JP2015146968A - steam sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steam sterilizer capable of sterilizing a sterilization object sufficiently by removing temperature unevenness in a chamber during a sterilization step.SOLUTION: In a steam sterilizer 1 in which a heating part 131 is mounted on a lid 13 for blocking an opening 12 of a chamber 11, heating is performed not only by steam but also by the heating part 131 when heating the inside of the chamber 11, to thereby remove temperature unevenness in the chamber 11.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam sterilizer that performs sterilization processing on an object to be sterilized such as a surgical instrument with high-pressure steam.

  A steam sterilizer that performs sterilization using high-pressure steam on an object to be sterilized such as a medical instrument generally heats the inside of the chamber with high-pressure steam to sterilize the object to be sterilized. The chamber is heated only by high-pressure steam.

  As a specific configuration of the steam sterilizer for performing such a heating step, for example, those described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known. In the steam sterilizers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a steam supply pipe is connected to the rear of the chamber, and steam is fed into the chamber from the rear side of the chamber, whereby the inside of the chamber is heated. Yes.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-76372 JP 2004-159996 A

  Normally, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the steam supply pipe for feeding steam into the chamber of the steam sterilizer is attached to the rear side of the chamber, that is, at a position away from the opening of the chamber. The opening of the chamber is sealed with a lid, and the article to be sterilized is sterilized at a high temperature. However, since the lid for sealing the chamber is designed to be thick and has a large heat capacity, the lid is deprived of heat when heated during high-temperature sterilization. As a result, the temperature on the front side of the chamber, that is, in the vicinity of the opening of the chamber, was lower than that on the rear side of the chamber.

  In the sterilization process, it is determined that sterilization is performed at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, and it is necessary to perform heating until the temperature in the entire chamber reaches a temperature sufficient for the sterilization process. However, since the lid is deprived of heat and the temperature on the front side of the chamber becomes lower than the temperature on the rear side of the chamber, even if sterilization is performed at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, the chamber As compared with the article to be sterilized placed on the rear side of the chamber, the article to be sterilized placed on the front side of the chamber has a problem that the sterilization performance is deteriorated.

  An object of the present invention was completed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and is a steam sterilization capable of eliminating temperature unevenness in the chamber during the sterilization process without extending the sterilization time. The purpose is to provide a vessel.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a steam sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized with high-pressure steam, a chamber having an opening for taking in and out the object to be sterilized, a lid for sealing the opening, and water. A water storage tank for storing the water; a water flow path through which the water flows; a block boiler that generates steam by heating the water in the water flow path; and the steam generated by the block boiler A steam supply pipe that supplies the water to the inside of the block boiler, and a water supply pipe that supplies the water to the water flow path inside the block boiler, and the lid is provided with a heating unit. It is characterized by.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steam sterilizer has a heating part attached to the lid, and heats the lid by heating the inside of the chamber not only from the steam but also from the heating part during the heating process. It can be prevented from being taken away. For this reason, the temperature on the front side of the chamber does not become lower than that on the rear side, temperature unevenness in the chamber can be eliminated, and the temperature of the entire chamber is reduced to a predetermined temperature required for sterilization during the sterilization process. Can be raised. Moreover, since the inside of the chamber is heated not only by the vapor but also by the heating unit attached to the lid, the time for the heating process can be shortened and the sterilization time can be shortened.

  The second aspect of the present invention is a steam sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized with high-pressure steam, a chamber having an opening for taking in and out the object to be sterilized, a lid for sealing the opening, A water storage tank for storing water, a water flow path through which the water flows, a block boiler that generates steam by heating the water in the water flow path, and the steam generated by the block boiler A steam supply pipe that supplies the water into the chamber, and a water supply pipe that connects the water storage tank and supplies the water to the water flow path inside the block boiler. A heat insulating material is attached to the lid. It is characterized by being.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, by attaching a heat insulating material to the lid, the heat of the heat insulating material is prevented from being taken away by the lid, and temperature unevenness between the chamber front side and the chamber rear side is eliminated. be able to. In addition, it is possible to reduce the power supply required for the heating unit and reduce the power required for sterilization.

