Apparatus using laser pump source for sterilization

Details Apparatus using laser pump source for sterilization Apparatus using laser pump source for sterilization

1998-04-27

2000-01-11

Leubecker, John P.

Surgery

Instruments

422 22, A61L 210

Patent

active

060130709

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sterilization method and apparatus, particularly to a sterilization method and apparatus for sterilizing precision and precious medical instruments. The present invention is especially useful for medical instruments which cannot be sterilized by conventional methods. Such medical instruments include high speed hand drills that are used in an alimentary canal department, detecting heads for supersonic diagnostic sets and medical instrument used for optics. The present invention can also be used for sterilizing sanitary equipment used in hotels and other public places.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are presently two general types of sterilization methods that are used for medical instruments. First, the conventional physical sterilization methods, for example, high pressure dry heating method, boiling method, microwave sterilization method and ultraviolet ray sterilization method. The second conventional type is the chemical sterilization method, for example, immersing medical instrument to be sterilized in liquids such as peracetic acid, ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, formalin alcohol or hibitane acetate and other such chemicals.
When conventional sterilization methods, such as high pressure dry heating and boiling methods are utilized to sterilize, for example, the hand drills that are used in alimentary canal departments, parts of the drill such as the bearing or rubber packing sheets, will be damaged as a result of being exposed to high temperature. If the microwave sterilization method is used, discharge will occur because of the metal parts that are present in the hand drill. When ultraviolet rays irradiation is used for the sterilization process, dimer is formed following the ultraviolet rays irradiation. The dimer is dissolvable under sunlight and bacterium immediately revives. This process is called photo-vivification and is well known in medical practice, hence, sterilization using ultraviolet ray irradiation is unreliable.
If medical instruments are immersed in peracetic acid for the purpose of sterilization, the metal parts of the instrument will seriously corrode. When medical instruments are immersed in glutaraldehyde or ethylene oxide for the purpose of sterilization, any residue of these substances that remain on the surface of the medical instruments will form new antigen which, when it enters into the human body's bloodstream, will cause anaphylactic shock. Although formalin alcohol or hibitane acetate is used to immerse the medical instrument to be sterilized, only part of the pathogen microbes can be selectively destroyed, hence, this method of sterilization is unreliable for some viruses.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new sterilization method and an apparatus for medical instruments and or equipment which not only shortens the time required for sterilization but also does not damage the sterilized instruments. Moreover, there is no antigen remaining on the surface of the sterilized instruments.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a sterilization method using laser pump source according to the present invention is provided which comprises the steps of: water; sterilization is performed using flashing pulses of laser pump source to radiate it; and laser pump source flashes 6 times at intervals of one second between each flash.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sterilization apparatus that uses a laser pump source. This apparatus includes a control circuit, a washing and drying means and an integrated ball for sterilization.
The washing and drying means includes: on its bottom side; end of the barrel cavity, the water spray tubes being connected to a pressurized water container, and each water-spray-tube having a plurality of spray holes; and which is located opposite to said one end of the barrel cavity. The loading cover assembly comprises an air-jet orifice-plate, a cup-shaped joint fixed to the air-jet orifice-plate, a handle for the cavity cover and a heat

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patent: 5240675 (1993-08-01), Wilk et al.
patent: 5571488 (1996-11-01), Beerstecher et al.
patent: 5637877 (1997-06-01), Sinofsky
patent: 5744094 (1998-04-01), Castberg et al.
patent: 5820821 (1998-10-01), Kawagoe et al.

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