JP5940410B2 - Ozone sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ozone sterilizer for sterilizing an endoscope or the like as an object to be sterilized .

  Conventionally, an ozone sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized has been publicly known. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique related to an endoscope sterilization apparatus that sterilizes an endoscope that is an object to be sterilized using ozone water is known. In such an endoscope sterilization apparatus, a showering process (preliminary cleaning process) before sterilization is forcibly performed every time in order to prevent contamination. Moreover, the ozone water used in the sterilization was subjected to ozonolysis by injecting air into the ozone water and aeration.

JP 2009-39614 A

  In medical facilities, endoscopes are expensive, and as few endoscopes as possible are used for examinations. However, if it takes time to sterilize the endoscope sterilization apparatus as described above, it cannot be used even when it is desired to use the endoscope, so the number of times the endoscope can be used within a predetermined time is reduced. It was.

Then, an object of this invention is to provide the ozone sterilizer which can perform sterilization processing without spending time wastefully .

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

In Claim 1, it is the ozone sterilizer which sterilizes the sterilization target object in a sterilization tank with ozone water, and discharges | emits wastewater through a drain pipe, Comprising: An ozone decomposer is arrange | positioned in the said drain pipe, The treated ozone water is discharged through the ozone decomposer, and the ozone decomposer is filled with activated carbon that is an ozone decomposed product, and the ozone water passes through the ozone decomposer, so that the activated carbon and ozone are passed through. Is configured to decompose ozone by contact, measure the drainage time of ozone water from the ozonolysis device, and use the drainage time as an indicator of the amount of activated carbon in the ozonolysis device, and the drainage time When a predetermined time or longer is required, the display device indicates that the activated carbon in the ozonolysis device needs to be replaced, and the replacement of the activated carbon is encouraged .

In claim 2, a pre-cleaning step for pre-cleaning an object to be sterilized in a sterilization tank, and ozone water generation for supplying raw water into the sterilization tank and injecting ozone to generate ozone water having a specified ozone concentration or more. It is configured to perform a process, a sterilization process for sterilizing the sterilization object with the ozone water, and a discharge process for discharging the sterilized ozone water .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the preliminary cleaning step is configured to allow selection as to whether or not to perform the preliminary cleaning step .

In claim 4, the cleanliness of the raw water in the ozone water generation step is measured by the transmittance of UV light of an ozone water concentration meter, and when the transmittance is less than the prescribed transmittance, the cleanliness of the raw water is insufficient. The ozone water generating step is stopped .

In Claim 5, when the decreasing rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the said ozone water production | generation process exceeds a regulation reduction rate, it is comprised so that the said ozone water production | generation process may be stopped .

In Claim 6, when the increase rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the said ozone water production | generation process is less than a regulation increase rate, it is comprised so that the said ozone water production | generation process may be stopped .

According to claim 7, in the ozone water generation step, the ozone water generation step is stopped when the dissolved ozone concentration is lower than the prescribed ozone concentration even if the ozone injection time has passed a predetermined time. Is.

In Claim 8, when the said ozone water production | generation process or the said sterilization process is stopped, it is set as the structure which displays an error on the said display apparatus .

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  According to the first aspect, the ozone water can be decomposed while draining it without performing ozone decomposing treatment in the sterilizing tank, so that the time for sterilizing treatment can be shortened.

Further , the ozone decomposing ability of the ozone decomposer can be determined based on the time for draining ozone water, so that it is possible to determine the replacement timing of the ozone decomposing substance without providing a special device.

In Claim 2 , the preliminary washing process which preliminarily wash | cleans the sterilization target object in a sterilization tank, the ozone water generation process which supplies raw | natural water in the said sterilization tank, inject | pours ozone, and produces | generates ozone water more than regulation ozone concentration And the sterilization step of sterilizing the object to be sterilized with the ozone water and the discharge step of discharging the sterilized ozone water, so that the step of decomposing ozone can be omitted, It can be done in a short time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since it is possible to select whether or not to perform the preliminary cleaning process, the sterilization process can be performed in a shorter time when the preliminary cleaning process is unnecessary.

In claim 4 , the cleanliness of the raw water in the ozone water generation step is measured by the transmittance of UV light of an ozone water concentration meter, and when the transmittance is less than the specified transmittance, the cleanliness of the ozone water is low. Therefore, since it takes time to sterilize with ozone water, wasted time is not spent by stopping the ozone water generation step.

In claim 5 , when the decrease rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step exceeds the specified decrease rate, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water, so by stopping the ozone water generation step in the middle, There is no wasted time.

In claim 6 , when the increase rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step is less than the specified increase rate, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water, so by stopping the ozone water generation step in the middle, There is no wasted time.

In claim 7 , even if the ozone injection time in the ozone water generation step elapses a predetermined time, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water if the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water is lower than the specified ozone concentration. By wasting the ozone water generation process, no wasted time is spent.

In claim 8 , when the ozone water generation process or the sterilization process is to be stopped, it is possible to make an advisory notice to the operator by displaying an error on the display device.