It is a schematic side view of the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the block boiler in the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the heating process in the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the air release process in the steam sterilizer according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the exhaust process in the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the drying process in the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The modification in the steam sterilizer which concerns on embodiment of this invention is shown.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a steam sterilizer for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is not intended to specify the present invention as this steam sterilizer. The present invention is equally applicable to other embodiments within the scope of the claims.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the steam sterilizer 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a steam sterilizer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The steam sterilizer 1 includes a chamber 11 inside a main body case 10. The chamber 11 has a hollow cylindrical shape having an opening 12. The chamber 11 is made of a material having high corrosion resistance, and is specifically made of stainless steel of SUS304. The opening 12 is positioned on the side surface of the main body case 10, and the user inserts and removes an object to be sterilized (for example, a medical instrument) to be sterilized through the opening 12. Further, the opening 12 is closed by an openable / closable lid 13 with a handle during the sterilization operation. In addition, when the article to be sterilized is accommodated, a mounting shelf (not shown) on which the article to be sterilized is placed is detachably installed inside the chamber 11.

  A heating unit 131 is attached to the surface of the lid 13 on the chamber 11 side. The heating unit 131 is a metal that is heated by an induction current flowing through the induction coil, and is embedded in the lid 13. In addition, a sheathed heater or the like may be used as the heating unit 131.

  Further, the steam sterilizer 1 includes a water storage tank 14 inside the main body case 10. The water storage tank 14 is for storing water 15 used for generating steam used in the sterilization process. The water 15 is supplied to the water storage tank 14 by opening the lid 13 on the top surface side of the main body case 10 by an operator prior to the sterilization work of the article to be sterilized.

  Further, the steam sterilizer 1 includes a block boiler 16 inside the main body case 10. The block boiler 16 is for generating steam for heating the water 15 to sterilize an object to be sterilized. The block boiler 16 has a cylindrical shape and is made of a material having high magnetic permeability, and specifically, is made of stainless steel of SUS430. Details of the internal structure of the block boiler 16 will be described later.

  An induction coil 17 is arranged on the outer periphery of the block boiler 16 via a heat-resistant insulating plate (not shown). When a high frequency current is supplied to the induction coil 17, a magnetic flux is generated in the induction coil 17, the induction current flows through the block boiler 16, and the block boiler 16 generates heat.

  A water supply pipe 20 is connected between the water storage tank 14 and the block boiler 16 via an electromagnetic valve 18 and an electromagnetic pump 19. The water supply pipe 20 is used to supply the water 15 of the water storage tank 14 to the block boiler 16. By opening the electromagnetic valve 18 and operating the electromagnetic pump 19, the water 15 of the water storage tank 14 is supplied with water. It passes through the tube 20 and is supplied to the block boiler 16.

  Further, a steam supply pipe 21 is connected between the chamber 11 and the block boiler 16 via a check valve 22. The steam supply pipe 21 is used to supply steam generated in the block boiler 16 to the chamber 11. The check valve 22 is a valve for stopping the flow of gas or the like from the chamber 11 to the block boiler 16.

  In addition, although the connection location A of this steam supply pipe 21 and the chamber 11 may be performed anywhere in the chamber 11, in this embodiment, the steam supply pipe 21 is connected above the chamber 11, and air By supplying steam having a higher specific gravity than the upper part, the air in the chamber 11 is efficiently pushed out of the chamber 11. In FIG. 1, the connection portion A between the steam supply pipe 21 and the chamber 11 is the rear side of the chamber 11, which is a position away from the opening 12 of the chamber 11. It may be the front side. When the connection portion A is on the front side of the chamber 11, the temperature is not easily increased compared to the rear side of the chamber 11, and the temperature is not easily increased. .

