JP7177467B2 - An RFID tag for an endoscope, a management device, and a cleaning history management system for an endoscope. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning history management system that manages the cleaning history of an endoscope using an RFID tag for the endoscope and a cleaning device for cleaning the endoscope.

Endoscopes are widely used in medical institutions as an effective means for early detection and early treatment of diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently use the endoscope on hand. However, the use of endoscopes requires that the endoscopes have been previously cleaned and disinfected using a cleaning device in order to prevent the transmission of disease, and uncleaned endoscopes can be mishandled. It is desirable to keep the cleaned endoscope in such a way that the cleaning history can be clearly seen so that it cannot be used for any other purpose.

As a management system for cleaning history when an endoscope is cleaned using a cleaning device, for example, in the endoscope management system described in Patent Document 1, an endoscope, an employee, and a cleaning device (in the specification, A configuration has been proposed in which a passive RFID tag is provided in each cleaning machine, and individual identification information for the endoscope, individual identification information for the cleaning apparatus, and the like are obtained from each RFID tag using a tag reader provided in the cleaning apparatus. ing. In this management system, the individual identification information read by the tag reader and the cleaning information transferred from the cleaning device to the tag reader are transferred from the tag reader to the endoscope information management device, so that the endoscope management device can Associate and manage information.

JP-A-2001-327459

There are various types of cleaning equipment with various specifications, and the specifications differ depending on the model, such as a model with or without a cleaning information output function, and a model with a different cleaning information output method.

However, the cleaning history management system described in Patent Document 1 performs history management on the premise of a cleaning apparatus having a function of outputting cleaning information. It was not easy to construct a system using a cleaning device that does not have one.

Also, when constructing a system using a plurality of cleaning devices of different models, if there are cleaning devices with different output methods for cleaning information depending on the model of the cleaning device, the system can be configured using the existing cleaning devices as they are. was not easy either.

Therefore, there has been a demand for construction of a system for managing cleaning history using existing cleaning devices, regardless of the presence or absence of a cleaning information output function and regardless of the cleaning information output method.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, etc., and includes an RFID tag for an endoscope that can easily manage the cleaning history of an endoscope using a cleaning device that does not have a cleaning information output function. An object of the present invention is to provide a management device and an endoscope cleaning history management system. Another object of the present invention is to provide an RFID tag for endoscopes, a management device, and a cleaning history management system for endoscopes that can easily manage the cleaning history of endoscopes using cleaning devices that output different methods of cleaning information. intended to provide

The present invention provides an RFID tag for an endoscope that performs non-contact wireless communication of information with a tag reader, which is provided in the endoscope and has a free space compared to the frequency characteristics when immersed in a cleaning liquid. is offset to the high frequency side by a predetermined frequency in advance, the communication frequency of the tag reader differs between when it is immersed in the cleaning liquid and when it is immersed in the cleaning liquid. It is characterized in that it is formed so that the communicable distance is longer when it is in a free space than when it is in a free space.

The present invention provides a management device comprising a tag reader for acquiring endoscope identification information for identifying each endoscope written in an RFID tag provided in the endoscope, and when the RFID tag is immersed in a cleaning liquid. Compared to the frequency characteristics in free space, the frequency characteristics in free space are offset by a predetermined frequency to the high frequency side in advance, so that communication is possible at the communication frequency of the tag reader when it is immersed in the cleaning liquid and when it is in free space. Attempting communication between the tag reader and an RFID tag for an endoscope formed so that the possible distance is different and the communicable distance when immersed in the cleaning liquid is longer than the communicable distance with respect to free space, and It is determined that the endoscope has been cleaned when the endoscope identification information written to the RFID tag for the endoscope can be acquired, and the cleaning history of the endoscope is acquired. .

