EP1524933A2

EP1524933A2 - Method for producing a swab for cleaning the biopsy channel of an endoscope

Info

Publication number: EP1524933A2
Application number: EP03756513A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Paul Durand; Alain Lloze; Jacques Oblin
Original assignee: Odon Life Technology
Current assignee: Odon Life Technology
Priority date: 2002-07-29
Filing date: 2003-07-29
Publication date: 2005-04-27
Also published as: AU2003281832A1; US20060202387A1; FR2842751A1; FR2842751B1; WO2004012573A3; WO2004012573A2; AU2003281832A8

Abstract

The inventive swab comprises an elastic core (10) and at least one brush (15) arranged thereon. Said brush is provided with an axis (20) and a cleaning twist comprising blades (21) which are regularly disposed on the axis (20). The brushes are moulded from a casting to the core.

Description

Method of manufacturing a cleaning swab for an endoscope working channel

The invention relates to endoscopes, more precisely the operating channels of these endoscopes.

The endoscope operating channels allow biopsy forceps to be advanced into the operating field to take tissue samples.

The repeated passages of the biopsy forceps in the operating channels, and in particular the passage of the rigid elements of these devices in the curvatures taken by the channels once introduced into the human organism, have the harmful effects of scraping the internal walls thereof, to create diverticula there, even to provoke perforations there, or to support the creation of biofilms by coating their wall, thus multiplying the risks of contamination of the forceps before their arrival in the operating field.

To prevent these effects or risks, that is to say, to remove, after each use, the biofilm that may have deposited, it is usual to use swabs, small brushes with handles like those for household use used to clean bottles or other containers.

In this use, the brushes consist of an assembly of plastic bristles and are attached to flexible "handles", or flexible cores long enough to allow the brushes to pass from one end to the other of the channels.

In addition to the fact that the swabs are manufactured and packaged individually, they are made several times, including at least the preparation of the cores and brushes, the assembly of the brushes on the cores being ensured thirdly, followed by the packaging of the swab.

In short, these constraints make it expensive to clean the operator channels, especially since the swabs are discarded after each use.

US 5,964,004 teaches tube cleaners, such as endoscope operator channels, and proposes blades on a sheath mounted on a flexible core, the blades and the sheath being integrally molded on the flexible core and being made of rubber or plastic, the core being a steel wire.

WO01 28406 proposes the materials that can be used and the means of hanging the brush on the core which is an extruded propylene filament on which the brush is overmolded.

The Applicant has sought to reduce the costs of manufacturing the swabs as much as possible.

To this end, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a swab (1) for cleaning an endoscope operator channel comprising, mounted on a flexible core (10), at least one brush (15) comprising a propeller cleaning (21) disposed on an axis (20), in which a plastic brush (15) is overmolded (30 '30 "; 100) on the core (10), process characterized in that it is overmolded a plurality of brushes (15) on the core (10).

Advantageously, the core is precut between two brushes.

It is thus possible to cut the core between two brushes, to separate the two strands from the core and to overmold on the two strands a precut connection comprising a breaking point.

The invention will be better understood using the following description and the accompanying drawing in which;

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of a swab according to the invention,

- Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view in front of the last fin of a swab brush, - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of elements of the mold,

FIG. 4 shows a view in partial axial section of a brush,

- Figure 5 shows the principle of manufacture and packaging of a set of swabs.

- Figure 6 shows an example of a precut segment, and - Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an example of a half-mold.

Referring to Figure 1, the swab 1 has a core 10, plastic wire, for example Teflon, or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFO), flexible and of good mechanical quality, to which is attached a brush 15, itself consisting of a pin 20 supporting brushing fins or scraping 21. The brush 15, here, is made in one piece, molded plastic, for example low density polyethylene, the flexibility of which allows brushing the walls of the working channel without injuring or deforming them.

The fins, with reference to FIG. 2, have a shape covering substantially one, for fins having only one blade, or n sectors, for fins with n blades of the cross section of the working channel from which they are called to scrape the walls.

In FIG. 2, we can see how the fins 21 are relatively arranged, here with two sectors substantially with an angle at the center α, inscribed in a circle of diameter D corresponding to the diameter of the section of the channel to be scraped, or slightly greater, its axis 20 to which it is connected, of diameter d, and the core 10 of the swab.

As shown in FIG. 4, which is a partial axial section of a brush, the fins 21 are axially regularly arranged on the axis 20, spaced from each other by a distance e, not too great, for example equal to Dd.

Similarly, the fins 21 are angularly regularly arranged, that is to say that two successive fins 21 correspond in an axial rotation of angle α. This is why we can speak of a cleaning propeller, although the fins are not themselves twisted.

In the example of FIG. 2, the angle α is equal to π / 2, and the fin 21 according to that shown would cover the angle β in the figure.

Thus, in this example, two successive fins with two blades would be sufficient to scrape the entire wall of the channel.

More generally, a brush will consist of at least 2π / (nα) fins with n blades to cover the entire periphery of the wall.