  An air supply pipe 23 is connected to the block boiler 16. The air supply pipe 23 is used to supply air supplied into the chamber 11 to the block boiler 16 when it is taken in from the outside of the steam sterilizer 1 in a drying process described later. A compressor 24, a filter 25, and an air valve 26 composed of an electromagnetic valve are sequentially connected to the air supply pipe 23. Then, the compressor 24 is operated to take in air from outside, and the air valve 26 is opened, whereby the taken-in air is purified by the filter 25 and supplied into the block boiler 16 through the air supply pipe 24. The air supplied into the block boiler 16 is heated in the block boiler 16, supplied into the chamber 11, and used for drying an object to be sterilized or the chamber 11. Details of the block boiler 16 and the air supply pipe 23 will be described later.

  A drain pipe 27 is connected between the chamber 11 and the water storage tank 14. The drain pipe 27 is used for returning the water or the like accumulated in the chamber 11 to the water storage tank 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the drain pipe 27 includes a check valve 28 at the tip of the chamber 11, and is connected to the steam supply pipe 21 on the way through the joint C. The block boiler is connected via the steam supply pipe 21. 16 and beyond the block boiler 16, the joint D is connected to the water storage tank 14 through the water supply pipe 20. Further, the drain pipe 27 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 29 in front of the water storage tank 14. The check valve 28 is a valve for stopping the flow of gas or the like from the block boiler 16 to the chamber 11. The electromagnetic valve 29 is a valve that is opened when draining from the chamber 11 to the water storage tank 14.

  In addition, an exhaust pipe 32 is connected between the chamber 11 and the water storage tank 14 via an exhaust valve 30 constituted by an electromagnetic valve and a vacuum pump 31. One end of the exhaust pipe 32 is connected to a position higher than the water level of the water storage tank 14, and the other end is connected to the back wall of the chamber 11. Then, by opening the exhaust valve 30 and operating the vacuum pump 31, the air and steam in the chamber 11 are exhausted through the exhaust pipe 32 in a timely manner.

  In addition, a temperature sensor 33 composed of a thermistor is attached to the back wall of the chamber 11. Then, the internal temperature of the chamber 11 is measured by the temperature sensor 33.

  Further, the steam sterilizer 1 includes a control unit 34 inside the main body case 10. The control unit 34 is configured by a microcomputer or the like, and the control unit 34 and the induction coil 17 are connected by a wiring 35 (shown by a broken line). Then, based on a preset program, an output from the temperature sensor 33, and a user operation via an operation unit (not shown) provided in the main body case 10, the control unit 34 performs heating. The current control for the unit 131 and the induction coil 17, the operation control of the electromagnetic pump 19, the compressor 24 and the vacuum pump 31, the opening and closing control of the electromagnetic valves 18 and 29, the air valve 26 and the exhaust valve 30 are performed.

  Next, the internal structure of the block boiler 16 in the steam sterilizer 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the block boiler 16 according to the present embodiment.

  As described above, the block boiler 16 generates heat by generating heat by induction heating by the induction coil 17, thereby heating the water 15 with the heat. The block boiler 16 is provided with linear flow paths 40 and 41 formed by drilling a cylindrical stainless lump with a drill.

  The flow path 40 is connected to the water supply pipe 20. Then, when the water 15 supplied through the water supply pipe 20 passes through the flow path 40, it becomes high-pressure steam and is supplied to the chamber 11 through the steam supply pipe 21. Therefore, the flow path 40 is a water flow path through which the water 15 flows.

  The flow path 41 is connected to the air supply pipe 23. The air supplied through the air supply pipe 23 is heated by passing through the flow path 41 and supplied to the chamber 11 through the air supply pipe 23a. Therefore, this flow path 41 is an air flow path through which air flows.

  Here, the temperature of the block boiler 16 that generates heat by the induction coil 18 reaches about 200 ° C. Therefore, the water 15 flowing through the flow path 40 is instantly vaporized into steam. Further, the air flowing through the flow path 41 is also instantaneously heated. In addition, in this embodiment, although the linear flow paths 40 and 41 were shown, in order to lengthen the flow paths 40 and 41, you may make it a curved flow path, for example. Such a curved flow path is obtained by, for example, dividing a stainless steel block constituting a block boiler into two parts on the left and right sides, and forming a curved flow path on the surface (on the opposite side) of one stainless steel in advance. Then, it can be formed by pasting the other stainless steel together.

