GB2482527A

GB2482527A - Receptacle allowing wipe through cleaning for infection control

Info

Publication number: GB2482527A
Application number: GB1013186.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Swann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-05
Filing date: 2010-08-05
Publication date: 2012-02-08
Also published as: GB201013186D0

Abstract

A receptacle for use in contexts and environments where hygiene, patient safety and infection control is of paramount importance, such as hospitals. The receptacle consists of a base and four walls. The connection between the walls and the base is rounded or radiussed. There is no connection between adjacent walls, with an aperture/ opening being provided in place. The design allows a wipe through cleaning technique to be applied, with the apertures allowing the fingers of a cleaner to pass through during cleaning. The receptacle may be formed as one piece, i.e. is of a unitary construction, so that there are no dirt/ bacteria/ pathogen traps. The receptacle may be a tray, a container, or a drawer. An integral handle may be provided, and the receptacle may be nestable.

Description

Infection Contol Receptacle (Reference GB1001538.6) This invention relates to the design of a storage receptacle for use in environments where patient safety and infection control is paramount: hea lthcare, microbiology and food industries.

Hospital acquired infections such as MRSA, E-coli and C.Diff are now considered to be the main disease threat in Europe (ECDC, 2007; Health Consumer Powerhouse, 2007). At any one time, 9% of NHS patients are infected costing the NHS £1 billion per year in extra anti-microbial treatments and hospital bed days (NAO, 2004).

To maximise patient safety the Revised Healthcare Cleaning Manual published by the National Patient Safety Association (NPSA) outlines robust guidelines on the cleaning methods/ hand techniques used in the cleaning of clinical equipment, products and furniture in different healthcare settings. In clinical environments many different storage solutions can be found for the storage of clinical and non-clinical items by: treatment bags, medical equipment and hospital furniture.

However traditional receptacles such as drawers, trays and containers are very difficult to clean thoroughly due the angular nature of their design, materials and construction. Features such as corners pose are a key problem area for effective infection control maintenance. Analysis of cleaning techniques has revealed evidence that bacteria residues are often left at this intersection point following hand cleaning: drawer base and meeting of two vertical sides. Evidence indicates that a change in wiping direction during cleaning leads to a reduction in the hand pressure being applied to the surface, thus reducing the efficacy of infection control measures.

To overcome this problem, a design innovation is proposed that enables a more effective cleaning technique to be applied, vertical apertures facilitating the application of this technique by enabling finger access to awkward to reach areas, the design innovation eliminates problematical areas where bacteria can harbour in traditional receptacles which increases levels of hygiene and safety. The functional ability of the receptacle to retain stored items is not comprised by the positioning of these features/ apertures.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows one perspective view of the receptacle.

The receptacle is one formed part to minimise the number of features that can harbour and propagate bacteria growth.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the receptacle.

The image illustrates an integrated handle, radius data and location of apertures.

The image depicts the receptacle and the positioning of apertures on one side wall (replicated on the opposite side). This feature increases hand! finger accessibility to internal surfaces, enhances its infection control performance, as well as eliminating the locations where bacteria normally collates in a convention receptacle: drawer, tray or container.

Figure 3 shows a front view of the receptacle.

The image illustrates graphically how aperture data present on the side-walls translates visually onto the front vertical face. The effectiveness of the design innovation is not reliant on these tapered vertical walls.

Figure 4 depicts product nesting.

The image in this instance depicts a taper applied to the vertical walls. The application of a taper to the receptacle enables product nesting' to occur to maximise storage! transportation options. However, the effectiveness of the innovation is not reliant on these tapered vertical walls being present.

Claims

Claims 1. A receptacle that maximises the effectiveness of infection control, hygiene and safety measures through its design.
2. A receptacle according to claim 1, in which accessibility of awkward to clean surfaces (internal and external) is enhanced through the application of apertures and radius's.
3. A receptacle according to claim 1, in which vertical apertures on the side walls enables a wipe through' cleaning technique to be applied to internal surfaces to remove pathogens / bacteria.
4. A receptacle according to claim 1, in which an integral handle minimises the number of components used in its construction; features which can harbour pathogens/ bacteria.
5. A receptacle according to any of the preceding claims, is formed! produced as one part to minimise potential pathogens/ bacteria traps arising the joining of several components.