DE202019001419U1 - Portable disinfectant for stethoscopes as well as other surfaces that can be attached to the gown, belt or stationary and which is connected to the stethoscope, so that you can use a stethoscope without disability - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile disinfecting device for stethoscopes, portable on belts, gowns or stationary, characterized by the following features:
a) The device fits universally for all stethoscopes.
b) No acoustic interference due to attached devices.
c) The disinfection is carried out by spraying with disinfectant by means of a pump in the horizontal part of the device, which carries the disinfectant from a cartridge (15) to the spray head (08), which is placed in the middle of the housing inlet and for uniform wetting of the stethoscope is
d) The duration of the spray is programmed in a microcontroller, so that a safe disinfection is guaranteed, because after the end of the disinfection an acoustic signal sounds.
e) The device requires no contact, as the disinfection is triggered by a built-in infrared proximity sensor (09) with detection function, if the stethoscope is held in front of the proximity sensor so that it triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which disinfectant liquid via the spray nozzle spraying on the stethoscope.
f) The device contains a capacitive sensor (02) with which one can disinfect hands. This happens by holding a finger in front of it. This triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which sprays disinfectant liquid onto the hand via the spray nozzle.
g) The device contains a container with disinfectant, in which a level sensor is installed. The level sensor exerts a dosing function and ensures that when filling with the charging station not too much disinfectant is filled into the cartridge
h) The device contains a control element, which consists of an Arduino Nano and which is designed so that this is used for power distribution and on the other to perform the signal function (detection and signaling) and which is positioned in the vertical part of the device.

Description

The invention relates to a portable disinfecting device for stethoscopes, but also for other surfaces, which can be attached to the gown, belt or stationary and which is not connected to the stethoscope, so that you can use a stethoscope without disabilities.

Stethoscopes are used in the medical field to listen to internal organs such as the lungs, heart and intestines.

In the everyday life of doctors, the stethoscope is a constant companion.

Just as the hands must always be carefully disinfected, the membrane of the stethoscope should also be regularly disinfected.

Unfortunately, everyday life shows something different. The disinfection of stethoscopes does not take place regularly. However, as a result of the fact that the membrane causes the stethoscope to come into direct contact with the skin of the patient, as a result of the lack of disinfection, bacteria and fungi can be transferred to the patient or carried off to the next patient.

In particular, the dangerous hospital germ MRSA can be transmitted as a result.

For this reason, each physician should thoroughly disinfect the chestpiece after each auscultation.

Devices for the disinfection of stethoscopes already exist.

The patent DE 10 2017 006 983 A 1 relates to a stethoscope, which is characterized in that one or more UV light-emitting bulbs with a wavelength in the range of 200 to 290 nm out of a fixed on the chest piece rotatable at least in two positions latching cover out, on the membrane of the chest piece and its surroundings radiate.

Also known are other devices for disinfecting stethoscopes, which are based on the fact that the disinfection by UV - C light sources takes place ( AU002015283749A1 . CA00002892070A1 . CN0002016422080U . DE 202015100925U1 )

The patent DE 10 2017 114 074 A1 relates to a container for disinfectant for a stethoscope as a clip for snapping onto a waist of a chestpiece of the stethoscope and as a spray container with a pump sprayer for spraying disinfectant.

Known is a disinfection device for stethoscopes, in which a membrane is designed as a disposable membrane, which is changed after each treatment (patient DE 20 2013 104 390 U1 )

The disadvantage of the inventions, whose disinfection is carried out by means of UV light, is that the disinfection by UV light takes a long time, namely 3-5 minutes.

The disadvantage of the inventions, which are based on the fact that everything needed for disinfection is firmly anchored on the stethoscope itself or in which the disinfectant is sprayed by means of a membrane on the stethoscope, is that the device must be touched with each cleaning, again germs can be transmitted. It is also awkward to change a membrane after each treatment.

Object of the present invention is to develop a device for the disinfection of stethoscopes, which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages.

In contrast to the already known inventions for this purpose, the present invention is not only suitable for the disinfection of stethoscopes, but also of hands.

Another inventive step is that you do not have to touch the disinfecting device, so that the transmission of germs on the device by the hands and vice versa is prevented.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it is not connected to the stethoscope, so that you can use the stethoscope without disabilities, the amount of disinfectant can be accurately metered, thereby ensuring safe disinfection. Disinfection is very fast (about 2 seconds) and a uniform spraying of the disinfection device is guaranteed.

This object is achieved by the features of the claim.

The disinfection device according to the invention consists of three elements, namely a housing, a spray module and a cartridge.