The front view of the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water provided with the ozone water concentration meter. The top view of the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water similarly. The right view of the endoscope sterilizer of the state which similarly attached the drain pipe. The rear view of the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water provided with the ozone water concentration meter. The front view which similarly shows the internal structure of the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water. The right view which similarly shows the internal structure of the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water. The side view of the ozone water concentration meter arrange | positioned in the endoscope sterilizer by ozone water. It is a figure which shows the content displayed on a touchscreen, (a) is a figure which shows a process item, (b) is a figure which shows the screen after selecting the "various setting and confirmation" button shown to (a), (c). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen after selecting a “sterilization” button shown in FIG. The figure which shows the flow of the method of the conventional washing | cleaning and disinfection. The figure which shows the flow of the sterilization method which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the dissolved ozone concentration measuring method of ozone water, (a) is a figure which shows a time-dependent change of ultraviolet-ray transmission amount, (b) is a figure which shows a time-dependent change of dissolved ozone concentration. The conceptual diagram in (b) of FIG. The figure which shows the flow of the sterilization method which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the flow of the sterilization method which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the control method of the dissolved ozone density | concentration in a sterilization process, (a) is a figure which shows a time-dependent change of dissolved ozone density | concentration, (b) is a figure which shows the time-dependent change of dissolved ozone density | concentration in the case of discontinuing a sterilization process.

  Next, embodiments of the invention will be described.

  First, the structure of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 which is one Embodiment of the ozone sterilization apparatus based on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. 1-5.

  The endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 immerses the endoscope 10 that is an article to be sterilized in the sterilization tank 2 filled with ozone water, and performs cleaning and sterilization until the inside of the endoscope 10 is reached with ozone water. To do. The main body has an exterior 1, and the exterior 1 is composed of a front plate 1a, side plates 1b and 1b, a back plate 1c, a lid 3, and the like. The lid 3 is a portion that opens and closes when the tray 10 supporting the endoscope 10 is taken in and out. During the sterilization process, the lid 3 is locked by a lid locking mechanism so that the lid 3 does not open. Yes. A sterilization tank 2 is configured inside the exterior 1, and the endoscope 10 in a state of being installed on a tray is immersed in the sterilization tank 2 to perform sterilization treatment.

  On the upper surface of the endoscope sterilizer 100, in addition to the lid 3, a touch panel 4 and a water flow confirmation window 5 are provided in a portion that cannot be opened and closed. The touch panel 4 serves both as a touch panel operation panel and a liquid crystal display panel for status display. By touching the operation content displayed on the touch panel 4, cleaning and sterilization operations are performed. The work progress status is displayed. Moreover, the water flow confirmation window 5 is a window for confirming that water is flowing normally during the sterilization treatment, and it is possible to visually confirm whether the water flow is flowing inside the arranged pipe. It has a configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 4, 7 is a power switch. Reference numeral 9 denotes a power inlet, which is a terminal for inputting power.

  A water supply port 6 is provided on the back surface portion of the exterior 1 so that tap water is supplied from the water as raw water used to generate ozone water. A drain port 12 is further provided on the back surface of the exterior 1, and is configured to discharge water after sterilization treatment. A caster 13 enables the endoscope sterilizer 100 to move with ozone water.

  Next, details of the inside of the endoscope sterilizer 100 using ozone water will be described with reference to FIGS.

  An endoscope connection port 14 is provided inside the sterilization tank 2. The endoscope 10 is attached to the endoscope connection port 14 via a sterilization tube 50. The ozone water is configured to be ejected from the endoscope connection port 14 into the channel of the endoscope 10 through the sterilization tube 50.

  An ozone gas generation unit that generates ozone gas for the endoscope sterilizer 100 using ozone water is disposed in the body. The ozone gas generation unit includes an ozonizer for generating ozone gas. The oxygen gas in the oxygen cylinder is supplied from the oxygen supply port 41 to the ozone gas generation unit, and the ozone gas is generated from the oxygen gas by an ozonizer. The generated ozone gas is injected into the raw water in the ozone water generation unit in the main body to generate ozone water.

  The ozone water generated in the ozone water generation unit is poured into the channel of the endoscope 10 from the endoscope sterilization unit in the main body through the endoscope connection port 14. A water supply pump 37 is provided in the middle stage of the body. The water supply pump 37 supplies water to the ozone water generation unit, the ozone water concentration meter 29, and the endoscope sterilization unit.

  The ozone water concentration meter 29 is a dissolved ozone concentration meter for detecting the dissolved ozone concentration of ozone water generated by the ozone water generation unit.

  In addition, an ozonolysis unit is provided in the lower part of the main body. The ozone decomposing unit is a device for decomposing ozone gas separated from ozone water in the sterilization tank 2 into safe oxygen gas and discharging it to the outside.

  In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the ozone water sent from the ozone water generation unit via the ozone water supply path is continuously sampled by the water supply pump 37, and the ozone water being processed is An ozone water concentration meter 29 for continuously detecting the dissolved ozone concentration is disposed in the upper stage in the main body. As shown in FIG. 7, the ozone water concentration meter 29 includes a UV light source portion 57, a UV light receiving portion 58, an ozone water inlet 59, an ozone water outlet 60, and an air outlet 67. The ozone water concentration meter 29 and the water supply pump 37 are connected to a control device (not shown). The control device can execute a measurement process program of the ozone water concentration meter 29 stored in advance and a predetermined control program related to a dissolved ozone concentration measurement method of ozone water described later. The control device controls the ozone water concentration meter 29 and the water supply pump 37, supplies the sampled raw water or ozone water to the ozone water inlet 59, and converts UV (ultraviolet light) from the UV light source unit 57 into ozone water. Irradiated and received by the UV light receiver 58, the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water is determined by the attenuation of the UV light. That is, the control device dissolves based on the ratio of the amount of transmitted ultraviolet light detected by the UV light receiving unit 58 when the raw water is passed to the amount of transmitted ultraviolet light of ozone water generated by injecting ozone gas into the raw water. Calculate the ozone concentration.