The present invention provides an endoscope cleaning history management system that manages the cleaning history of an endoscope using non-contact wireless communication between an RFID tag provided on the endoscope and a tag reader. The frequency characteristics in free space are offset to the high frequency side by a predetermined frequency in advance compared to the frequency characteristics when immersed in the cleaning liquid and when relative to free space at the communication frequency of the tag reader. an endoscope equipped with an RFID tag for an endoscope formed so that the communicable distance differs between and is longer when immersed in the cleaning liquid than when immersed in the cleaning liquid, and the communicable distance is longer with respect to free space; a cleaning device for cleaning the endoscope provided with the RFID tag for the endoscope; and endoscope identification information for identifying each individual endoscope written in the RFID tag for the endoscope. a tag reader to be read, an RFID tag for the endoscope, and the tag reader, and when the endoscope identification information written in the RFID tag for the endoscope is acquired, the endoscope and the management device that acquires the cleaning history of the endoscope by determining that the endoscope has been cleaned.

In the present invention described above, the cleaning device includes an RFID tag for the cleaning device written with cleaning device identification information for identifying the cleaning device for each individual cleaning device, and the management device includes the RFID tag for the endoscope. acquiring information related to the endoscope and the cleaning device using the endoscope identification information read from the tag and the cleaning device identification information read from the RFID tag for the cleaning device; Communication between the endoscope RFID tag and the tag reader is attempted, and when the endoscope identification information written in the endoscope RFID tag can be obtained, the endoscope is considered to have been washed. A configuration is proposed in which a determination is made, a cleaning history of the endoscope is obtained, and the related information and the cleaning history are managed in association with each other.

In the above-described invention of the present application, the transmission output setting means for setting the transmission output of the tag reader to one output or two outputs lower than the first output is provided, and the management device sets the transmission output of the tag reader to the one output. and the endoscope identification information read from the RFID tag for the endoscope and the cleaning device identification information read from the RFID tag for the cleaning device, using the Information related to the endoscope and the cleaning device is acquired, and communication between the RFID tag for the endoscope and the tag reader is attempted in a state in which the transmission output of the tag reader is set to the second output. determining that the endoscope has been cleaned when the endoscope identification information written to the RFID tag for the endoscope can be acquired, acquiring a cleaning history of the endoscope; A configuration is proposed in which the information and the cleaning history are managed in association with each other.

According to the RFID tag for an endoscope and the management device according to the present invention, the RFID tag for an endoscope has a predetermined frequency characteristic in free space compared to the frequency characteristic when immersed in the cleaning liquid. offset to the high frequency side by the frequency of the tag reader, at the communication frequency of the tag reader, the communicable distance is different between when immersed in the cleaning liquid and when it is in free space, and when immersed in the cleaning liquid, the free space The communicable distance is longer than the communicable distance when the RFID tag for the endoscope is immersed in the cleaning liquid and when it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid. Therefore, by utilizing the fact that communication with a tag reader becomes possible when the RFID tag for the endoscope is immersed in the cleaning liquid, the management device writes to the RFID tag for the endoscope. Since it can be determined that the endoscope has been washed when the endoscope identification information stored in the endoscope can be acquired, it is suitable for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention for acquiring the cleaning history of the endoscope. of RFID tags and management devices can be provided.

According to the cleaning history management system for an endoscope according to the present invention, an RFID tag for an endoscope that is capable of communicating with a tag reader when immersed in a cleaning solution (in other words, during cleaning) is provided as an endoscope. Using the equipped endoscope, by trying communication between the RFID tag for the endoscope and the tag reader, the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid is detected, and based on this result it is determined that the endoscope has been cleaned, By configuring to acquire the cleaning history of the endoscope, an existing cleaning device without a cleaning history output function can be used as it is without modification, and the cleaning history management system for the endoscope is simple and inexpensive. can be configured to In addition, when building a system using multiple cleaning devices of different models, even if there are cleaning devices with different output methods for cleaning information, they can be used as they are without modification to manage the cleaning history of endoscopes. system can be configured.