• - Eine Peristaltik Pumpe, welche mit einem DC Motor angetrieben wird
• - Eine Transistorschaltung, welche zwischen Steuerung und Pumpe zur Stromverstärkung eingebaut wird
• - Näherungs Sensor
• - Kapazitiver Sensor
• - Mikrocontroller zur Steuerung
• - Behälter zur Aufnahme der Desinfektionsflüssigkeit
• - Akku zur Energieversorgung
• - Schläuche
• - Sprühdüse

The device contains the following components:

• - A peristaltic pump powered by a DC motor
• - A transistor circuit, which is installed between the control and pump for current amplification
• - Proximity sensor
• - Capacitive sensor
• - Microcontroller for control
• - Container for holding the disinfecting liquid
• - Battery for power supply
• - hoses
• - Spray nozzle

The spray module contains the following components:

• - A pump (in the horizontal part of the unit) that carries the disinfectant from the cartridge to the spray head
• - A spray head, which is placed in the middle of the housing inlet and serves to uniform wetting of the stethoscope
• - A built-in infrared proximity sensor, which has a detection function and the disinfection process abuts when a stethoscope is held in front of the designated inlet and which is positioned next to the spray head
• - A concealed built-in capacitive sensor, which allows manual operation of the disinfection process to disinfect other surfaces, such as hands, and which is installed in the vertical part of the device
• - A control element, which consists of an Arduino Nano and which is designed so that this one hand, for the power distribution and on the other to the performance of the signal function (detection and signaling) is used and which is positioned in the vertical part of the device.

The cartridge contains the following components:

• - One battery (connected to the contacts)
• - A container for disinfectant, in which a level sensor is installed. The level sensor exerts a dosing function and ensures that when filling with the charging station not too much disinfectant is filled into the cartridge

The case of the device consists of 2 mm thick plastic and has rounded corners, which prevent wear, injuries, but also germ attachments. The sensors with two different functions are built into the housing to minimize any damage to the components of the device. On the one hand, the device is triggered by a UV sensor, which emits light through a UV diode and measures the reflections, which are produced, for example, by holding a stethoscope on edge. When beams are measured, the sensor gives a signal to the motor to automatically eject the disinfectant to disinfect the membrane of the stethoscope. With the same device also other surfaces can be cleaned and disinfected by manually operating the capacitive sensor.

If the stethoscope is held in front of the proximity sensor, it triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which sprays disinfectant liquid onto the stethoscope via the spray nozzle. The duration of the spray is programmed in the microcontroller.

To disinfect the hands, trigger the capacitive sensor by holding a finger in front of it. This triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which sprays disinfectant liquid onto the hand via the spray nozzle. The duration of the spray is programmed in the microcontroller.

Depending on which sensor is triggered, the microcontroller specifies different run times for the pump.

The housing consists of two parts:

device

Includes control, pump sensors, hoses, spray nozzle

cartridge

Contains battery and container for disinfectant

The cartridge is removable for charging and filling.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawing, wherein only one embodiment is shown schematically.

• 1:
  1. A) Ein Sprühmodul
• 2:
  • B) Eine Kartusche
• 3 Das komplette Gehäuse, welches Module A) und B) (1 und 2) beinhaltet.

The following are shown:

• 1 :
  1. A) A spray module
• 2 :
  • B) A cartouche
• 3 The complete housing, which modules A) and B) ( 1 and 2 ) includes.

• 01. Stromkontakte zur Verbindung Modul A) und B) 1 und 2 (Gegenstück zu Nr. 13)
• 02. Kapazitiver Sensor (verdeckt im Gehäuse eingebaut)
• 03. USB Anschluss zur Steuerung
• 04. Modul A Rückwand
• 05. Kupplung zur Übertragung des Desinfektionsmittels (Gegenstück zu Nr. 11)
• 06. Führungsschiene (Gegenstück zu Nr. 12)
• 07. Einlass für Stethoskop .
• 08. Sprühdüse
• 09. Näherungssensor mit 2 Dioden

In 1 the following components are shown:

• 01. Current contacts for connection module A) and B) 1 and 2 (Counterpart to no. 13)
• 02. Capacitive sensor (hidden in the housing)
• 03. USB connection to the controller
• 04. Module A rear wall
• 05. Coupling for the transfer of the disinfectant (counterpart to No. 11)
• 06. Guide rail (counterpart to No. 12)
• 07. inlet for stethoscope.
• 08. Spray nozzle
• 09. Proximity sensor with 2 diodes

