DE102010051252A1 - Method for steam generation and distribution for, e.g. apparatus for cleaning and disinfection of medical instrument, involves directing steam into insert with piping and steam outlet locations - Google Patents

Abstract

The water remaining after the cleaning in the disinfection chamber (13) and supplied to the nozzles (10) through the water supply lines from a water reservoir (3) and arising after the cleaning are heater to produce steam. The steam is directed into an insert with piping (11) and steam outlet locations so that to-be-disinfected components is heated and cleaned by steam. The increase of pressure in the piping of the insert and to-be-disinfected components and the disinfection chamber is controlled. An independent claim is included for apparatus for cleaning and disinfection of instruments.

Description

What is disinfected and / or sterilized?

Disinfection means the germ reduction of a contaminated object by at least 5 orders of magnitude. Sterilization is when the germ count is reduced by at least 6 orders of magnitude. This system of steam generation and steam distribution is to be installed in washer-disinfectors in which medical, dental and veterinary instruments such as mirrors, tweezers, probes ... items with hollow bodies such as transfer instruments, but also tools of hairdressers, beauticians, cleaned and disinfected and dried become. The effectiveness of these devices can be so high that even sterility is achieved.

Moist heat disinfection is much more effective than dry heat.

State of the art:

Currently there is no known cleaning and disinfection system (RDG) that works completely without chemicals. The disinfection devices on the market are dishwashers that disinfect in a temperature range of approx. 93-95 degrees Celsius. The disinfection in the system described in this application is preferably carried out in a temperature range between 100 and 140 degrees Celsius or higher. By working with higher temperatures, the disinfection time and safety are considerably reduced.

Thermal nucleation with saturated water vapor is known from autoclaving sterilization. This is in principle a steam pressure pot, which builds up pressure during heating and water is evaporated. As a result, temperatures of 136 degrees Celsius and more can be achieved. Modern autoclave first withdraw the air from the sterilization chamber, creating a vacuum. Then steam shoots into the sterilization chamber and heats it with the objects to be sterilized. This process will i. d. R. repeated 3 times. The steam generator is not located directly in the water supply, the objects to be disinfected are not previously heated actively, the steam distribution does not take place via a piping system with nozzles. The generation of steam does not take place directly in the disinfection chamber.

Distinction from the prior art

Of these sterilizers, our system differs in that the pressure in the disinfection chamber increases only insignificantly and therefore the risk of steam generation due to the high pressure is greatly reduced. Occupational safety is much higher. The steam is generated in the water supply, a broadening of these ensures that sufficient water is available for steam generation. The pressure equalization takes place over the larger volume of the disinfection chamber and over its outflow. Sterilizers have no functional inserts that are used to direct the steam to the objects to be disinfected.

According to the prior art, there is no washer-disinfector for transmission instruments that works exclusively with physical methods in which water vapor is generated directly in the instrument itself and its water supply with only one steam generator, is cleaned in the same time with steam and in which the pressure in the disinfection chamber itself is only slightly increased.

Our problem solution: How does steam generation and steam distribution work?

The generation of steam occurs in two ways. First, the residual water, which is still in the disinfection chamber and in the casing of the insert after the cleaning phase is evaporated, secondly, by heating the disinfectant ff and the water supply to use steam generated, which then by use with a piping system with nozzles or steam exit points is steered. For the steam generation and for preheating the objects to be disinfected and the inserts, the same heat source is used. The resulting water vapor / steam jet heats and purifies the objects purposefully quickly and evenly. In this way, problem areas can be specifically heated. The suction / pressure / air flow prevents the formation of air cushions which endanger the disinfection success. The vapor pressure and the number and the cross section of the individual nozzles or steam exit points influence the steam jet and thus the cleaning effect (evaporation).

The heating of the piping has the advantage that the steam generated in the piping does not cool and condenses.

The temperature of the water vapor generated is optionally regulated by a pressure valve.

Preferred embodiment:

In principle, the steam generation can be done by any suitable type, with which it simultaneously manages the water in the water supply, the disinfection chamber with the disinfectant To heat objects and the piping already in the steam generation. In a preferred embodiment, this heating is done with radiant heat. Particularly suitable is the heating with an infrared radiation source. This is easy to install in the disinfection chamber, very effective, controllable, inexpensive, not harmful to health.

Safety can be increased by installing various pressure relief valves. 1 shows the functional principle.

