JP2573622B2 - Endoscope cleaning and disinfecting equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting an endoscope.

[Prior Art] Generally, an endoscope is stained once used, and there is a danger that no hospital infection will occur unless the endoscope is washed and disinfected after use. Therefore, the endoscope is always cleaned and disinfected after use.

By the way, when an endoscope is disinfected using a disinfecting solution, a rinsing step is generally performed after the disinfecting. As the rinsing water in the rinsing step, water supplied from a water supply source such as a water supply system is used. However, the water of the water supply source may be contaminated with various bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Therefore, in order to prevent the germs from flowing into the cleaning device, it has been considered to provide a disinfecting filter at the connection between the water supply source and the device.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, since the water of the water supply source is used not only as rinsing water but also as washing water, if a disinfecting filter is provided at the connection between the water supply source and the device, Not only rinsing water but also washing water passes through this filter. Therefore, a large amount of clean water from the water supply source flows into the disinfecting filter, and germs and garbage accumulate immediately, so that the disinfecting filter must be frequently cleaned or replaced. . In particular, since the time for the cleaning process is changed depending on the degree of contamination of the endoscope, if the cleaning process is long, a large amount of cleaning water is used, and the life of the sterilization filter is extremely shortened.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to extend the life of the sterilizing filter by passing only the rinsing water through the sterilizing filter and not flowing the washing water. An endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus is provided.

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, an endoscope is housed in a washing tank provided in the apparatus main body, and the endoscope is washed with washing water. A washing step, a disinfection step of disinfecting the endoscope with a disinfectant, and an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus capable of further performing a rinsing step of rinsing the endoscope with rinsing water thereafter; A common water supply pipe for sending rinse water, a wash water supply pipe for sending only wash water to the endoscope, and a rinse water pipe for sending only rinse water to the endoscope And the flow of the wash water fed by the common water supply line during the washing step is switched to the side of the wash water water supply line, and the rinse water fed by the common water supply line during the rinsing step is supplied to the rinse water supply line. Cut to the water pipe side And switching means for obtaining, characterized in that anda filtering unit for removing bacteria in rinsing in water, which is water by the rinse water supply pipe. Then, the final rinsing step in endoscope cleaning and disinfection was performed with clean rinsing water containing no germs.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an apparatus main body, which has a cleaning tank 2 having an upper surface opened at an upper portion thereof, and a cover 3 which can be opened and closed to open and close the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank 2. A holding member 5 for detachably holding the endoscope 4 is provided inside the cleaning tank 2. Further, a cleaning head 6 is disposed in the center of the cleaning tank 2 through the bottom of the tank 2 and the center of the holding member 5. This head 6 is used for cleaning tank 2
It is designed to be rotated using a motor 7 provided below and outside as a drive source. The cleaning head 6 is provided at its upper part with a first nozzle 6a for spraying cleaning water from above onto the endoscope 4 held by the holding member 5, and a second nozzle 6b for spraying rinsing water. In the lower part, a third nozzle 6c for spraying cleaning water onto the endoscope 4 from below.
Is provided. Further, a filter 9 for preventing the flow of dirt is provided in the concave drainage portion 8 formed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 2. The filter 9 is formed in an inverted hat shape in this embodiment in order to improve drainage and secure a drain flow rate.

A cleaning tank 10 and a detergent tank 11 are provided in the apparatus main body 1.
And a disinfectant tank 12 are provided. The upper part of the washing tank 10 is connected to a water tap 15 serving as a water supply source via an electromagnetic water supply valve 14. And the washing tank
The lower end of 10 is connected to a water supply line 17, which is a common water supply line in which a washing water pump 16 is provided in the middle, and the tip of this line 17 is connected to the inflow side of an electromagnetic switching valve 41. ing. One end of a washing water supply pipe 42 and one end of a rinse water supply pipe 43 are connected to the outflow side of the switching valve 41, respectively. The other end of the washing water supply pipe 42 is connected to a first flow path 44 formed in the head 6.
And the other end of the rinse water supply pipe 43 is connected to the second nozzle 6b via a second flow path 45 formed in the head 6. I have. In the middle of the rinsing water supply line 43, a sterilizing filter is provided.
46 is provided to remove germs, dirt, and the like from the rinse water flowing through the pipe 43.

The detergent tank 11 stores a liquid detergent therein, and a lower end thereof is connected to an outflow pipe 19 provided with an electromagnetic on-off valve 18 in the middle thereof. It is connected to an upstream portion of the washing water pump 16 in the passage 17. The disinfecting solution tank 12 stores a disinfecting solution therein, and a lower end of the disinfecting solution tank 12 is connected to an outflow pipe 21 in which a disinfecting liquid pump 20 is provided, and the pipe 21 is connected to an inlet 21a. Through the washing tank 2. Further, an upper portion of the disinfecting solution tank 12 is connected to the drainage section 8 through a pipe 23 in which a three-way switching valve 22 is provided in the middle. A drain pipe 24 is connected to the three-way switching valve 22. Furthermore, a drainage pump 25 is located in the middle of the drainage line 24.
The distal end side of a portion of the drain pipe 24 downstream of the drain pump 25 is led out of the apparatus body 1. The outlet end is provided so as to communicate with a drainage receiver provided outside the apparatus main body 1, for example, a sink or a drainage port.