  However, when the raw water used when generating ozone water contains a substance whose ultraviolet ray transmission amount changes due to reaction with ozone, a value lower than the original dissolved ozone concentration when measured by the ozone water concentration meter 29 Therefore, the dissolved ozone concentration of ozone water cannot be measured accurately. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to accurately measure the dissolved ozone concentration even when the substance is contained. The control device of the present embodiment is configured so that the dissolved ozone concentration can be accurately measured even in the case where the substance is included, and details will be described later.

  The drain port 12 connects the drain pipe 70 shown in FIG. 3 and drains the ozone water in the endoscope sterilizer 100 to the outside. The drain pipe 70 is configured such that an ozone decomposer 73 is disposed in the middle of the drain pipe 70 to decompose ozone in the ozone water and then discharge it. That is, one end of the first drain pipe 71 which is a part of the drain pipe 70 is fixed to the drain port 12, and the other end of the first drain pipe 71 is fixed to one end of the ozone decomposer 73. Further, one end of the second drain pipe 72 which is a part of the drain pipe 70 is fixed to the other end of the ozone decomposer 73.

  The ozone decomposer 73 is filled with activated carbon, which is an ozone decomposition product, and the ozone water passes through the ozone decomposer 73 so that the activated carbon and ozone come into contact with each other to decompose ozone. It is composed.

  The ozone decomposition product is not limited to activated carbon, and may be a catalyst in which manganese dioxide or nickel oxide is supported on ceramic or aluminum having a honeycomb structure.

  On the other hand, the control device of the endoscope sterilizer 100 measures the drainage time of ozone water. Since the amount of ozone water in the sterilization tank 2 is substantially constant (volume), this drainage time is an indicator of the amount of activated carbon in the ozone decomposer 73. And when drainage time requires more than predetermined time, it displays on the touch panel 4 that the replacement | exchange of the activated carbon in the ozonolysis device 73 is required, and it is comprised so that an operator may be replaced | exchanged for activated carbon. ing. In addition, this drainage process is adapted to step S401 mentioned later.

  In such a configuration, ozone water discharged from the drain port 12 without being subjected to ozone decomposition treatment in the sterilization tank 2 passes through the first drain pipe 71 and decomposes ozone by activated carbon in the ozone decomposer 73. As a result, the sterilization time can be shortened. In addition, the ozone decomposing ability of the ozone decomposing unit 73 can be determined by the time for draining ozone water, so that it is possible to determine the replacement timing of the ozone decomposing substance without providing a special device.

  Next, contents displayed on the touch panel 4 of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the touch panel 4 is activated, as shown in FIG. 8A, a “sterilization” button 81, a “sterilization + alcohol” button 82, a “leak check” button 83, a “self-cleaning” button 84, and an “alcohol alone” button. 85, “air purge alone” button 86, “various setting / confirmation” button 87, and “end” button 89 are displayed.

  The “various settings / confirmation” button 87 is a button for confirming various settings and set contents. When the operator selects the “various settings / confirmation” button 87, the screen shown in FIG. 8B is displayed on the touch panel 4. The displayed “disinfection history” button 91, “abnormality history” button 92, “apparatus information” button 93, “operator registration” button 94, “endoscope registration” button 95, and “other setting” button 96. By selecting, various settings and confirmations can be performed, and by selecting the “Return” button 97, it is possible to return to the screen shown in FIG.

  The “sterilization history” button 91 is a button for outputting work history data (sterilization history) in which various setting items are added. A storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory can be connected to the back of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100. Data can be output to the USB memory and the data can be taken into a personal computer. .

  The “abnormality history” button 92, like the “sterilization history” button 91, is cleaned normally when the operator stops the sterilization process or is forced to stop due to an error during the sterilization process. A button for outputting the history of endoscope sterilization that has not been sterilized to the outside.

  The “apparatus information” button 93 is a button for confirming basic information, the number of operations, etc. of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100. For example, the type, serial number, program version, number of maintenance operations, the number of operations by the processing item of the “sterilization” button 81, the number of operations by the processing item of the “sterilization + alcohol” button 82, etc. .

  The “register worker” button 94 is a button for registering a worker number and a worker name, and is for registering and identifying a worker with a predetermined number.

  The “register endoscope” button 95 is a button for registering an endoscope number and an endoscope name, and for identifying an endoscope by assigning individual numbers to a plurality of endoscopes. belongs to.

  In “other setting” 96, the adjustment of the injection amount of alcohol, the time, and the concentration of ozone water can be set. The setting of the time is used for the work history of what kind of work was performed in what month and what time in the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100.

  A “sterilization” button 81, a “sterilization + alcohol” button 82, and an “alcohol alone” button 85 shown in FIG. 8A are buttons for cleaning / sterilization work, and are used for cleaning / sterilizing the endoscope 10. The processing item is selected.

