JP3512234B2 - Small steam sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A small-sized steam sterilizer according to the present invention is installed in hospitals and various research laboratories, and is used for preparing clothes for patients, used surgical tools and experimental instruments, and the like. Used for sterilization. 2. Description of the Related Art In hospitals and various laboratories, patient clothes, used surgical tools, laboratory instruments, and the like may be re-used because of the risk of infection by attached bacteria or viruses. It must be sterilized beforehand. For this reason, a steam sterilizer that fills a sterilization container with high-temperature, high-pressure steam and heat-sterilizes an object stored in the sterilization container has been used. Among the steam sterilizers used for such a sterilization process, a relatively small steam sterilizer as shown in FIG. 2 is known. [0003] The sterilization container 1 can be hermetically sealed by a lid 12 in a state in which an object to be sterilized is stored inside. This sterile container 1
The other end of the water supply pipe 3 having one end connected to the lower part of the water supply tank 2 is opened at the bottom of the water supply tank 2, and an on-off valve 4 is provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 3. By opening the on-off valve 4, the water in the water supply tank 2 can be freely supplied to the sterilization container 1 through the water supply pipe 3. In addition, the above sterile container 1
A steam heater 5 is provided at the bottom of the inside, and the steam heater 5 can freely heat water sent from the water supply tank 2 into the sterilization container 1. Further, the other end of the air supply pipe 9 having one end (the right side in FIG. 2) connected to the air intake port is opened in the sterilization container 1. In the middle of the air supply pipe 9, an on-off valve 6 and a heat exchanger 7 having a heating heater 8 therein are provided in series from the sterilization container 1 side in this order. [0005] When sterilization is performed by the conventional small-sized steam sterilizer configured as described above, first, the on-off valve 4 is opened, and the water in the water supply tank 2 is supplied by gravity into the sterilization container 1 through the water supply pipe 3. After sending a predetermined amount of water to the bottom of the
The on-off valve 4 is closed. Then, the steam heater 5 is energized by a signal from the controller 10 to heat the water at the bottom of the sterilization container 1 and to generate high-temperature, high-pressure steam (for example, a pressure of 2 kg / c).
m ² , temperature 132 ° C.), and the steam is used to sterilize the object to be sterilized for a predetermined time. The water remaining in the sterilization container 1 after the above-described sterilization treatment is performed by opening the on-off valve 11 from the part branched in the middle of the air supply pipe 3 (the lower part in FIG. 2). By discharging to a drainage facility such as sewage or opening the on-off valve 4, the water is collected in the water supply tank 2 based on the pressure in the sterilization container 1. Next, when the residual water in the sterilization container 1 is discharged, warmed air is sent into the sterilization container 1 to dry the material to be sterilized. That is, the surface of the object to be sterilized after the sterilization treatment is wet with the condensed water due to the condensation of the high-temperature, high-pressure steam generated by the steam heater 5. Therefore, it is necessary to dry the material to be sterilized. In order to dry the material to be sterilized, air is sent from one end of the air supply pipe 9 (the right side in FIG. 2), and the air is heated by the heating heater 8 in the heat exchanger 7. Then, the heated air is sent into the sterilization container 1 by opening the on-off valve 6, and the object to be sterilized is dried. The warmed air is fed from the upstream end of the air supply pipe 9 by a blower, or the air in the sterilization container 1 is sucked by a vacuum pump, and the outside air is taken in through the air supply pipe 9. [0008] By the way, sterilization container 1
On-off valve 6 provided in air supply pipe 9 on the way between
As described above, when the material to be sterilized is dried, the air heated by the heating heater 8 in the heat exchanger 7 passes. Therefore, due to the effect of the heated air, the on-off valve 6 is easily damaged by long-term use of the small-sized steam sterilizer. The on-off valve 6 itself absorbs the heat of the warmed air passing through the on-off valve 6. Therefore,
The temperature of the heated air sent into the sterilization container 1 for drying the sterilized object after the sterilization treatment is reduced by the amount taken by the on-off valve 6. As a result, the time spent for drying the object to be sterilized increases. [0010] The small-sized steam sterilizer of the present invention is intended to solve any of the above-mentioned problems. According to the present invention, there is provided a small-sized steam sterilizer according to the present invention, comprising:
A water supply means for supplying water to the bottom of the sterilization container, a heater for generating steam for heating and evaporating the water, an air supply tube for feeding outside air into the sterilization container, and provided in the middle of the air supply tube. A heat exchanger for heating air flowing through the air supply pipe based on energization of a heater for heating, an on-off valve provided in series with the heat exchanger in the middle of the air supply pipe, and an on-off valve And a controller that controls the open / close state of the heater and the power supply state to the steam generation heater and the heating heater. Further, the heat exchanger is provided closer to the sterilization container than the on-off valve, and the controller is used not only when air is introduced into the sterilization container through the air supply pipe, but also when the steam generation heater is used. When the power is supplied to the heater, the heater is supplied with power. The operation of the miniaturized steam sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above when sterilizing an object to be sterilized stored in a sterilization container is itself performed by the conventional steam sterilizer described above. Same as in the case. In particular, in the case of the small-sized steam sterilizer of the present invention,
Since the heat exchanger is provided closer to the sterilization container than the on-off valve, the on-off valve is not affected by the heated air. The heating heater in the heat exchanger is also energized when the steam heater is energized during the sterilization process, and heats the inside of the heat exchanger. Therefore, even if high-temperature, high-pressure steam enters the heat exchanger from the sterilizing container, the steam does not condense in the heat exchanger. As a result, when the process shifts to the drying process after the sterilization process, water droplets (condensed water) do not blow out from the heat exchanger to the sterilization container, and the object to be sterilized can be effectively dried. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a small-sized steam sterilizer according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a sterile container that can be hermetically sealed in a state in which an object to be sterilized is stored. One end (the right side in FIG. 1) of the air supply pipe 9 having the other end opened in the sterile container 1 is provided with an air supply means (eg, (Not shown). A sterilization filter is provided at one end opening of the air supply pipe 9. A heat exchanger 7 having a heating heater 8 and an on-off valve 6 are provided in series in the middle of the air supply pipe 9 in this order from the sterilization container 1 side. That is, as shown in FIG.