In the figure, reference numeral 26 denotes an operation panel, and 27 denotes a motor 7 and various valves 14, 18, 22, 41 based on instructions from the operation panel 26.
It is a control device that operates such as.

The upper portions of the cleaning tank 10, the detergent tank 11, and the disinfectant tank 12 are provided with air vent pipes 28 to 30 respectively.
Are connected separately. These air vent pipes 28-30
Are drawn out of the apparatus main body 1 and can be flexibly deformed, for example. Further, the length of each of the air vent pipes 28 to 30 is such that the tip end thereof can be opened to a drainage receiver 31 provided outside the apparatus main body 1.

In the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus configured as described above, the water supplied from the water tap 15 is stored in the cleaning water tank 10 every time the water supply valve 14 is opened. The washing water in the tank 10 is supplied to the water supply line 17 by the operation of the washing water pump 16.
The first nozzle 6a of the head 6 passes through the switching valve 41 and the washing water supply line 42 from the line 17
Then, the gas is ejected from the third nozzle 6c toward the endoscope 4. Thus, the endoscope 4 is cleaned. That is, at the time of washing, the washing water is caused to flow to the washing water supply line 42 by the switching valve 41, and does not flow to the rinse water supply line 3 provided with the sterilization filter 46.

When the solenoid valve 18 is opened in such a cleaning operation,
Since the detergent in the detergent tank 11 is mixed with the washing water flowing from the washing water tank 10 to the water supply conduit 17, the endoscope 4 can be washed with the detergent. After such washing, the three-way switching valve 22 is operated to switch the drainage section 8 and the drainage pipe 24 to communicate with each other, and the drainage pump 25 is operated. It is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 1 through the drain pipe 24. Next, disinfectant pump
The disinfectant stored in the disinfectant tank 12 is supplied to the cleaning tank 2 by operating 20. Thereby, the endoscope 4 in the cleaning tank 2 is immersed in the disinfecting solution and disinfected. When the immersion disinfection is completed, the three-way switching valve 22 is operated to switch the drainage unit 8 and the disinfecting solution tank 12 to communicate with each other, and the cleaning water pump 16 and the drainage pump 25 are operated, and the switching valve 41 Is switched. Therefore, the washing water in the washing water tank 10, that is, the rinsing water is jetted from the second nozzle 6b of the head 6 from the switching valve 41 through the rinsing water water passage 43, so that the endoscope 4 in the washing tank 2 is removed. Will be rinsed. In this rinsing, the endoscope is not contaminated by the rinsing because the rinsing water passes through the disinfecting filter 46 to surely remove germs and dust contained therein. Further, only the rinse water passes through the sterilization filter 46, and the wash water in the first washing step does not pass. Therefore, the amount of water passing through the sterilizing filter 46 is significantly reduced as compared with the case of passing through both, so that the sterilizing filter 46 can be favorably used for a long period of time.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a three-way valve 52 is provided in the middle of a pipe line 51 connecting the faucet 15 and the washing water tank 10 instead of the supply valve 14 of the above-described embodiment.
The outflow side and the washing water tank 10 are connected to the washing water supply line 42.
Is connected to the rinsing water supply pipe 43 in which the sterilization filter 46 is interposed. And during the rinsing process,
Three-way valve so that the faucet 15 communicates with the rinsing water supply line 43
By switching 52, the rinsing water supplied to the washing water tank 10 is passed through the disinfecting filter 46 to remove germs and dust. The head 6 has a first nozzle 6a and a third nozzle 6a.
Only the nozzle 6c is provided so that the rinsing water is jetted from the first nozzle 6a.

Even in such a configuration, since only the rinsing water can be passed through the sterilization filter 46, the life can be extended.

In addition, in this other embodiment, it is conceivable that the endoscope 4 is contaminated by residual water in the piping after the washing water tank 10, but the residual water is slightly smaller than the rinsing water used in the rinsing step. Almost no problem.

[Effect of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the washing water and the rinsing water are passed through different routes, and only the rinsing water is sterilized. It has the effect of being able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The drawing is an overall schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... device main body, 2 ... washing tank, 4 ... endoscope, 43 ...
Rinsing water supply line, 46 ... sanitizing filter.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A cleaning step of accommodating an endoscope in a cleaning tank provided in a main body of the apparatus, and cleaning the endoscope with cleaning water; and a disinfecting step of disinfecting the endoscope with a disinfecting solution. Further, in an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus capable of performing a rinsing step of rinsing the endoscope with rinsing water, a common water supply pipe line for supplying the rinsing water or the rinsing water, and cleaning the endoscope. A washing water feeding line for sending only water, a rinsing water sending line for sending only rinsing water to the endoscope, and a flow of washing water sent by the common water sending line during the washing step. Switching means for switching the rinse water supplied by the common water supply conduit to the rinse water supply conduit during the rinsing step, and rinsing water supplied by the rinse water supply conduit. Inside Endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus characterized by comprising a filtering unit for removing bacteria, a.