  Specifically, when the “sterilization” button 81 is pressed and selected, a screen shown in FIG. In this screen, a “shower omission” button 42, a “shower execution” button 43, a “processing information input” button 44, a “return” button 45, and a “start” button 46 are provided. The selected item “sterilization” is displayed on the upper left side of the screen, and the progress of the work is displayed on the upper right side, which can be confirmed by the operator. The work process and notes of the selected item are displayed on the middle of the screen. Further, “shower omission / execution” buttons 42 and 43 for selecting whether or not to perform preliminary cleaning are provided in the lower middle part of the screen. When the “shower omission” button 42 is selected, the preliminary cleaning process performed before the sterilization process is omitted. In addition, when the “execute shower” button 43 is selected, preliminary cleaning is performed before the sterilization process. The “shower omission / execution” 42 and 43 are stored in the control device once they are pressed, and the next selection is the same as the previous one unless the button is pressed again. The “processing information input” button 44 includes an operator number that is the number of the worker who is performing the cleaning operation of the endoscope 10, a patient identification number that is a number assigned to each patient, and an endoscope that performs the cleaning operation. It is a button for moving to a screen for inputting an endoscope number or the like that is a unique number. Note that the input of these pieces of information can be omitted without selecting the “processing information input” button 44. The “return” button 45 is a button for returning to the previous screen, that is, the screen for selecting the process shown in FIG. The “start” button 46 is a button for starting the work of the item displayed on the upper left.

  When the “sterilization + alcohol” button 82 shown in FIG. 8A is selected, the following screen is displayed. In the upper left part of this screen, “sterilization + alcohol” as the selected item is displayed, and in the upper right part. The progress of the work is displayed and can be confirmed by the worker. The work process and notes of the selected item are displayed on the middle of the screen. The same buttons as those in FIG. 8A are arranged at the lower and middle stages of the screen.

  A “leak check” button 83, a “self-cleaning” button 84, and an “air purge alone” button 86 shown in FIG. 8A are maintenance-related processing items. The “leak check” button 83 is a button for finding a leak opening of the endoscope 10. The “self-cleaning” button 84 is a button for cleaning the inside of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100. The “air purge alone” button 86 is an item for purging the inside of the endoscope sterilizer 100. When any one of these processing buttons is selected, a message suitable for each maintenance item is displayed on the touch panel 4, and the operator performs work or operation according to the display.

  Next, a sterilization method for the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 will be described.

  Even if the conventional endoscope sterilization apparatus wants to perform only the sterilization step S30, since it was not possible to select whether or not to perform the pre-cleaning S10, the sterilization target in the sterilization tank as shown in FIG. A pre-cleaning step S10 for pre-cleaning an object, an ozone water generating step S20 for supplying raw water into the sterilization tank and injecting ozone to generate ozone water of an appropriate concentration, and the sterilization object by the ozone water The sterilization step S30 for performing sterilization, the ozone water decomposition step S40 for injecting oxygen into the sterilization tank 2 and decomposing ozone, and the drainage step S50 were performed as a series of steps. Moreover, in conventional ozone water decomposition process S40, since oxygen was decomposed | disassembled by inject | pouring oxygen in the sterilization tank 2, time was required.

  However, since the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can selectively execute the cleaning / sterilization method, the preliminary cleaning step S10 can be omitted. Since S20, the sterilization step S30, and the drainage step S50 are a series of steps, the cleaning and sterilization time can be shortened. Moreover, since drainage process S50 can decompose | disassemble ozone, discharging | emitting ozone water in the sterilization tank 2, the time of washing | cleaning and sterilization can further be shortened.

  Hereinafter, the cleaning and sterilization process of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 when pre-cleaning is not required will be described using three embodiments.

  First, the cleaning process of the first embodiment for determining whether or not to clean the endoscope 10 by determining the purity of the raw water based on the transmittance of the raw water will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. .

  In step S201, the control device supplies a predetermined amount of raw water to the sterilization tank 2, and proceeds to step S202. In step S202, the control device acquires the first transmitted light amount C1 of the supplied raw water (here, the raw water transmitted light amount). The first transmitted light amount C1 is detected at a predetermined time (in this embodiment, every 0.2 seconds) and at a past predetermined time (in this embodiment, 5.0 seconds) while detecting the amount of ultraviolet light transmitted through the raw water. It is the average value of the amount of UV transmitted through the raw water. Further, the control device acquires the raw water transmittance Ta and the first ozone concentration Da by conversion of the first transmitted light amount C1. The raw water transmittance Ta is calculated by dividing the first transmitted light amount C1 of the UV light received by the UV light receiving unit 58 of the ozone water concentration meter 29 by the total light amount of the UV light from the UV light source unit 57. Here, the transmittance represents the ratio of light passing through the sample water (raw water here), and it is estimated that the greater the numerical value, the lower the degree of contamination of the sample water.

  In step S203, the control device determines whether or not the raw water permeability Ta acquired in step S202 is equal to or higher than the specified permeability Tj. This determination is a determination as to whether or not the raw water is dirty, and the purity of the raw water is determined. It should be noted that the first transmitted light amount C1 may be used as the determination criterion without setting the determination criterion as the transmittance.