According to the present invention, communication between the RFID tag for the endoscope and the tag reader is enabled when the RFID tag for the endoscope is immersed in the cleaning liquid (in other words, during cleaning). As a result, the RFID tag for the endoscope is always immersed in the cleaning solution, so that the completion of cleaning can be clearly confirmed, and misuse of the endoscope that has not been cleaned can be prevented. .

According to the present invention, the communication between the endoscope RFID tag and the tag reader is enabled when the endoscope RFID tag is immersed in the cleaning liquid (in other words, during cleaning). Therefore, if a state occurs during washing (during immersion) in which communication is disabled, that is, a state in which the endoscope identification information written in the RFID tag for the endoscope cannot be obtained, the cause is the endoscope. It can be quickly determined that the damage is caused by the watertightness failure of the RFID tag for the mirror.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if the cleaning liquid remains on the surface of the endoscope RFID tag, for example, in a state where it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid after draining, the endoscope RFID tag is immersed in the cleaning liquid. As in the case of the endoscope RFID tag, the endoscope identification information written in the endoscope RFID tag can be continuously read, so that the endoscope RFID tag adheres to the surface With the cleaning liquid, it is possible to clearly determine that the frequency characteristic of the RFID tag for the endoscope has undergone a frequency shift, and the influence of the frequency shift on communication can be quickly eliminated.

1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a cleaning history management system 1 for an endoscope 2 according to the present invention; FIG. A graph measured to show the difference in frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag (RFID tag for endoscope) 6 provided on the endoscope 2 for the cleaning history management system 1 in the air and while immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a. is. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a partial cross section for explaining the configuration of the cleaning device 3. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the difference in the communicable distance in the air, the communicable distance while immersed in the cleaning liquid, and the communicable distance when droplets adhere to the endoscope tag (RFID tag for an endoscope) 6. FIG. . FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cleaning process by the cleaning device 3 in relation to changes in the water level of the cleaning liquid 33a. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrical configuration of a cleaning history management system 1 for an endoscope 2; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a screen displayed on a monitor 20 in the cleaning history management system 1 for the endoscope 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining main processing S100A for cleaning history management in the cleaning history management system 1; A flowchart for explaining a process S200 for acquiring information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3, which is acquired from the endoscope ID (endoscope identification information) 6a and the cleaning device ID (cleaning device identification information) 7a. be. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a cleaning history acquisition process S300 acquired by detecting the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a. FIG. Detecting information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 obtained from the endoscope ID (endoscope identification information) 6a and the cleaning device ID (cleaning device identification information) 7a, and the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a. 10 is a flow chart for explaining a management process S400 for a cleaning history acquired by. 4 is a flowchart for explaining state confirmation processing S1000 for requesting confirmation of the surface state of an endoscope tag (an RFID tag for an endoscope) 6. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the overall flow of the cleaning history management system 1 for the endoscope 2. FIG.

(Configuration of cleaning history management system)
As an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present invention"), FIG. will be used to explain.

The cleaning history management system 1 shown in FIG. An endoscope 2 equipped with an endoscope tag 6 (hereinafter referred to as an endoscope tag) and a cleaning device identification information (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning device ID) 7a for identifying each individual cleaning device. a cleaning device 3 having an RFID tag (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning device tag) 7; , endoscope ID 6a read by the tag reader 5 and a management device 10 for acquiring the cleaning device ID 7a. This embodiment also includes an employee tag 8 in which personal identification information (hereinafter referred to as an employee ID) 8a of the employee 4 possessed by the employee 4 is written.

The tag reader 5 and the management device 10 are connected via a connection cable 25. The endoscope ID 6a of the endoscope 2 read by the tag reader 5, the cleaning device ID 7a of the cleaning device 3, the employee ID 8a of the employee 4, etc. is sent from the tag reader 5 to the management device 10, stored and managed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, one cleaning device 3 is used as an example, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more cleaning devices may be used. When a plurality of cleaning devices 3 are used, each cleaning device 3 is provided with a tag reader 5 so that cleaning operations can be performed in parallel.