Here, it is preferred fins with n = 2 blades and an angle α equal to π / 2, which provides an advantage during manufacture since there is a single cutting plane 40, shown in Figures 2 and 4 for all the fins in their final arrangement on the axis of the brush. Thus, it is possible to mold the fins 21 and the axis 20 simultaneously so as to constitute only one and the same part. In addition, a mold 30 ′, 30 ″, FIG. 5, has been provided for overmolding the brushes 15 directly on the flexible core 10 of the swab.

The overmolding operation is here of the fusion pressure type.

The core 10 is stretched between a supply reel 50, delivering the PTFO wire (to serve as a core), and a take-up reel 60, receiving the formed swabs, ready for shipment. Between the two coils, the mold 30 ′, 30 "by imprints 32a, 32b, FIG. 3, molds the brushes 15 on the wire 10 at predetermined locations by the advancement of the wire between the two coils and the position of the imprints in The fixing of the brushes to the core is purely thermal, the temperature reached during the overmolding operation, which is carried out by fusion, causing a surface melting of the PTFO wire. In predetermined locations 70 relative to the imprints 32a , 32b of the mold, are, simultaneously with the brushes, formed by precutting of the core 10 at the ends 2, 3 of the swabs, between two brushes (15), so as to be able to separate them at the time of their use.

In FIG. 6, a particular embodiment of these precuts is shown, in which the PTFO wire of the core 10 is cut at 11, the two strands 10 ′, 10 "are moved apart to leave an interval 12 between them, and we overmold on the two strands 10 ', 10 ", respecting this interval, a connection 23, itself comprising, between the two strands, a breaking point (24).

Thanks to this, users can have very easy to use swab reels.

The production of the tool for manufacturing such a connector in the tool for manufacturing the brushes described below does not present any difficulties.

However, it is necessary to provide in addition a knife for cutting the core, grippers for gripping the two ends thus obtained and means for separating these ends from the gap 12 and positioning them on either side of the place of precut 70 of the mold, and all these means must be ordered before the molding operation itself.

The mold itself must include the imprints of these segments at locations 70. One could also accept the absence of precut segments, leaving it to the user to cut the swabs himself but thereby eliminating one of the advantages of the invention.

The mold 30 ', 30 ", with reference to FIG. 3, comprises two complementary blocks 30' and 30", corresponding to two half-molds. The two blocks in contact are separated on their contact face by a cutting plane 40, partially shown in FIG. 4 and indicated in FIG. 2. A block 30 ′ or 30 ″ consists of a stack of elements 31a, 31b. .., each element comprising two halves 32a, 32b each with a half-thickness of fin imprint, the stack making the complete thicknesses, and the two blocks forming the complete imprints. , 32b are connected by a half-footprint 38 of the axis segment of the brush. This design requires termination elements comprising only a half-thickness of footprint. It is possible to design elements (not shown) comprising only '' a full thickness of a half-cavity, the terminal blocks are no longer necessary.

It is also possible to design (FIG. 7) half-molds 100 that are not modular.

For other types of fins, the design of the mold would be more complex.

Therefore, the method of manufacturing the swabs is as follows: assuming the flexible core 10 in place in the mold 30 ′, 30 "open,

1) the brush or brushes 15 are overmolded on this flexible core after having closed the two blocks 30 ′ and 30 "one on the other, the brushes being overmolded and at the same time thermally fixed in locations predetermined by the position of the soul in the mold,

2) a precut fitting 23, 24 of the core 10 is simultaneously molded at a predetermined location 70 of the swab,

3) the mold 30 ', 30 "is opened and the brush (es) 15 are removed from the mold,

4) the supply reel 50 is rotated to unwind the virgin core 10 of brushes with a flexible core length corresponding to a molding operation, this length being placed in the block 30 ′, 5) and the take-up reel 60 is rotated simultaneously by the length of the core corresponding to the molding operation which has just been carried out to wind the core carrying the brushes of a corresponding length.

Claims

1. - Process for manufacturing a swab (1) for cleaning an endoscope operator channel comprising, mounted on a flexible core (10), at least one brush (15) comprising a cleaning propeller (21) disposed on an axis (20), in which a plastic brush (15) is overmolded (30 '30 "; 100) on the core (10), process characterized in that a plurality of brushes (15) are overmolded ) on the core (10).

2.- Method according to claim 1, wherein the core (10) is precut between two brushes (15).

3.- Method according to claim 1, wherein the core (10) is cut between two brushes (15), the two strands (10 ', 10 ") are moved aside and the two strands are overmolded ( 10 ', 10 ") a pre-cut fitting (23) comprising a breaking point (24).

4.- Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the core (10) virgin brushes is unwound from a supply coil (50) and the core (10) is wound carrying brushes (15) on a take-up reel (60).

5.- Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein it is overmolded by pressure fusion.

6.- Method according to one of claims 1 and 5, wherein it is overmolded in a modular mold (30 ', 30 ").