  When the control device determines in step S203 that the raw water permeability Ta is less than the prescribed permeability Tj, that is, the cleanness of the raw water is insufficient, the control device moves to step S601. In step S <b> 601, the control device stops the cleaning / sterilization operation, displays an error on the touch panel 4, and discharges the raw water supplied into the sterilization tank 2. The error content of the touch panel 4 is a display indicating that the operation is stopped because the raw water is not clean enough and cannot be used.

  When the control device determines in step S203 that the raw water permeability Ta is equal to or higher than the specified permeability Tj, that is, the raw water can be used, the control device proceeds to step S204. And in step S204, a control apparatus inject | pours ozone into raw | natural water, and transfers to step S205.

  In step S205, the control device acquires a second transmitted light amount C2 that is the transmitted light amount of ozone water during ozone injection, and proceeds to step S206. Here, the second transmitted light amount C2 detects the ultraviolet light transmission amount of the raw water during ozone injection every predetermined time (in this embodiment, every 0.2 seconds), and in the past predetermined time (in this embodiment, 5%). (. 0 second) is the average value of the amount of ultraviolet light transmitted through ozone water.

  In step S206, the control device determines whether or not the second transmitted light amount C2 acquired in the preceding step S205 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1. This determination is made when the raw water used for generating ozone water contains a substance whose ultraviolet transmission amount changes due to reaction with ozone, and is lower than the original dissolved ozone concentration when measured by the ozone water concentration meter 29. It is measured as a value, and the dissolved ozone concentration of ozone water cannot be measured accurately. In other words, the loop of steps S204, S205, S206, and S207 is a measurement from point A to point B in FIG. 11, and is a step for making the dissolved ozone concentration converted based on the amount of transmitted light a true dissolved ozone concentration. is there.

  In Step S206, the control device determines that the second transmitted light amount C2 exceeds the first transmitted light amount C1, that is, the ozone water contains a substance whose ultraviolet transmission amount changes due to reaction with ozone. If so, the process proceeds to step S204 again through step S207. Here, in step S207, the control device replaces the first transmitted light amount C1 with the value of the second transmitted light amount C2, and again performs the process of step S204.

  When the control device determines in step S206 that the second transmitted light amount C2 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1, that is, a substance whose ultraviolet light transmission amount changes due to a reaction with ozone is not included in the ozone water ( That is, if it is determined that the substance whose ultraviolet ray transmission amount changes due to the reaction with ozone has not been included from the beginning or has completely reacted with ozone, the process proceeds to step S208. At this time, it is determined that the transmitted light amount Cb shown in FIG. 11A has been reached, and it is determined that the dissolved ozone concentration shown in FIG. 11B is the lowest ozone concentration Db, that is, the smallest value.

  In step S208, the control device converts the minimum ozone concentration Db from the second transmitted light amount C2 measured immediately before, and proceeds to step S209. In step S209, the control device obtains the third ozone concentration D3 by converting the third transmitted light amount C3 and the third transmitted light amount C3, and proceeds to step S210. Here, the third transmitted light amount C3 is a value from point B to point C in FIG. 11A, and the third ozone concentration D3 is a value from point B to point C in FIG. 11B. It is.

  In step S210, the control device determines whether or not the value obtained by subtracting the minimum ozone concentration Db from the third ozone concentration D3, that is, the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm. This determination is a determination of whether or not the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water has reached a set value. Here, as shown in FIG. 12, the specified ozone concentration Dm is an accurate concentration unless the zero point correction is performed when the substance whose ultraviolet ray transmission amount changes due to the reaction with ozone is raw water. It will not be. In other words, the first ozone concentration Da, which is the dissolved ozone concentration of the raw water, is not zero, but the minimum ozone concentration Db, which is ozone water into which ozone has been injected, is 0. This is a correction.

  When the control device determines in step S210 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is less than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of ozone water that is not sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S209 again. .

  When the control device determines in step S210 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of ozone water sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S301. .

  Steps S201 to S210 are steps for generating ozone water.

  In step S301, the control device supplies ozone water from the endoscope connection port 14 to the channel of the endoscope 10 through the sterilization tube 50 for a predetermined time to sterilize the inside of the endoscope 10. , Erupts out of the channel. Then, convection is generated in the sterilization tank 2 by the ozone water jetted out of the channel, and the outside of the endoscope 10 is sterilized. Here, step S301 is a sterilization process. In this sterilization process, the dissolved ozone concentration is sequentially measured, and the control device controls so that ozone is injected when the concentration decreases. In step S301, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device shifts to step S401.

  In step S401, the control device discharges ozone water in the sterilization tank 2. Then, the discharged ozone water flows from the drain port 12 into the ozone decomposer 73 via the first drain pipe 71, and ozone is decomposed by activated carbon which is an ozone decomposed product in the ozone decomposer 73. The wastewater whose ozone has been decomposed is discharged to the outside of the endoscope sterilization apparatus 100 through the second drainage pipe 72.

  With this configuration, when the raw water permeability Ta is less than the specified permeability Tj, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water. Therefore, by wasting the ozone water generation process, wasted time is wasted. There is nothing. Further, when the control device determines not to proceed to the sterilization process and stops the ozone water generation process, a warning recommendation can be made by displaying an error on the touch panel 4 that is a display means.

