JP2018068706A - Clinical thermometer sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clinical thermometer sterilizer capable of easily sterilizing thermometers.SOLUTION: A clinical thermometer sterilizer 10 includes: a housing 12 where insertion ports 20 to which tip parts 54 of clinical thermometers 50 are inserted are provided; a light source 30 which is provided inside the housing 12 and irradiates the tip parts 54 of the clinical thermometers 50 inserted into the insertion ports 20 with ultraviolet light; and a control part 40 which controls lighting of the light source 30. The clinical thermometer sterilizer 10 may further include sensors 24 for detecting insertion of the clinical thermometers 50 into the insertion ports 20. The control part 40 may light up the light source 30 when insertion of the clinical thermometer 50 is detected by the sensor 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sterilizer, and more particularly to a technique for sterilizing a thermometer.

  In hospitals, an electronic thermometer is generally used to measure the temperature of a patient. Since the thermometer is repeatedly used for an unspecified number of patients, it can be used in a sanitary manner every time it is used. For example, a technique has been proposed in which a thermometer is immersed in a disinfectant solution for sterilization (see Patent Document 1), or a disposable probe cover is attached to and detached from a sensor portion of the thermometer (see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-15131 No. 1-333504

  When the electronic thermometer is immersed in a disinfectant solution and sterilized, there is a possibility that the sensor unit may break down due to the penetration of the disinfectant solution. Moreover, it is troublesome to attach and detach the cover every time it is used, and there is a possibility that the body temperature cannot be measured correctly through the cover.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and one of exemplary purposes thereof is to provide an apparatus that can easily sterilize a thermometer.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a thermometer sterilization device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing provided with an insertion port into which a distal end portion of the thermometer is inserted, and is provided inside the housing and is inserted into the insertion port. A light source that irradiates the distal end portion of the thermometer with ultraviolet light and a control unit that controls lighting of the light source are provided.

  According to this aspect, the distal end portion of the thermometer can be sterilized by ultraviolet light irradiation by inserting the thermometer into the insertion port of the housing and turning on the light source. Since ultraviolet light irradiation is performed in the housing, it is possible to prevent the user of the sterilizer from being irradiated with ultraviolet light. Therefore, according to this aspect, a thermometer can be sterilized simply and safely.

  A seal member provided at the insertion port and deformed when the thermometer is inserted and removed, and configured to prevent leakage of ultraviolet light from the insertion port to the outside of the housing in a state where the thermometer is inserted and a state where the thermometer is not inserted You may prepare.

  You may further provide the sensor which detects insertion of the thermometer to an insertion port. The control unit may turn on the light source when insertion of a thermometer is detected by the sensor.

  You may further provide the display part for showing whether the light source is lighting.

  The insertion port may be provided on the upper surface of the housing, and the light source may include a lower surface light emitting unit provided on a lower surface in the housing facing the insertion port.

  The light source may have a side light emitting portion provided on a side surface in the housing.

  You may further provide the reflection member provided in the inside of a housing | casing and diffusedly reflects ultraviolet light.

  A plurality of insertion ports may be provided in the housing.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the apparatus which can sterilize a thermometer simply can be provided.

It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the thermometer sterilizer which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of the thermometer sterilizer which concerns on embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a thermometer sterilizer 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the thermometer sterilizer 10. The thermometer sterilizer 10 includes a housing 12, a seal member 22, a sensor 24, a reflection member 26, a light source 30, a control unit 40, a display unit 42, and an operation unit 44. The housing 12 is provided with an insertion port 20 into which the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50 is inserted. The thermometer sterilizer 10 is used to sterilize the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50 by irradiating the thermometer 50 inserted into the housing 12 with ultraviolet light.

  A plurality of insertion ports 20 are provided on the upper surface 14 of the housing 12. The insertion port 20 has a size that allows a distal end 54 having a diameter smaller than that of the main body 52 of the thermometer 50 to be inserted. The insertion port 20 may have such a size that the main body 52 cannot be inserted so that the main body 52 of the thermometer 50 does not fall into the housing 12. That is, the insertion port 20 may be an opening that is larger than the diameter of the distal end portion 54 and smaller than the diameter of the main body portion 52. The insertion ports 20 are arranged in a two-dimensional array on the upper surface 14. The insertion ports 20 may be arranged in a line on the upper surface 14 or may be arranged irregularly. In the modification, only one insertion port 20 may be provided on the upper surface 14.

  The seal member 22 is provided on the upper surface 14 in the housing 12. The seal member 22 is made of a resin material having flexibility and elasticity. The seal member 22 is preferably made of a material having high durability against ultraviolet light, and is preferably made of a fluorine-based resin or a silicone resin. The seal member 22 is provided with a cut 28 at a position corresponding to the insertion port 20. The notch 28 is provided in a cross shape and forms an opening having a size that allows the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50 to be inserted by bending inside the housing 12 when the thermometer 50 is inserted and removed.