(endoscope tag)
Next, basic performance of the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2 will be described. The endoscope tag 6 is designed for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention. A detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the difference between the frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag (RFID tag for endoscopes) 6 under the condition of “in air/without droplets” and the frequency characteristics under the condition of “immersion in cleaning liquid”. It is a measured graph. The condition of "in air/without droplets" means that the endoscope tag 6 is in the air (equivalent to free space) and droplets of cleaning liquid or the like adhere to the surface of the endoscope tag 6. indicates a state in which the The condition of "under immersion" indicates a state in which the endoscope tag 6 is completely immersed in the cleaning liquid. A specific explanation of "in air/without droplets" and "during immersion" will be given later.

In the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention, the frequency used for communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is the 920 MHz band defined by the Radio Law for passive tags. Unless otherwise specified, the endoscopic tag 6 is of a passive type, and the communication frequency between the tag reader 5 and the endoscopic tag 6 is assumed to be in the 920 MHz band.

Here, a method of measuring the frequency characteristics (graph showing change in communicable distance with respect to set frequency) of the endoscope tag 6 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. This measurement method is a method generally performed using a known network analyzer. A standard antenna connected to the network analyzer emits radio waves toward the endoscope tag 6, By receiving the responded signal, the communicable distance is obtained by calculation for each set frequency of the network analyzer from the difference of the response signal strength with respect to the transmission output. The output power of 250 mW shown in FIG. 2 indicates the transmission power used when measuring the frequency characteristics of FIG. When the transmission power is used in the following description, it means the transmission power from the standard antenna used for evaluating the frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag 6 unless otherwise specified. The maximum antenna power (transmission output) of a specified low-power radio station (passive tag type system) according to the Radio Law is 250 mW.

Next, frequency characteristics of common RFID tags on the market will be described. Since general RFID tags on the market are usually used in the air (equivalent to free space), the frequency characteristics of the RFID tag are based on the condition of "in the air / no droplets". , 920 MHz, which is the communication frequency between the tag reader 5 and the RFID tag.

On the other hand, the endoscopic tag 6 of the present invention exhibits the maximum communicable distance under the condition of "in air/without droplets", as shown by the frequency characteristic A1 in the graph of FIG. The set frequency is designed to be approximately 970 MHz, which is offset to the high frequency side by approximately 50 MHz compared to the 920 MHz band defined by the Radio Law.

Furthermore, the endoscopic tag 6 of the present invention, as indicated by the frequency characteristic A6 in the graph of FIG. In this embodiment, the set frequency that indicates the maximum communicable distance is designed to be approximately 900 MHz, which is approximately 20 MHz lower than the 920 MHz band defined by the Radio Law.

That is, in the endoscope tag 6 of the present invention, the frequency characteristics in free space are offset by a predetermined frequency to the high frequency side in comparison with the frequency characteristics when immersed in the cleaning liquid. As shown by the frequency characteristics A1 and A6 in the graph of FIG. 2, at 920 MHz, which is the communication frequency with the tag reader 5, the communicable distance under the conditions of "in air/without droplets" and "during immersion" is designed to change.

Focusing on 920 MHz, which is the communication frequency with the tag reader 5, a specific description will be given. Considering a case in which an endoscope tag 6 that is actually designed to have the frequency characteristics shown in FIG. / No droplet”, the maximum communicable distance is 0.2 m, so the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 becomes “impossible”, and the tag reader 5 writes to the endoscope tag 6. Endoscope ID 6a cannot be read. In the following description, when communication is described as "impossible", it means that the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6 cannot be read.

On the other hand, under the condition of "during immersion", the maximum communicable distance is 0.55 m, so communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is "possible". The endoscope ID 6a written in can be read. In the following description, when communication is described as "possible", it means that the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6 can be read.