  An example of a series of processes for performing a sterilization process using the steam sterilizer 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to conceptual diagrams of each process in FIGS. First, the operator places an object to be sterilized on a placement shelf in the chamber 11 and closes the lid 13.

  Next, when the operator operates the operation unit provided on the front surface of the main body case 10 and starts the operation of the steam sterilizer 1, as shown in FIG. Supply is started and the block boiler 16 generates heat by induction heating. Then, the control unit 34 opens the electromagnetic valve 18 and the electromagnetic pump 19 operates to supply water 15 from the water storage tank 14 to the flow path 40 of the block boiler 16 through the water supply pipe 20.

  Then, when the water 15 is supplied to the heated block boiler 16, the water 15 is heated in the flow path 40 and steam is generated. And this vapor | steam passes the steam supply pipe | tube 21, and is supplied in the chamber 11 from the connection location A (heating process). At this time, the exhaust valve 30 is opened by the control unit 34 and the vacuum pump 31 is operated, whereby the air in the chamber 11 is discharged to the water storage tank 14 through the exhaust pipe 32 by the inflowing steam. . At the same time, the control unit 34 starts supplying current to the heating unit 131 attached to the lid 13, and the heating unit 131 generates heat to heat the chamber 11. That is, the chamber 11 is heated by both the steam supplied from the steam supply pipe 21 and the heat generated from the heating unit 131.

  Then, when the temperature in the chamber 11 reaches a certain temperature while monitoring the output of the temperature sensor 33, the exhaust valve 30 is closed and the vacuum pump 31 is stopped by the control unit 34. Then, steam is continuously supplied, and the inside of the chamber 11 becomes a high pressure state. When the inside of the chamber 11 reaches the sterilization temperature (usually 121 ° C.), sterilization processing is performed for a predetermined time (usually 20 minutes) (sterilization process). The temperature control in the chamber 11 during the sterilization process is performed by the output of the temperature sensor 33, the opening of the exhaust valve 30, and the operation of the vacuum pump 31.

  When the heating unit 131 is attached to the lid 13 and the inside of the chamber 11 is also heated from the front of the chamber 11, the heat of the chamber 11 is prevented from being taken away by the lid 13, and the heating unit 131 is not attached to the lid 13 Compared to the above, temperature unevenness in the chamber 11 can be reduced. Moreover, since the temperature in the chamber 11 can be raised to a predetermined temperature faster than heating only with steam, the time for the heating process can be shortened and the time for sterilization can be shortened.

  When a predetermined time elapses and the sterilization process is completed, the supply of water 15 to the block boiler 16 and the current supply to the induction coil 17 are stopped, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. Is released. By opening the electromagnetic valve 29, the inside of the chamber 11 in a high pressure state and the flow path 40 of the block boiler 16 are opened to the atmosphere at once (atmospheric release step). And much of the water 15 remaining in the chamber 11 and the flow path 40 is discharged at once to the water storage tank 14.

  In addition, although such an air release process is not necessarily a necessary process, since much of the water 15 remaining in the chamber 11 and the flow path 40 can be discharged at a time through the air release process. The subsequent process time can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where the atmosphere release process is not performed. Further, by setting the atmospheric pressure in the chamber 11 to be the same as the atmospheric pressure, it is not necessary to evacuate the vacuum in the chamber 11 until the atmospheric pressure in the chamber 11 becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure in the subsequent exhaust process.

  When the air release process is completed, the electromagnetic valve 29 is closed, and then the exhaust valve 30 is opened by the control unit 34 and the vacuum pump 31 is operated via the exhaust pipe 32 as shown in FIG. The air in the chamber 11 is exhausted (exhaust process). And the inside of the chamber 11 is made into a negative pressure state by the air in the chamber 11 being discharged. In addition, by setting the inside of the chamber 11 to a negative pressure state, air can be efficiently supplied in the subsequent drying step.