  Next, the degree of contamination of the endoscope 10 is determined based on the decrease rate and increase rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation process, and it is determined whether or not to stop the cleaning / sterilization operation of the endoscope 10. A cleaning / sterilizing method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S701, the control device supplies a predetermined amount of raw water to the sterilization tank 2, and proceeds to step S702.

  In step S702, the control device acquires the first transmitted light amount C1 that is the transmitted light amount of the supplied raw water and the first ozone concentration Da converted from the first transmitted light amount C1, and proceeds to step S703.

  In step S703, the control device injects ozone into the raw water and proceeds to step S704. In step S704, the control device acquires a second transmitted light amount C2 that is the transmitted light amount of ozone water during ozone injection, derives a curve shown in FIG. The increase rate R2 of the dissolved ozone concentration at C2 is acquired.

  In step S705, the control device determines whether or not the second transmitted light amount C2 acquired in the preceding step S704 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1. This determination is a determination as to whether or not the ozone water contains a substance that changes in the amount of transmitted ultraviolet light by reaction with ozone.

  When the control device determines in step S705 that the second transmitted light amount C2 exceeds the first transmitted light amount C1, the control device proceeds to step S706 and determines that the second transmitted light amount C2 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1. The process proceeds to step S708.

  In step S706, the control device determines whether or not the absolute value of the increase rate R2 of the dissolved ozone concentration acquired in step S704 exceeds the specified decrease rate Rm. This determination is based on whether or not it takes a considerable amount of time to proceed to the sterilization process. Whether the concentration of the raw water that contains a substance that changes the amount of transmitted UV light by reaction with ozone exceeds the usable concentration. It is a judgment of no. Here, the increase rate R2 of the dissolved ozone concentration is a negative value, and the absolute value of this value is the decrease rate. The specified decrease rate Rm is a positive value.

  When the control device determines in step S706 that the absolute value (decrease rate) of the acquired increase rate R2 of the dissolved ozone concentration is equal to or less than the specified decrease rate Rm, the control device proceeds to step S707. In step S707, the control device replaces the first transmitted light amount C1 with the value of the second transmitted light amount C2, and performs the process of step S703 again.

  When it is determined in step S706 that the absolute value (decrease rate) of the acquired increase rate R2 of the dissolved ozone concentration exceeds the specified decrease rate Rm, that is, it takes a considerable time to proceed to the sterilization process. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step S601.

  On the other hand, in step S708, the control device converts the minimum ozone concentration Db from the second transmitted light amount C2, and proceeds to step S709. In step S709, the control device acquires the third transmitted light amount C3 and converts the third transmitted light amount C3 to acquire the third ozone concentration D3. Further, the control device derives the curve shown in FIG. 11B from the third transmitted light amount C3, acquires the increase rate R3 of the dissolved ozone concentration at the acquired third transmitted light amount C3, and proceeds to step S710.

  In step S710, the control device determines whether or not the increase rate R3 of the dissolved ozone concentration acquired in the previous stage is equal to or greater than the specified increase rate Rn. This determination is a determination as to whether it takes a considerable amount of time to proceed to the sterilization process, and is a determination as to whether or not the endoscope 10 is in a state that requires preliminary cleaning.

  When it is determined in step S710 that the increase rate R3 of the dissolved ozone concentration is equal to or higher than the specified increase rate Rn, the control device proceeds to step S711, and the increase rate R3 of the dissolved ozone concentration is less than the specified increase rate Rn. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step S601.

  In step S711, the control device determines whether or not the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm. This determination is a determination of whether or not the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water has reached a set value.

  When the control device determines in step S711 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is less than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of the ozone water is not sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S709 again. .

  When the control device determines in step S711 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of ozone water sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S301. .

  Since the sterilization process in step S301, the drainage process in step S401, the error display in step S601, and drainage are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  When the decrease rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step (absolute value of the increase rate R2) exceeds a predetermined decrease rate Rm, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water. By canceling on the way, there is no wasted time.

  In addition, when the increase rate R3 of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step is less than the predetermined increase rate Rn, which is a predetermined value, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water. So you don't waste time.

  Finally, the cleaning / sterilization method in the third embodiment in which the degree of contamination of the endoscope 10 is determined at the time when the dissolved ozone concentration reaches the target value, and whether or not the cleaning of the endoscope 10 is to be stopped is determined. Will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S801, the control device supplies a predetermined amount of raw water to the sterilization tank 2, and proceeds to step S802. In step S802, the control device acquires the first transmitted light amount C1 and the first transmitted light amount C1 of the supplied raw water, and the first ozone concentration Da obtained by converting the first transmitted light amount C1. Is obtained, and the process proceeds to step S803. In step S803, the control device injects ozone into ozone water, and proceeds to step S804. In step S804, the control device acquires the second transmitted light amount C2 that is the transmitted light amount of ozone water during ozone injection and the second measurement time t2 when the second transmitted light amount C2 is measured, and the process proceeds to step S805.

  In step S805, the control device determines whether or not the second transmitted light amount C2 acquired in the preceding step S804 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1.

  When determining in step S805 that the second transmitted light amount C2 exceeds the first transmitted light amount C1, the control device proceeds to step S806 and determines that the second transmitted light amount C2 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1. In the case, the process proceeds to step S808.

