System for Managing a Cleanroom Environment

Abstract

A system for managing cleanroom resources by providing a number of critical features in an integrated, low-cost package is described. The critical features include monitoring and recording cleanroom environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and room differential pressure, notifying users of alarm situations when cleanroom environmental conditions fall outside predetermined limits, and reducing cleanroom energy usage by turning off HEPA filter fan units (FFUs) and cleanroom lights when they are not needed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a cleanroom unit comprising an enclosed space supplied with conditioned air characterized by its temperature, humidity and differential pressure through electrically powered HEPA filter fan units and illuminated by electric lights, a system for managing cleanroom resources by a user comprising:
 a. means for monitoring and recording said cleanroom air characteristics comprising:
 i. an electronic temperature sensor located within said cleanroom, 
 ii. an electronic humidity sensor located within said cleanroom, 
 iii. an electronic room differential pressure sensor located within said cleanroom, and 
 iv. a personal computer having a graphical user interface executing a cleanroom control system program, said personal computer receiving electronic signals from said electronic temperature, humidity and pressure sensors and providing electronic control signals for said HEPA filter fan units and said electric lights; 
   b. means for setting predetermined limits within said cleanroom control system program executing on said personal computer that establish an acceptable range of electronic signals from said temperature, humidity and pressure sensors;   c. means for notifying said user of alarm situations when said cleanroom air characteristic sensor signals fall outside said predetermined limits through the graphical user interface of the cleanroom system control program executing on said personal computer;   d. means for setting predetermined schedules for application of said control signals for said HEPA filter fan units and said electric lights; and   e. means for reducing cleanroom energy usage by controlling the electrical power applied to said HEPA filter fan units (FFUs) and said electric lights in response to said control signals provided by the cleanroom system control program executing on said personal computer.   
     
     
         2 . The cleanroom management system of  claim 1  wherein the means for monitoring and recording cleanroom air characteristics further includes an electronic particle detector. 
     
     
         3 . The cleanroom management system of  claim 1  wherein the means for notifying said user of alarm situations includes telephone messaging, text messaging, and e-mail messaging by the cleanroom system control program executing on said personal computer. 
     
     
         4 . The cleanroom management system of  claim 1  further comprising means for monitoring and recording, setting predetermined limits, notifying the user, setting predetermined schedules, and reducing cleanroom energy usage for a multiplicity of individual cleanroom units.