• 10. Modul B Rückwand
• 11. Kupplung zur Übertragung des Desinfektionsmittels (Gegenstück zu Nr. 05)
• 12. Führungsschiene (Gegenstück zu Nr. 06)
• 13. Stromkontakte zur Verbindung von Modul A und B (Gegenstück zu Nr. 01)

In 2 the following components are shown:

• 10. Module B rear wall
• 11. Coupling for the transfer of the disinfectant (counterpart to No. 05)
• 12. Guide rail (counterpart to No. 06)
• 13. Power contacts for connecting module A and B (counterpart to No. 01)

• 14. Gehäuse von Sprühmodul
• 15. Gehäuse von Kartusche
• 16. Führungsschiene (siehe Nr. 06 und 12)

In 3 the following components are shown:

• 14. Housing of spray module
• 15. Cartridge housing
• 16. Guide rail (see Nos. 06 and 12)

From the technical drawing it can be seen that the device has three openings, two of which have a square shape and an opening a round shape. In the square recesses (the spray module) is ever a spring contact for transmitting the battery power. The cartridge contains two flat metal contacts on the opposite side. When the cartridge is fully inserted, the respective contacts lie on each other, thus ensuring the power supply.

The data transfer in the cartridge takes place according to the same principle (with overlying contacts).

It is also conceivable that the disinfectant is stored in a container filled with pressure. For this purpose, the pump is replaced by a passage valve and, if necessary, the size of the device is further optimized.

A further embodiment variant of the invention would be that the device is triggered by a switch instead of by means of an infrared sensor. Instead of a capacitive sensor, a button is installed.

Another variant of the device would be that a wireless module is installed to ensure Bluetooth or WLAN connectivity.

Equally conceivable would be an RFID tag in the cartridge so that identification and assignment can be guaranteed.

To trigger the functions, other sensors could be used.

Since the disinfection device can currently only be charged and filled manually, a further development would be conceivable in that in addition to the device, a charging station is built, which can charge and fill the individual cartridges of the device.

The charging station can also serve as a data transfer point for each device so that information such as level, battery status, software updates, and other useful information, such as cleaning the device, can be forwarded to users via the app.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• 1 Spraying module (module A)
• 2 Cartridge (module B)
• 3 Module A & B put together

  01.

  Current contacts for connection of module A & B (counterpart to No. 13)

  02.

  Capacitive sensor (hidden in the housing)

  03.

  USB connection to the controller

  04th

  Module A rear wall

  05th

  Coupling for the transfer of the disinfectant (counterpart to No. 11)

  06th

  Guide rail (counterpart to No. 12)

  07th

  Inlet for stethoscope

  08th

  spray nozzle

  09th

  Proximity sensor with two diodes

  10th

  Module B rear wall

  11th

  Coupling for the transfer of the disinfectant (counterpart to No. 05)

  12th

  Guide rail (counterpart to No. 06)

  13th

  Current contacts for connection of module A & B (counterpart to No. 01)

  14th

  Housing of spray module

  15th

  Housing of cartridge

  16th

  Guide rail (see No. 06 & 12)

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102017006983 A [0009]
• AU 002015283749 A1 [0010]
• CA 00002892070 A1 [0010]
• CN 0002016422080 U [0010]
• DE 202015100925 U1 [0010]
• DE 102017114074 A1 [0011]
• DE 202013104390 U1 [0012]

Claims (1)

A portable stethoscope, portable on belt, gown or stationary, characterized by the following features: a) The device is universally suitable for all stethoscopes. b) No acoustic interference due to attached devices. c) The disinfection is carried out by spraying with disinfectant by means of a pump in the horizontal part of the device, which carries the disinfectant from a cartridge (15) to the spray head (08), which is placed in the middle of the housing inlet and for uniform wetting of the stethoscope serves d) The duration of the spray is programmed in a microcontroller, so that a safe disinfection is guaranteed, because after the end of the disinfection an acoustic signal sounds. e) The device requires no contact, as the disinfection is triggered by a built-in infrared proximity sensor (09) with detection function, if the stethoscope is held in front of the proximity sensor so that it triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which disinfectant liquid via the spray nozzle spraying on the stethoscope. f) The device contains a capacitive sensor (02) with which one can disinfect hands. This happens by holding a finger in front of it. This triggers the peristaltic pump via the microcontroller, which sprays disinfectant liquid onto the hand via the spray nozzle. g) The device contains a container with disinfectant, in which a level sensor is installed. The level sensor exerts a dosing function and ensures that when filling by the charging station not too much disinfectant is filled into the cartridge h) The device contains a control element, which consists of an Arduino Nano and which is designed so that this one for power distribution and for the other to exercise the signal function (detection and signaling) is used and which is positioned in the vertical part of the device.

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