  In step S805, the control device determines that the second transmitted light amount C2 exceeds the first transmitted light amount C1, that is, the ozone water contains a substance whose ultraviolet transmission amount changes due to reaction with ozone. If so, the process proceeds to step S806. In step S806, the control device obtains a value obtained by subtracting the first measurement time t1 acquired in step S802 from the second measurement time t2 acquired in step S804, that is, whether the elapsed time from ozone injection is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1. Judge whether or not.

  In step S806, the control device determines that (second measurement time t2) − (first measurement time t1) is within (less than) the predetermined time T1, that is, the ozone injection time has not passed the predetermined time T1. If so, the process proceeds to step S807. In step S807, the control device replaces the first transmitted light amount C1 with the value of the second transmitted light amount C2, and performs the process of step S803 again.

  When the control device determines in step S806 that (second measurement time t2) − (first measurement time t1) is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1, that is, the ozone injection time has passed the predetermined time T1, step S601. Migrate to

  On the other hand, if the control device determines in step S805 that the second transmitted light amount C2 is equal to or less than the first transmitted light amount C1, that is, a substance whose ultraviolet light transmission amount changes due to reaction with ozone is included in ozone water. If it is determined that there is not, the process proceeds to step S808. In step S808, the control device converts the minimum ozone concentration Db from the second transmitted light amount C2, and proceeds to step S809. The minimum ozone concentration Db is a point B shown in FIG.

  In step S809, the control device acquires the third transmitted light amount C3 and the third measurement time t3, acquires the third ozone concentration D3 by converting the third transmitted light amount C3, and proceeds to step S810.

  In step S810, the control device determines whether or not the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm. This determination is a determination of whether or not the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water has reached a set value.

  When the control device determines in step S810 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is less than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of ozone water sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S811. In step S811, the control device determines whether (third measurement time t3)-(first measurement time t1) is equal to or longer than a predetermined time T2. This determination is a determination of whether or not the ozone injection time has passed a predetermined time.

  When the control device determines in step S811 that (third measurement time t3) − (first measurement time t1) is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T2, that is, the ozone injection time has passed the predetermined time T2, step S601. Migrate to When the control device determines in step S811 that (third measurement time t3)-(first measurement time t1) is less than the predetermined time T2, that is, the ozone injection time has not passed the predetermined time T2, The process again proceeds to step S809.

  When the control device determines in step S810 that the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db is equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm, that is, the concentration of ozone water sufficient for sterilization of the endoscope 10, the control device proceeds to step S301. .

  Since the sterilization process in step S301, the drainage process in step S401, the error display in step S601, and drainage are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  By configuring in this way, even if the ozone injection time in the ozone water generation step elapses a predetermined time, it takes time to sterilize with ozone water if the dissolved ozone concentration is lower than the specified ozone concentration Dm. By wasting the ozone water generation process, no wasted time is spent.

  Step S301 which is a sterilization process in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

  Depending on the dissolved ozone concentration, ozone is injected or stopped to keep the dissolved ozone concentration constant. That is, the control device performs control so that the dissolved ozone concentration does not fall below a certain concentration (specified ozone concentration Dm) by appropriately injecting and stopping ozone. In this control, the specified ozone concentration Dm, the management ozone concentration Ds, the injection start ozone concentration Di, and the injection stop ozone concentration Dh are set in the control device in order of decreasing concentration. These values all correspond to the corrected ozone concentration D3-Db.

  The specified ozone concentration Dm is a dissolved ozone concentration necessary for ensuring sterilization performance. The sterilization performance can be ensured by performing the sterilization treatment for the specified time at the dissolved ozone concentration equal to or higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm. The management ozone concentration Ds is a value slightly higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm. Specifically, the specified ozone concentration Dm is set to 0.5 ppm, and the management ozone concentration Ds is set to 0.6 ppm. The control device performs control for a specified time with a dissolved ozone concentration equal to or higher than the management ozone concentration Ds. The reason why the management ozone concentration Ds is higher than the specified ozone concentration Dm is because factors such as the measurement accuracy of the dissolved ozone concentration are taken into account. The injection start ozone concentration Di is a concentration at the start of ozone injection. The injection start ozone concentration Di is the dissolved ozone set to increase the dissolved ozone concentration again before falling below the control ozone concentration Ds when the dissolved ozone concentration once rises and the ozone injection stops and the dissolved ozone concentration decreases. Concentration. Even if ozone injection is started, the dissolved ozone concentration does not increase immediately, but undershoots. Therefore, the injection start ozone concentration Di is set to a value higher than the management ozone concentration Ds. The injection stop ozone concentration Dh is the concentration at which ozone injection is stopped. The injection stop ozone concentration Dh is a concentration at which ozone injection is stopped so that the dissolved ozone concentration does not increase excessively when the ozone injection starts and the dissolved ozone concentration increases. Even if the ozone injection is stopped, the dissolved ozone concentration does not decrease immediately, but overshoots. Therefore, the injection stop ozone concentration Dh is set to a value slightly higher than the injection start ozone concentration Di so that stable control can be performed. Specifically, the specified ozone concentration Dm is set to 0.5 ppm, the injection start ozone concentration Di is 0.7 ppm, and the injection stop ozone concentration Dh is 0.8 ppm.

  In the sterilization process of step S301, the control device performs the following control in order to maintain the dissolved ozone concentration, strictly speaking, in order to make the specified ozone concentration Dm or higher.