Another example of a preferred embodiment is in 2 This is the functional principle of a device for cleaning and disinfecting objects with hollow bodies such as transfer instruments such as dental turbines, angle and handpieces. This device works on a purely physical basis. The external and internal cleaning is done with water jet and steam jet effect, the disinfection is carried out by saturated water vapor which is spent at high pressure through the transmission instrument and via nozzles also from the outside to the transmission instrument.

The cleaning and disinfection in this preferred embodiment:

About the water supply 7 Pressurized water is pressed into the system during the cleaning phase. Part of this pressurized water passes through the nozzle 10 directly into the disinfection chamber 13 , a small part gets into the water reservoir 3 , a broadening of the water supply 5 , The venting is done via the pipe connection 6 , The water-jet effect in the area of the branch helps 8th , Another branch is at position 14 , After the supply line 5 and the water reservoir 3 and the vent pipe 6 at the end of the cleaning phase filled with water, the pressure relief valve 9 closed and it begins the thermal disinfection with water vapor. The vapor generation is the source of infrared radiation 1 activated. This infrared radiation heats the water in the disinfection chamber and in the water reservoir. The pressure in the water reservoir and the supply and discharge lines increases. From a certain pressure, which depends on which pressure relief valve 4 used, pressure water can escape into the pipe system of the insert. This water is also heated and vaporized in the piping system of the insert. Blackening and the fact that the line is brought as close as possible to the infrared radiation source, this evaporation can be accelerated. Once the water in the water reservoir 3 has reached a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, the water begins to evaporate. This continues to build pressure. From a certain temperature, which depends on the overpressure valve, so much pressure has built up, so that the vapor pressure valve 4 opens and the hot steam then into the piping 11 is pressed and over the nozzles 12 gets purposefully into the disinfection chamber.

As mentioned, it is of particular advantage that the piping is already heated so much that the generated steam can not cool down prematurely. This is achieved by heating the water supply 3 + 5 + 6 takes longer than the heating of the piping. The targeted delivery of water vapor over a specific arrangement of the steam exit points ensures that the objects to be disinfected can be heated very quickly to the desired temperature. The previously determined steam flow ensures that this heating is calculable evenly. In this case, temperatures in the range of 100 to 140 degrees Celsius or higher are preferably used. The temperature depends directly on how high the pressure may be until the steam escapes from the pressure relief valve. The diameter of the individual steam outlet points and their number influence the additional Abdampfeffekt entering the steam delivery.

Another advantage of this system is that temperature sensors can be attached to the insert. In this way it is possible that a regular validation can be done. Again, this system is fundamentally different from the number of washer-disinfectors on the market, which are only validated once a year.

About the water supply 8th becomes the water reservoir 6 filled with pressurized water. The water pressure of this water is higher than the resistance of the pressure valve 5 , This becomes the transmission tool 3 that with the clutch 4 docked, rinsed inside with cold water. In cold water, blood and blood components dissolve very well. Pressurized water also passes through the supply lines to the steam nozzles through these nozzles to the instrument and cleans this outside initially with cold water. After this first cleaning phase, the valve becomes 7 closed. and the thermal cleaning and disinfecting phase begins. This is the infrared radiator 1 switched on. This has the consequence that 1. in the disinfection tray 10 water is evaporated and evaporated, water that is in the transmission instrument is evaporated, this generation of vapor takes place in the instrument itself. Water is in the supply line 2 to the nozzles 9 is also evaporated. this supports the thermal disinfection of the transmission instrument from the outside, also the water reservoir 6 is heated. This has the consequence that first of all water is pressed, which then evaporates in the transmission instrument 3 and in the supply line 2 to the nozzles 9 is available. As long as the water has not reached 100 degrees Celsius, no steam but water is squeezed. Our own investigations have shown that the degree of disinfection can already be achieved. As soon as the pressure in the water reservoir is higher than the pressure of the pressure relief valve 5 Steam is pressed at this pressure into the transfer instrument and into the supply line to the nozzles. This has the consequence that in addition to the thermal external and internal disinfection with water vapor at the same time also a cleaning of the transmission instrument inside and over the nozzles 9 also takes place outside. In this embodiment, sterility can also be achieved by optimizing the parameters used.

After this cleaning and disinfection of the transfer instrument this can be maintained with oil.

A slightly modified embodiment dispenses with the pressure valve 5 completely, the water supply to the transmission instrument takes place if necessary via the expansion of the water in the water supply line.

