Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Including use of vacuum – suction – or inert atmosphere
Patent
1994-12-15
1996-09-10
El-Arini, Zeinab
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Including use of vacuum, suction, or inert atmosphere
134 2211, 134 24, 134 251, 134 32, 134 34, 134 42, 134169R, 134170, B08B 304, B08B 504
Patent
active
055542280
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for cleaning medical instruments having a channel-like cavity as well as to a device for carrying out this method, comprising a container for a cleaning liquid, into which the instruments dip.
Medical instruments must be thoroughly cleaned after their use, in particular body fluids left in the instruments must be removed completely from the instruments before these are sterilized.
It has proven to be difficult to carry out such a thorough preliminary cleaning of instruments which have narrow, in particular channel-like cavities, above all when other parts are arranged in addition in the cavities, for example draw rods, cables etc., so that it is impossible to penetrate into the interior of the cavities with cleaning brushes. Thus, difficulties have resulted during the cleaning of so-called tubular shaft instruments, i.e. instruments having very narrow, long, sleeve-like channels, such as, for example, those used in the form of biopsy forceps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve a method of the type described at the outset such that a reliable cleaning can also take place in the case of instruments of this type.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a method of the type described at the outset, in that the instruments are dipped into a cleaning liquid with one end of the cavity and the cavity is connected at the other end to a suction line. In this way, cleaning liquid is drawn through the cavity by suction and thereby cleans even the smallest gaps from impurities located therein; at the same time, these impurities are also drawn off by suction.
In this respect, it is favorable for several instruments to be connected simultaneously to a common suction line and for each connection between an instrument and the suction line to be opened or closed individually. This means that it is possible to clean a greater number of such instruments at the same time with the same suction source. As soon as an instrument is clean, the connection associated with this instrument is closed so that operations with such a device as a whole can be continued while the precleaned instrument is removed.
It is favorable for the instrument to be dipped into the cleaning liquid to such a depth that all the openings of the cavity are arranged beneath the level of the liquid except for the suction opening of the cavity. In this way, it is possible for cleaning liquid to be drawn in by suction not only through one opening of the channel-like instrument at the low-lying end but such a drawing-in by suction also takes place through all the other openings which are possibly present, for example through slits and gaps in joints etc. At the same time, this prevents infiltrated air being sucked in which could diminish the effectiveness of the washing of the instrument with the cleaning liquid.
On the other hand, in a modified embodiment it is possible for gas bubbles to be introduced into the cleaning bath, these bubbles rising in the cleaning liquid in the region of the suction openings of the cavity and thereby being drawn into the cavity by suction. Due to the rising gas bubbles, which are preferably air bubbles, a turbulence is generated in the cleaning liquid which also continues in the interior of the cavity since the bubbles are also drawn in by suction. This turbulence promotes the cleaning action of the cleaning liquid.
In addition, with instruments having parts movable relative to one another these parts can be moved relative to one another during the cleaning process. The relative movement of the parts of the instrument which are arranged to move relative to one another ensures that a particularly reliable cleaning takes place; in particular, particles are also washed out which could possibly become caught in stationary parts.
In a device of the type described at the outset, the specified object is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that at least one suction line is provided which is sealingly conn
REFERENCES:
patent: 3956011 (1976-05-01), Carleton
patent: 4352361 (1982-10-01), Chester
patent: 4412531 (1983-11-01), Chikashige
patent: 5090433 (1992-02-01), Kamaga
Giordano Nicola
Weisshaupt Dieter
Aesculap AG
El-Arini Zeinab
Lipsitz Barry R.
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