  The control device controls to continue the ozone injection when shifting from the ozone water generation process to the sterilization process. The control device shifts to a mode for maintaining the concentration of ozone water from when the dissolved ozone concentration first exceeds the management ozone concentration Ds. The control device continues the ozone injection, and stops the ozone injection when the dissolved ozone concentration reaches the injection stop ozone concentration Dh. Even if the ozone injection is stopped, the dissolved ozone concentration does not decrease immediately and overshoots once. When the time elapses with the ozone injection stopped, the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water decreases to the injection start ozone concentration Di. Then, the control device starts injecting ozone. Even if ozone injection is started, the dissolved ozone concentration does not increase immediately, but undershoots, and then the dissolved ozone concentration increases. Thus, the control device repeats the injection and stop of ozone corresponding to the dissolved ozone concentration, so that the dissolved ozone concentration does not fall below the management ozone concentration Ds, that is, the specified ozone concentration Dm or more. Is controlling.

  Here, the time of the sterilization step is an accumulated time that is equal to or higher than the management ozone concentration Ds, excluding the time when the dissolved ozone concentration is less than the management ozone concentration Ds. For example, when the duration of the sterilization process is 5 minutes and the total time that has fallen below the management ozone concentration Ds is 20 seconds, the concentration of ozone water is maintained 5 minutes and 20 seconds after first exceeding the management ozone concentration Ds. The process is terminated and the process proceeds to the draining process of step S401.

  Under such control, when the preliminary cleaning of the endoscope 10 by hand washing or the like is insufficient, the dissolved ozone concentration may become less than the management ozone concentration Ds. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15B, the control device continues the injection of ozone, and stops the ozone injection when the dissolved ozone concentration reaches the injection stop ozone concentration Dh. When time elapses with the ozone injection stopped, the dissolved ozone concentration of the ozone water decreases. When the injection start ozone concentration Di is reached, the control device starts the ozone injection. Even when ozone injection is started, undershoot continues and further falls below the control ozone concentration Ds. Then, the control device acquires the first time t4 when the management ozone concentration Ds is lower than the management ozone concentration Ds, and sequentially acquires the time t5 when the management ozone concentration Ds is lower. And even if the duration of the dissolved ozone concentration below the management ozone concentration Ds indicated by the time t5-t4 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time T3, if the control ozone concentration Ds is not exceeded, the control device stops the ozone injection. The sterilization process is stopped, an error is displayed on the touch panel 4, and the ozone water is discharged.

  By comprising in this way, in the sterilization process S301, when the time when the dissolved ozone density | concentration is less than management ozone density | concentration Ds passes predetermined time T3, the endoscope 10 which is a sterilization target object is appropriately sterilized with ozone water. Since it cannot be processed, useless time is not spent by stopping sterilization process S301.

  Further, when the sterilization process is to be stopped, an error can be displayed on the touch panel 4 that is a display means, so that the operator can be advised to pay attention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope 29 Ozone water concentration meter 70 Drain pipe 72 Second drain pipe 71 First drain pipe 73 Ozone decomposer 100 Endoscope sterilizer (ozone sterilizer)

Claims (8)

It is an ozone sterilizer that sterilizes a sterilization object in a sterilization tank with ozone water and discharges waste water through a drain pipe,
The drain pipe is provided with an ozonolysis device,
The ozone water after treatment is discharged through the ozonolysis device,
The ozonolysis unit is filled with activated carbon that is an ozonolysis product, and the ozone water passes through the ozonolysis unit so that the activated carbon and ozone come into contact with each other to decompose ozone,
The drainage time of ozone water from the ozonolysis device is measured, and the drainage time is used as a judgment index for the amount of activated carbon in the ozonolysis device,
Ozone sterilization characterized in that when the drainage time requires a predetermined time or more, the display device indicates that the activated carbon in the ozonolysis device needs to be replaced, and the replacement of the activated carbon is encouraged. apparatus. A pre-cleaning step for pre-cleaning an object to be sterilized in the sterilization tank;
Ozone water generation step of supplying raw water into the sterilization tank and injecting ozone to generate ozone water having a specified ozone concentration or more;
A sterilization step of sterilizing the object to be sterilized with the ozone water;
And a discharge step of discharging the sterilized ozone water.
The ozone sterilizer according to claim 1 . The ozone sterilization apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the preliminary cleaning step is configured to allow selection as to whether or not to perform the preliminary cleaning step . The purity of raw water in the ozone water generation step is measured by the transmittance of UV light of an ozone water concentration meter, and when the transmittance is less than a prescribed transmittance, the ozone is considered to be insufficient in the purity of raw water. The ozone sterilizer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the water generation step is stopped . The ozone sterilizer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the ozone water generation step is stopped when the decrease rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step exceeds a specified decrease rate. . The ozone sterilization according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the ozone water generation step is stopped when the increase rate of the dissolved ozone concentration in the ozone water generation step is less than a specified increase rate. Equipment . The ozone water generation step is configured to stop the ozone water generation step when the dissolved ozone concentration is lower than the prescribed ozone concentration even when the ozone injection time has passed a predetermined time. Claim | item 2 or the ozone sterilizer of Claim 3 . The ozone sterilizer according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein when the ozone water generation step or the sterilization step is stopped, an error is displayed on the display device .

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