  When the exhaust process is completed, as shown in FIG. 6, the air valve 26 is opened by the control unit 34 and the compressor 24 is operated, and the flow path 41 of the block boiler 16 from the air supply pipe 23 through the filter 25. Air is supplied to At this time, the controller 34 supplies current to the induction coil 17. Therefore, the block boiler 16 generates heat by induction heating, and the air is heated in the flow path 41. And the heated air is supplied into the chamber 11 from the connection location B via the steam supply pipe | tube 23a (drying process).

  A series of processes for performing sterilization using the steam sterilizer 1 in the present embodiment is completed by the processes as described above.

  In the present embodiment, current is supplied to the heating unit 131 to generate heat only during the heating process, but current may be supplied to the heating unit 131 to generate heat even during the sterilization process to control the temperature in the chamber 11. Good. Further, in the sterilization process, current may be supplied to the heating unit 131 until the sterilization temperature is reached, and supply of current to the heating unit 131 may be stopped when the sterilization temperature is reached. Even in the sterilization process, current is supplied to the heating unit 131 to generate heat, so that temperature unevenness during the sterilization process can be further reduced.

  In addition, although the schematic side view of the steam sterilizer 1 in this embodiment was shown in FIG. 1, the modification of this steam sterilizer 1 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 7 shows a modification of the steam sterilizer 1A. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to the steam sterilizer 1. FIG.

  In the above embodiment, the heating unit 131 is attached to the lid 13 to reduce the temperature unevenness in the chamber 11, but in this modification, the heat insulating material 132 is attached to the lid 13 instead of the heating unit 131. . The heat insulating material 132 is formed of a material having high heat resistance, and is formed of glass wool in the present modification. Since the heat insulating material 132 is attached, it is possible to prevent the heat in the chamber-11 from being taken away by the lid 13, and thus the temperature unevenness in the chamber 11 is reduced. Further, both the heating unit 131 and the heat insulating material 132 may be attached to the lid 13. By attaching both to the lid 13, temperature unevenness can be further reduced as compared to the case where only one of them is attached.

  In addition, the steam sterilizer 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration (so-called horizontal type) in which the opening 12 of the chamber 11 faces the side surface of the main body case 10 and a lid 13 is provided on the side surface of the main body case 10. For example, a configuration (so-called vertical type) in which an opening and a lid of a chamber are arranged on the upper surface of the main body case is also possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steam sterilizer 10 ... Main body case 11 ... Chamber 12 ... Opening 13 ... Cover 131 ... Heating part 132 ... Heat insulation material 14 ... Water storage tank 16 ... Block boiler 17 ... Inductive coil 20 ... Water supply pipe 21 ... Steam supply pipes 22, 29 ... Check valve 23 ... Air supply pipe 28 ... Drain pipe 32 ... Exhaust pipe 34 ... Control units 40, 41 ... Flow path

Claims (2)

A steam sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized with high-pressure steam,
A chamber having an opening for taking in and out the article to be sterilized;
A lid that seals the opening;
A water storage tank for storing water,
A block boiler that includes a water flow path through which the water flows, and generates steam by heating the water in the water flow path;
A steam supply pipe for supplying the steam generated in the block boiler into the chamber;
A water supply pipe connected to the water storage tank and supplying the water to the water flow path inside the block boiler,
A steam sterilizer, wherein the lid is provided with a heating unit. A steam sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized with high-pressure steam,
A chamber having an opening for taking in and out the article to be sterilized;
A lid that seals the opening;
A water storage tank for storing water,
A block boiler that includes a water flow path through which the water flows, and generates steam by heating the water in the water flow path;
A steam supply pipe for supplying the steam generated in the block boiler into the chamber;
A water supply pipe connected to the water storage tank and supplying the water to the water flow path inside the block boiler,
A steam sterilizer, wherein a heat insulating material is attached to the lid.

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