Key benefits of this problem solution:

• 1. A big advantage of this system is that the pressure conditions within the washer-disinfector increase only insignificantly. The risk associated with steam generation is greatly reduced. A controllable pressure equalization can be done very quickly via the water drain of the device and the larger volume fractions of the disinfection chamber.
• 2. The disinfectant can thus be removed faster from the device, since the disinfection chamber does not have to be vented first.
• 3. The steam can be targeted to the desired places and so heat the room faster and more effective.
• 4. The result is a cleaning evaporation effect.
• 5. Problem areas can be directly targeted and effectively treated with water vapor.
• 6. The airflow associated with the steam outlet prevents the formation of "air pockets" that could prevent disinfection success.
• 7. Due to the high temperatures in the piping, the system disinfects itself.
• 8. The steam distribution is also very effective in the piping, as the piping is also heated via the infrared radiator. This effect can be further increased by blackening the parts of the system that should heat up faster. As a result, efficiencies of 30% and more can be achieved. The spatial proximity of the components to be heated also influences the system.
• 9. A further advantage is that after the disinfection phase / sterilization the instruments can be cooled down very quickly if the irradiation chamber is briefly filled with disinfected / sterile water or if cooling water is pressed into the insert at high pressure.
• 10. Shortening of the disinfection time, as disinfected with temperatures above 100 degrees.
• 11. It can also be killed germs that tolerate higher temperatures than 93-95 degrees Celsius.

Claims (12)

Claim 1 process for steam generation and steam distribution for use in a device for cleaning and disinfecting medical instruments and work equipment and objects with hollow bodies such as transmission instruments, characterized in that with the water after cleaning in the disinfection chamber and in the water supply lines to the nozzles steam is formed by heating these components and further forming a water reservoir in the water supply and that the water that is in it after cleaning is also vaporized by heating and this steam is directed into an insert with piping and steam exit points so that the objects and components to be disinfected can be purposefully heated and cleaned and that in the steam generation, the casing of the insert and the objects to be disinfected and the disinfection chamber are also heated and the s the pressure in the disinfection chamber during disinfection increases only insignificantly. Claim 2 as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that instead of the insert, through which the steam is distributed via a coupling one or more transmission instruments are releasably secured and that supply lines are mounted with nozzles which are connected to the supplying water pipe and that through these leads and Nozzle pressure water for external cleaning of the transmission instrument is pressed and that additionally in the thermal disinfection, the water, which is located in the supply line to the nozzles, is evaporated and further steam, which is formed in a water reservoir of the water supply, via the nozzles to the Transfer instrument for external cleaning and heating is spent and that the internal cleaning of the transmission instrument is carried out with pressurized water through the transmission part and the spray channels and that the internal disinfection is achieved by heating and evaporating water present in the transfer instrument after flushing in the transfer instrument, and additionally providing a purifying and disinfecting effect by removing water vapor formed in the water supply line by the transfer instrument is passed through. Claim 3 as claim 1 characterized in that at least one pressure relief valve is installed in the water supply line for pressure generation and temperature increase. Claim 4 as claim 1 characterized in that the heating system used for steam generation works with radiant heat such as infrared radiation, microwaves, induction .... Claim 5 as claim 1 characterized in that for heating another suitable heating system such as electric heating coils and / or heating plates are used. Claim 6 as claim 1 characterized in that on the insert temperature sensors and other measuring instruments are mounted, which enable a success control of the disinfection. Claim 7 as claim 1 characterized in that that the parameters are used in an optimized way so that they can not only be cleaned and disinfected but also sterilized. Claim 7 Device for cleaning and disinfecting, drying and care of objects with hollow bodies characterized in that the article is connected with a hollow body by means of a coupling to a water pipe, via a piping system with nozzles water and steam from outside and inside is brought to and in the article, and the generation of vapor via a heating system, which is suitable, both the article with hollow body as well as to heat the water supply and / or a water reservoir so strong that steam is formed. Claim 8 as claim 7, characterized in that for heating the article with hollow body radiant heat such as infrared radiation, microwave radiation ... is used Claim 9 as claim 7, characterized in that be installed in the device for increasing the vapor pressure and for increasing the temperature of one or more pressure valves Claim 10 as claim 7, characterized in that in addition a device for the care of the article with hollow body, such as a spray can with care oil is installed in the device, Claim 11 as claim 7, characterized in that a documentation center and / or a user identification and / or temperature sensor and / or other measuring devices and / or a clock and / or safety shutdown and / or optical and acoustic signalers and / or components for monitoring, remote monitoring of the disinfection success are built into the device.

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