As described above, the endoscopic tag 6 of the present invention has different communicable distances at 920 MHz depending on the conditions of "in air/no droplets" and "during immersion". It is designed so that the communicable distance is longer under the condition of "in air/without droplets".

According to the endoscope tag 6 of the present invention, the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is attempted, and the condition that the endoscope tag 6 is "immersed" (in other words, the endoscope 2 is being washed) communication becomes "possible", and communication becomes "impossible" under the condition of "in air/no droplets" (in other words, before or after cleaning the endoscope 2). Water supply and drainage conditions can be detected.

The frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag (RFID tag for endoscope) 6 shown in FIG. If there is a difference in the "during immersion" conditions, and if the design is such that the communicable distance under the "during immersion" conditions is longer than that under the "air/no droplets" conditions, the frequency characteristics and The communicable distance is not limited to the embodiment.

(Configuration of cleaning device)
Next, the cleaning device 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a partial cross section for explaining the configuration of the cleaning device 3. As shown in FIG. In the embodiment shown in this figure, a washing tank 33 having an open top is provided above the washing device 3, and the endoscope 2 is introduced into the washing tank 33 through this opening. . The cleaning tank 33 is provided with a lid 31 which is openable and closable with respect to the opening of the cleaning tank 33 . The part is closed with a lid 31 in a watertight state. At a predetermined position of the lid 31, a window 31a made of transparent resin or glass is provided. The state inside 33, in other words, the presence or absence of the endoscope 2, the state of cleaning processing, etc. can be seen.

Referring to FIG. 3, the endoscope 2 is put into the cleaning tank 33 of the cleaning device 3, and the opening of the cleaning tank 33 is closed with the lid 31. Then, the antenna 5a of the tag reader 5 is inserted into the cleaning tank 33. It is arranged so as to substantially face the endoscope tag 6 provided on the endoscope 2 . Note that D in FIG. 3 indicates the separation distance between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 . Details of the separation distance D will be described later.

Here, a cleaning process for the endoscope 2 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. After the endoscope 2 is put into the cleaning tank 33 of the cleaning device 3, when the cleaning process is started in the cleaning device 3, the cleaning liquid 33a is first supplied into the cleaning bath 33, and the endoscope tag 6 is provided. Water is supplied until the endoscope 2 reaches a water level L at which the endoscope 2 is completely immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a. After the supply of the cleaning liquid 33a is completed, cleaning of the endoscope 2 is started. After the predetermined cleaning time is over, the cleaning liquid 33a is drained from the cleaning tank 33 to complete the cleaning process.

As shown in FIG. 3, the state in which the endoscope tag 6 is completely immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a in the cleaning tank 33 is the above-described "during immersion" condition. In addition, there is no cleaning liquid 33a in the cleaning tank 33 (not shown), that is, before the cleaning liquid 33a is supplied to the cleaning tank 33, or after the cleaning is finished and the cleaning liquid 33a is drained from the cleaning tank, the endoscope tag is removed. A state in which droplets of the cleaning liquid 33a are not adhered to the surface of 6 is the above-described condition of "in air/no droplets". In addition, in the present invention, when cleaning is completed and the cleaning liquid 33a is drained from the cleaning tank 33, droplets of the cleaning liquid 33a are deposited on the surface of the endoscope tag 6 (in particular, the antenna portion not shown in the drawing). is set as a condition of "in air/with droplets". The details of the condition "in air/with droplets" will be described later.

The cleaning process by the cleaning device 3 described so far, that is, the series of processes from the supply of the cleaning liquid 33a to the discharge of the cleaning liquid 33a through cleaning, is performed by the worker 4 operating the cleaning device 3. will be In other words, since the cleaning device 3 used in the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention is configured using an existing cleaning device, the cleaning liquid 33a after the endoscope 2 is put into the cleaning tank 33 is The water supply and drainage, the timing of starting cleaning, the cleaning time, etc. are performed according to the conditions preset in the cleaning device 3 .