  The seal member 22 is configured to close the insertion port 20 in a state where the thermometer 50 is inserted and a state where the thermometer 50 is not inserted. In the state where the thermometer 50 is inserted, the portion of the seal member 22 where the cut 28 is provided bends downward and comes into contact with the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50, thereby closing the gap between the insertion port 20 and the distal end portion 54. In a state where the thermometer 50 is not inserted, the portions where the cut 28 of the seal member 22 is provided contact each other and close the gap of the cut 28. In this way, the seal member 22 prevents leakage of ultraviolet light from the insertion port 20 to the outside of the housing 12.

  The sensor 24 is provided to detect insertion of the thermometer 50 into the insertion port 20. The sensor 24 is provided in each of the plurality of insertion ports 20 and is configured to be able to individually detect at which insertion port 20 the thermometer 50 is inserted or removed. The sensor 24 is a pressure sensor provided in the seal member 22, for example, and detects deformation of the seal member 22 due to insertion of the thermometer 50. The sensor 24 may be a sheet-like pressure sensor and may be laminated with the seal member 22. The type of the sensor 24 is not limited, and any type of sensor may be used as long as the insertion of the thermometer 50 into the insertion port 20 can be detected.

  The reflection member 26 is provided inside the housing 12 and reflects the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 30 so that the intensity distribution of the ultraviolet light inside the housing 12 becomes uniform. The reflecting member 26 is made of a material having a high ultraviolet light reflectance, and is made of, for example, aluminum. The reflecting member 26 has regular or irregular irregularities, and is configured to diffusely reflect ultraviolet light incident on the reflecting member 26. By irregularly reflecting the ultraviolet light, the intensity distribution inside the housing 12 can be made more uniform. In the illustrated example, the reflecting member 26 is provided on the lower surface 16 and the side surface 18 in the housing 12. In the modification, the reflection member 26 may be provided so as to partition the thermometer 50 inserted into the insertion port 20.

  The light source 30 is provided inside the housing 12 and irradiates ultraviolet light toward the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50 inserted into the insertion port 20. The light source 30 includes a bottom light emitting unit 32 and a side light emitting unit 34. The lower surface light emitting unit 32 is provided on the lower surface 16 inside the housing 12. The lower surface light emitting unit 32 is provided at a position facing the insertion port 20 and is disposed so as to face the temperature sensing unit 56 of the thermometer 50 inserted into the insertion port 20. The side light emitting unit 34 is provided on the side surface 18 inside the housing 12.

  The lower surface light emitting unit 32 and the side light emitting unit 34 are UV-LEDs (Ultra Violet-Light Emitting Diodes) that emit ultraviolet light. The lower surface light emitting unit 32 and the side light emitting unit 34 output deep ultraviolet light in a range where the center wavelength or peak wavelength is about 200 nm to 350 nm. It is preferable that the lower surface light emitting unit 32 and the side light emitting unit 34 emit ultraviolet light in the vicinity of 260 nm to 270 nm, which is a wavelength with high sterilization efficiency. As a light emitting element that outputs such a wavelength, for example, an element using aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) is known.

  The control unit 40 controls lighting of the light source 30. The control unit 40 turns on the light source 30 when the insertion of the thermometer 50 is detected based on the signal from the sensor 24 so that the sterilization process of the thermometer 50 is started. The control unit 40 turns off the light source 30 a predetermined time after starting to turn on the light source 30. The control unit 40 stores in advance a lighting time that is necessary and sufficient for the sterilization treatment of the thermometer 50, and automatically turns off the light source 30 after the time has elapsed. When the insertion / extraction of the thermometer 50 is detected while the light source 30 is turned on, the control unit 40 may turn off the light source 30 temporarily. This may prevent the ultraviolet light from leaking outside through the insertion port 20 when the thermometer 50 is inserted or removed.

  The display unit 42 is provided on the upper surface 14 of the housing 12 and indicates an operation state of the thermometer sterilizer 10. The display unit 42 is, for example, an LED that emits visible light, and is turned on while the light source 30 is turned on and turned off while the light source 30 is turned off. The display unit 42 may indicate the operation state in such a manner that it can be identified whether the thermometer 50 is before the start of the sterilization process or after the sterilization process is completed. The display unit 42 may further indicate the operating state in such a manner that it can be identified whether the thermometer sterilizer 10 is powered on or off. For example, the display unit 42 is turned off when the thermometer sterilizer 10 is turned off, turned on in red when the thermometer sterilizer 10 is turned on and the light source 30 is not turned on, and the light source 30 is turned on. It may be lit in green when it is in the middle, and blinking in red when the light source 30 is turned off and the thermometer 50 is sterilized. In a modified example, the display unit 42 may be configured with a liquid crystal display, and may indicate an operation state using characters, images, icons, and the like.

