U _{B is} superimposed on a high-frequency electric field with frequencies in the kilohertz to megahertz range.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the voltage amplitude of the high frequency field is in the kilovolt range.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the treatment is carried out at a pressure between 0.1 mbar and 1000 mbar.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the treatment time is> 5 minutes.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the treatment is carried out at temperatures up to 60 ° C.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the material is crushed before the treatment.

10. Device for the sterilization of contaminated material, in particular infectious hospital waste, with a treatment chamber, characterized in that

that the treatment chamber is a plasma chamber (25).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that means are provided for generating an electrical high-frequency field.

12. Device according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the chamber walls (20,, 21, 22) the anode and a in the treatment chamber (25) arranged table (24) for receiving the material to be treated (26) Forms cathode.

13. Device according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the treatment chamber (25) can be evacuated.

14. Device according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that a crushing device (4) is arranged in front of the treatment chamber (25).

15. Device according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that an intermediate chamber (8) is arranged between the comminution device (4) and the treatment chamber (25).

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the intermediate chamber (8) is adapted to the receiving volume of the treatment chamber (25).

17. Device according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that the intermediate chamber (8) is arranged above the treatment chamber (25).

18. Device according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that a lock chamber (10) is arranged between the treatment chamber (25) and the intermediate chamber (8).

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the first lock opening (12) leading to the intermediate chamber (8) has a smaller cross-section than the second lock opening (14) leading to the treatment chamber (25).

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the first lock opening (12) above the second lock opening (14) is arranged.

21. Device according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the lock openings (12, 14) can be closed by means of a pair of locking flaps (l la.b, 13a, b) which can be pivoted to open in the lock chamber (10) are arranged.

22. Device according to one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that inflatable seals (18a-d, 27) are arranged in the region of the lock openings (12, 14, 23).

23. Device according to one of claims 10 to 22, characterized in that the treatment chamber (25) has metallic or non-metallic inhibitors for permanent antibacterial treatment of the material (26).