Is provided not on the upstream side (on the right side in FIG. 2) of the on-off valve 6 but on the downstream side (on the sterilization container 1 side) of the on-off valve 6 as in the related art. The opening and closing of the on-off valve 6 is performed by a controller 10. The operation itself when sterilizing the object to be sterilized stored in the sterilization container 1 by the small-sized steam sterilizer of the present invention configured as described above is almost the same as the conventional structure described above. That is, when the object to be sterilized is stored in the sterilization container 1 in order to perform the sterilization process on the object to be sterilized, the lid 12 is closed and the sterilization container 1 is sealed. Then, by opening the on-off valve 4, the water in the water supply tank 2 is fed through the water supply pipe 3 to the bottom of the sterilization container 1 by a predetermined amount, and then the on-off valve 4 is opened.
Close. Next, the steam heater 5 is energized by a signal from the controller 10 to heat and evaporate the water sent from the water supply tank 2 into high-temperature, high-pressure steam for sterilization, and the sterilization of the object to be sterilized is performed for a predetermined time. Do. When the sterilization process for a predetermined time is completed, the power supply to the steam heater 5 is stopped, and the remaining water remaining at the bottom of the sterilized container 1 after the sterilization process is removed by the on-off valve 11.
Part of the water supply pipe 3 due to the opening of the pipe (Fig. 1
By collecting water in the water supply tank 2 by draining from below) or opening the on-off valve 4. When the drainage operation is completed, the on-off valve 6 which has been closed is opened. Then, the air taken in from the upstream end (the right end in FIG. 1) of the air supply pipe 9 is sent to the heat exchanger 7, this air is heated by the heating heater 8, and then sent into the sterilization container 1. The object to be sterilized in the sterilization container 1 wet with high-temperature, high-pressure steam is dried by the heated air. Therefore, as described above, even when heated air is sent into the sterilization container 1 to dry the wet object to be sterilized, the on-off valve 6 merely passes the air before being heated. The on-off valve 6 is not affected by the heat from the heated air. Further, the temperature of the heated air does not decrease due to the presence of the on-off valve 6. Further, according to the present invention, when the steam heater 5 is energized, the controller 10 also energizes the heating heater 8, and the heater 8 heats the inside of the heat exchanger 7. This is to prevent adverse effects due to high-temperature, high-pressure steam flowing into the heat exchanger 7 during the sterilization process. That is, in the present invention, since the on-off valve 6 is not provided in the air supply pipe 9 between the sterilization container 1 and the heat exchanger 7, the inside of the sterilization container 1 is filled with high-temperature and high-pressure steam during the sterilization of the object to be sterilized. The above high temperature into the heat exchanger 7 through the air supply pipe 9 from the sterilization container 1 side.
High pressure steam flows in. When the high-temperature and high-pressure steam is condensed in the heat exchanger 7 to form water (drain), when the on-off valve 6 is opened, the accumulated drain squirts into the sterilization container 1 to wet the object to be sterilized, and The drying efficiency of the sterilized material deteriorates. In the present invention, in order to prevent such a problem, the controller 10 energizes the heating heater 8 to heat the heat exchanger 7 even when the steam heater 5 is energized. It prevents condensation of high-temperature, high-pressure steam that enters. The small-sized steam sterilizer of the present invention is constructed and operates as described above. Therefore, the life of the on-off valve can be extended without decreasing the drying efficiency of the material to be sterilized during the sterilization operation. Can be longer.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is a main part circuit diagram showing a small steam sterilizer of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a main part circuit diagram showing a conventional small steam sterilizer. [Explanation of symbols] 1 sterilization container 2 Water tank 3 water pipe 4 On-off valve 5 Steam heater 6 On-off valve 7 heat exchanger 8 Heating heater 9 Air supply pipe 10 Controller 11 On-off valve 12 Lid

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] A sterile container that can be hermetically sealed while containing an object to be sterilized, a water supply means for supplying water to the bottom of the sterile container, and a device for heating and evaporating the water. A steam generating heater,
An air supply pipe for sending outside air into the sterilization container, a heat exchanger provided in the middle of the air supply pipe, for heating air flowing through the air supply pipe based on energization of a heater for heating; An on-off valve provided in series with the heat exchanger in the middle of the air supply pipe, and a controller for controlling an on-off state of the on-off valve and an energization state to the steam generation heater and the heating heater. In the small-sized steam sterilizer, the heat exchanger is provided closer to the sterilization container than the on-off valve, and the controller is used only when air is introduced into the sterilization container through the air supply pipe. In addition, a small-sized steam sterilizer characterized in that the heating heater is energized even when the steam generating heater is energized.