  The operation unit 44 is provided on the upper surface 14 of the housing 12 and includes a switch for operating the thermometer sterilizer 10. The operation unit 44 receives an operation of turning on and off the thermometer sterilizer 10 and turning on and off the light source 30 from the user. The control unit 40 may turn on the light source 30 when the operation unit 44 is operated to turn on the light source 30. The control unit 40 may turn on the light source 30 only when it is detected that the thermometer 50 is inserted into the insertion port 20 and an operation for turning on the light source 30 through the operation unit 44 is performed.

  According to the above configuration, the thermometer sterilizer 10 irradiates the distal end portion 54 of the thermometer 50 that is inserted into the housing 12 through the insertion port 20 with ultraviolet light, and sterilizes the thermometer 50. According to the present embodiment, since the thermometer 50 can be sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet light, the labor required for sterilization of the thermometer 50 is reduced as compared with the case where the thermometer 50 is immersed in the disinfecting liquid or the thermometer 50 is wiped off with the disinfecting liquid. it can. Moreover, since it is comprised so that an ultraviolet light may not leak outside the housing | casing 12, the thermometer sterilizer 10 is installed in an easy-to-use place, and the thermometer 50 is sterilized in any place where the thermometer sterilizer 10 is used. be able to. Thereby, the thermometer 50 can be sterilized more simply.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design changes are possible, and various modifications are possible, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. It is a place.

  In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where completion of the sterilization process by the light source 30 is controlled by time has been shown. In a modification, the light quantity irradiated to the thermometer 50 may be detected, and the light source 30 may be turned off when the integrated value of the detected ultraviolet light quantity exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, a light amount sensor that measures the ultraviolet light amount may be provided inside the housing 12, and the control unit 40 may control the lighting of the light source 30 based on the measurement result of the light amount sensor.

  In a further modification, not all of the lower surface light emitting unit 32 and the side light emitting unit 34 provided inside the housing 12 are turned on at the same time, but the light source 30 is selectively turned on only at a part necessary for sterilization of the thermometer 50. You may let them. For example, only the lower surface light emitting unit 32 provided at a position corresponding to the insertion port 20 where insertion of the thermometer 50 is detected by the sensor 24 is lit, and the lower surface light emitting unit at a position corresponding to the insertion port 20 where the thermometer 50 is not inserted. 32 may be unlit. Thus, by irradiating ultraviolet light only to a required part, the power consumption of the thermometer sterilizer 10 may be reduced, and deterioration of the light emitting element used for the light source 30 may be prevented.

  In a further modification, the thermometer sterilizer 10 may further include a cover provided so as to cover the thermometer 50 inserted into the insertion port 20 and the upper surface 14 of the housing 12. The cover may be configured to be opened and closed by being fixed to the housing 12 with a hinge or the like. The cover is made of a material that blocks ultraviolet light, and may be configured to completely prevent leakage of ultraviolet light to the outside of the housing 12. In this case, the display unit 42 may be provided outside the cover, or another display unit having the same function as the display unit 42 may be provided.

  In a further modification, an ultraviolet light emitting element may be provided only on the lower surface 16 of the housing 12, or an ultraviolet light emitting element may be provided only on the side surface 18 of the housing 12. An ultraviolet light emitting element may be attached to the upper surface 14 inside the housing 12.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Thermometer sterilizer, 12 ... Housing, 14 ... Upper surface, 16 ... Lower surface, 18 ... Side surface, 20 ... Insertion port, 22 ... Sealing member, 24 ... Sensor, 26 ... Reflective member, 30 ... Light source, 32 ... Lower surface light emission 34, side light emitting unit, 40 ... control unit, 42 ... display unit, 50 ... thermometer, 54 ... tip.

Claims (8)

A housing provided with an insertion port into which the tip of the thermometer is inserted;
A light source that is provided inside the housing and that irradiates the tip of a thermometer inserted into the insertion port with ultraviolet light;
A thermometer sterilizer, comprising: a controller that controls lighting of the light source.   A seal provided at the insertion port and deformed when the thermometer is inserted and removed, and configured to prevent leakage of ultraviolet light from the insertion port to the outside of the housing in a state where the thermometer is inserted and a state where the thermometer is not inserted The thermometer sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a member. A sensor for detecting insertion of a thermometer into the insertion port;
The thermometer sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller turns on the light source when insertion of a thermometer is detected by the sensor.   The thermometer sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display unit for indicating whether or not the light source is turned on. The insertion port is provided on the upper surface of the housing,
The thermometer sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light source includes a lower surface light-emitting unit provided on a lower surface in the housing facing the insertion port.   The thermometer sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light source includes a side light-emitting portion provided on a side surface in the housing.   The thermometer sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a reflecting member that is provided inside the casing and diffusely reflects ultraviolet light.   The thermometer sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of the insertion ports are provided in the housing.

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