Details of a method of detecting the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a using a trial of communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6, and a method of acquiring the cleaning history based on the results are described in the following order. will be explained later.

(Detailed description of the endoscope tag)
First, the characteristics of the endoscope tag 6 for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows frequency characteristics measured by the same measurement method using the same endoscope tag 6 as in FIG. It shows frequency characteristics A2, A3, A4, and A5 when the transmission output is 200 mW. Details of each frequency characteristic condition ("state of endoscope tag 6"/transmission output) are shown below.
Frequency characteristic A1: “in air/without droplets”/output 250 mW (same as in FIG. 2)
Frequency characteristic A2: “in air/without droplets”/output 200 mW
Frequency characteristic A3: "in air/with droplet (one drop)"/output 200 mW
Frequency characteristic A4: "in air/with droplets (several drops)"/output 200 mW
Frequency characteristic A5: "during immersion" / output 200 mW
Frequency characteristic A6: “during immersion”/output 250 mW (not shown)
In the following description, when describing the condition of the frequency characteristic, for example, the frequency characteristic A3 is described as "in air/with droplet (one droplet) @ output of 200 mW".

FIG. 4 shows the difference in the communicable distance in the air, the communicable distance while immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, and the communicable distance when droplets of the cleaning liquid 33a adhere to the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2. is measured (the measurement method is the same as in FIG. 2). Compared to the frequency characteristics shown in FIG. 2, the frequency characteristics under the condition that the transmission output is 200 mW are shown except for the frequency characteristics A1 (frequency characteristics A6 not shown). The setting is lower than 250 mW, which is the condition of the frequency characteristic A6). Furthermore, frequency characteristics A3 and A4 are added to FIG.

Here, the state of "with droplets" in which droplets of the cleaning liquid 33a are attached to the surface (especially the antenna) of the endoscope tag 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to stably establish communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 under the same conditions, the endoscope 2 is put into the cleaning tank 33 of the cleaning device 3. It is desirable that the antenna 5a of the tag reader 5 and the surface (antenna side) of the endoscope tag 6 face each other. More preferably, the opening surface of the antenna 5a of the tag reader 5 and the surface (antenna side) of the endoscope tag 6 are arranged to face each other.

Considering the state in which the surface of the endoscope tag 6 is arranged to face the antenna 5a of the tag reader 5 in this way, when the cleaning liquid 33a is drained, the cleaning liquid 33a does not reach the surface of the endoscope tag 6. It is assumed that there will remain. For example, droplets of the cleaning liquid 33a may form and remain due to surface tension. Especially when the surface of the endoscope tag 6 has deteriorated due to aging, etc., the possibility of such deterioration is considered to be high.

Therefore, in the present invention, assuming that the cleaning liquid 33a remains on the surface of the endoscope tag 6, the influence of droplets on the frequency characteristics was evaluated. In evaluating the effect of droplets on the endoscope tag 6, one droplet of the cleaning liquid 33a remained on the surface of the endoscope tag 6, and several droplets (three droplets in this experiment; the same applies hereinafter) remained on the surface of the endoscope tag 6. We reproduced the same state and measured the frequency characteristics of each state. For the reproduction, the position where the droplet formed with the cleaning liquid 33a has the greatest effect was searched, and the endoscope tag 6 formed with the droplet was prepared at that position and the frequency characteristics were measured (the measurement method is the same as in FIG. 2). ). In other words, the presence of droplets in the above-described condition of "in air/with droplets" indicates a state in which a droplet of the cleaning liquid 33a adheres to the surface of the endoscope tag 6, and one droplet remains. The state is indicated by "in air/with droplet (one droplet)", and the state in which three droplets remain is indicated by "in air/with droplet (several droplets)".

