FIELD

Disclosed embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for detecting the presence of a directional differential pressure.

BACKGROUND

Various applications within hospitals, laboratories, pharmaceutical facilities, clean room facilities, etc., often require a particular direction of air flow or differential pressure to be maintained, such as between neighboring rooms, compartments, corridors, ducts, or other spaces. The pressure of a room relative to adjacent space(s) will determine the net direction of air flow through an opening into or out of the room.

For example, a hospital operating room may be kept under a positive pressure so that air flows out of the room, thereby preventing unfiltered or contaminated air from entering the room from adjacent spaces. This positive pressure is accomplished by supplying clean air to the operating room at a greater flow rate than the flow rate at which air is exhausted from the room by the room's ventilation system.

Or, if a hospital patient is infected with an airborne communicable pathogen, a patient isolation room may be kept under a negative pressure which is accomplished when the rate at which potentially contaminated air is exhausted from the room is greater than the rate at which air is supplied to the room from the room's ventilation system. Such a negative pressure arrangement, where the room is under a comparatively lower pressure than its immediate surroundings, prevents potentially contaminated air from exiting the room and escaping into surrounding space(s).

The net differential pressure between rooms will cause air to flow through an opening from one room to the other in the direction from a higher pressure to a lower pressure. The desired degree of differential pressure to be maintained between rooms, compartments, corridors, etc. will vary, depending on the application.

Accordingly, it is often desirable to closely monitor the general direction of potential or actual air flow between compartments and in some cases the particular magnitude of differential pressure causing the net air flow.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a device for indicating a presence of a directional differential pressure between a first space and a second space separated from the first space by a barrier includes a rotatable base configured to be rotatably attached to the barrier, and a first conduit coupled to the base, where when the rotatable base is rotated, an inclination of the first conduit is adjusted relative to a horizontal plane. The device also includes at least one movable element disposed within the first conduit and movable from a first, vertically lower region of the first conduit to a second, vertically higher region of the first conduit in response to the directional differential pressure between the first and second spaces being greater than a threshold differential pressure, and a differential pressure set point indicator fixed to the rotatable base, where the differential pressure set point indicator includes a vial shaped in an arc and at least one movable marker disposed in the vial.

In some embodiments, a device for indicating a presence of a directional differential pressure between a first space and a second space separated from the first space by a barrier includes a rotatable base configured to be rotatably attached to the barrier, and a first conduit coupled to the base, where when the rotatable base is rotated, an inclination of the first conduit is adjusted relative to a horizontal plane. The device also includes at least one movable element disposed within the first conduit and movable from a first, vertically lower region of the first conduit to a second, vertically higher region of the first conduit in response to the directional differential pressure between the first and second spaces being greater than a threshold differential pressure, and a wall plate configured to rotatably secure the rotatable base to the barrier. The wall plate includes a first level configured to indicate whether an axis of rotation of the first conduit is aligned with the horizontal plane, and a second level configured to indicate whether the wall plate is in a correct roll orientation relative to the axis of rotation of the first conduit.

Advantages, novel features, and objects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and which are not intended to be drawn to scale. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the present disclosure shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure.

