Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Process disinfecting – preserving – deodorizing – or sterilizing – Using microwave energy
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-01
2003-02-18
Thornton, Krisanne (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing
Using microwave energy
C422S027000, C422S028000, C510S161000, C510S372000, C510S375000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06521178
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention generally relates to the field of cleaning compositions. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for cleaning, sanitizing and/or otherwise removing stains, odors, particulate matter and microbes from medical equipment surfaces by contacting the equipment with a cleaning composition and subjecting the equipment to microwaves. The composition is a liquid, gel, foam, or trigger-spray detergent composition. This method provides a convenient way in which medical equipment such that which is used in surgical operations can be sanitized on-site, for example at the hospital, in the operating room, or at a doctor's office. The detergent composition comprises water, surfactant, and optionally, a bleaching agent such as a peroxide in a liquid or gel formulation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Historically, doctors, surgeons, nurses and other medical personnel routinely use a variety of medical equipment to practice medicine on patients requiring an assortment of medical treatments. For example, surgical equipment including forceps, scalpels, bone chisels, drills and the like are used to perform medical operations on patients. In such cases, the equipment must be disinfected, and preferably sterilized, prior to use on a new patient. As used herein, the term “sanitize” broadly encompasses both disinfecting and sterilization, whereas disinfecting and sterilizing each refer to different levels of microbe removal as described in detail hereinafter. Quite often, equipment such as mirrors that are not particularly used to penetrate tissue, but nevertheless are contacted with tissue and the like when used during surgical operations or other medical procedures will therefore require disinfecting and/or sterilization prior to use on the next patient. Of the numerous pieces of medical equipment used, certain equipment such as scalpels, scalers, burs, and forceps, must be sterilized prior to re-use so as to prevent the transmission of disease from patient to patient.
Currently, doctors, surgeons, and other medical personnel employ either heat, cold or chemical vapor disinfection and sterilization techniques for which relatively expensive equipment is required in addition to time-consuming procedures using such equipment to disinfect and/or sterilize the medical equipment. By way of example, private doctors offices must employ personnel on overage of two to four hours per day just to disinfect and/or sterilize used medical equipment, and hospital require exponentially larger amounts of time. Moreover, governmental agencies in most countries require proper disinfection and/or sterilization of medical equipment, and doctors' offices and hospitals are routinely inspected for compliance with the agency's guidelines. In the U.S., for example, the Organizational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), Public Health Service (CDC), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have relatively stringent guidelines on the sterilization/disinfection of medical equipment prior to use.
Unfortunately, conventional relatively inexpensive detergents used for washing tableware (i.e., glassware, china, silverware, plastic, etc.) or kitchenware in the home or institution are not particularly effective in obtaining disinfection, and particularly ineffective in obtaining sterilization of medical equipment. The particular requirements of cleansing tableware and leaving it in a sanitary, essentially stainless, residue-free state has indeed resulted in so many particular compositions that the body of art pertaining thereto is now recognized as quite distinct from other cleansing product art. Additionally, the body of art pertaining to fabric cleaning is immense and encompasses many formulations designed for stain removal, many including bleaches. However, medical offices and hospitals simply cannot effectively sterilize and/or disinfect their used medical equipment with such detergent compositions if used alone.
Accordingly, there is a need for method by which medical equipment can be efficiently and effectively disinfected and/or sterilized without the use of relatively expensive equipment and time-consuming techniques. There is also a need for such a method which can be conveniently employed in small private doctors' offices and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a method by which medical equipment, such as surgical scalpels, can be sanitized using detergent or treating composition containing a surfactant and a solvent such as water. The method involves placing used medical equipment in a non-metal container and contacting it with the treating composition, and subjecting both the equipment and composition to microwaves. The composition foams during microwaving and/or immerses the equipment such that microwave arcing is avoided, and such that the medical equipment is sanitized, preferably to the point of sterilization.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of sanitizing medical equipment containing microbes is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the medical equipment with an effective amount of a treating composition containing a surfactant and a solvent which generates heat under microwave radiation; (b) subjecting the medical equipment and the treating composition to microwaves for an effective amount of time such that a sanitizing amount of the microbes are removed from the medical equipment.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a medical equipment sanitizing product is provided. The medical equipment sanitizing product comprises a treating composition containing a surfactant and a solvent which generates heat under microwave radiation. The product further includes instructions for using of the treating composition comprising the steps of: (a) contacting the medical equipment with the treating composition; and (b) subjecting the medical equipment and treating composition to microwaves for an effective amount of time such that a sanitizing amount of microbes are removed from the medical equipment.
All percentages and proportions herein are by weight, and all references cited are hereby incorporated by reference, unless otherwise specifically indicated.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the invention to provide a method by which medical equipment can be efficiently and effectively sanitized using an inexpensive treating composition. This and other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The method of the invention essentially includes the steps of contacting microbe-containing medical equipment with a treating composition and subjecting both the composition and equipment to microwaves. Preferably, the treating composition contains a solvent which generates heat upon exposure to microwaves and is generally responsible for killing the microbes on the medical equipment. The treating composition preferably also contains a surfactant which aides in the sanitization of the equipment.
By “effective amount” of a treating composition, it is meant any amount capable of measurably removing microbes, tissue and other particulate matter from the surface of medical equipment. In general, this amount may vary quite widely, but typically will include from about 5 ml to about 20 ml per piece of medical equipment, but the amount must be sufficient to at least partially immerse the equipment to be sanitized. By “sanitizing amount”, it is meant an amount of microbe removal which amounts to at least about 50% removal of the microbes on the dental equipment, more preferably at least about 90% removal, and most preferably at least about 99.9% removal of the microbes. As used herein, the term “disinfection” means removal of at least about 90% of the microbes, and the term “sterilization” means removal of at least about 99.9% of the microbes. The term “microbes” means any type of germ, bacteria, v
Goldstein Alan Scott
Hutton Howard David
Bamber Jeffrey V.
Patel Ken K.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
Thornton Krisanne
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