As well shown in FIG. 4, the frequency characteristic A2 in the state of "no droplet", the frequency characteristic A3 reproducing the state of "with droplet (one droplet)", and the frequency characteristic A3 in the state of "with droplet (several droplets)". When comparing the frequency characteristic A4 that reproduces the state of ", the influence of droplet adhesion not only causes a decrease in the maximum communicable distance, but the frequency at which the communicable distance is maximized as the number of droplets increases is on the low frequency side. shift to That is, as the amount of droplets adhering to the surface of the endoscope tag 6 increases, its frequency characteristics are considered to approach the frequency characteristics of a state in which the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a.

Based on the results shown in FIG. 4, the maximum communicable distance of the frequency characteristics A2, A3, A4, and A5 when the transmission output is 200 mW, the frequency indicating the maximum communicable distance, and the communicable distance at 920 MHz are compared. gone.

Compared to the frequency characteristic A2 under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output 200 mW", the calculated maximum communication As the possible distance decreases by about 0.12 m, the frequency characteristics shift to the low frequency side (the frequency indicating the maximum communicable distance shifts from 970 MHz to 965 MHz). 0.13m longer.

The frequency characteristic A4 under the condition "in air/with droplets (several droplets) @ output 200 mW" is higher than the frequency characteristic A2 under the condition "in air/without droplets @ output 200 mW", the maximum communication in calculation. As the possible distance decreases by about 0.11 m, the frequency characteristic shifts to the lower frequency side than the frequency characteristic A3 (the frequency indicating the maximum communicable distance shifts to 945 MHz), and the calculated communicable distance at 920 MHz is approximately 0. .18 m longer.

Frequency characteristic A5 under the condition of "during immersion @ output of 200 mW" has a calculated maximum communicable distance that is approximately 0.13 m lower than frequency characteristic A2 of the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output of 200 mW". At the same time, the frequency characteristic shifts further to the lower frequency side than the frequency characteristic A3 (the frequency indicating the maximum communicable distance shifts to 900 MHz), and the calculated communicable distance at 920 MHz becomes longer by approximately 0.31 m. In this way, the endoscopic tag 6 of the present invention is configured such that the frequency characteristic shifts to the low frequency side as the number of droplets increases and the approach to "under immersion" increases the calculated communicable distance at 920 MHz. ing.

(Distance D between tag reader and endoscope tag)
Now, let us consider communicating with the tag reader 5 using the endoscope tag 6 actually designed to have the frequency characteristics shown in FIG. For example, assuming that the tag reader 5 is installed at a position 0.15 m away from the endoscope tag 6, the communication state in each of the frequency characteristics described above will be described below.

Under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output of 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A2), the communicable distance at 920 MHz is 0.1 m (less than 0.15 m), so communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is possible. It becomes "impossible", and the tag reader 5 cannot read the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6.

Under the condition of "during immersion @ output of 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A5), the communicable distance at 920 MHz is 0.41 m (over 0.15 m), so communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is "possible". , the tag reader 5 can read the endoscope ID 6 a written in the endoscope tag 6 .

That is, if the distance D between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 shown in FIG. When it is "possible", it can be determined that the endoscope 2 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, and when communication is "impossible", it can be determined that it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a. can detect the water supply and drainage status.

On the other hand, the condition of "in air / with droplet (one droplet) @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A3) and the condition of "in air / with droplet (several droplets) @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A4) is 920 MHz. are 0.23 m and 0.28 m, respectively (both exceeding 0.15 m). , and the tag reader 5 can read the endoscope ID 6 a written in the endoscope tag 6 .

These two conditions are based on the assumption that the washing liquid 33a remains on the surface of the endoscope tag 6 when the washing of the endoscope 2 is finished and the washing liquid 33a is drained, as already described in detail. .

In other words, if the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is attempted with the distance D between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 shown in FIG. Even after the endoscope tag 6 is drained of water, it can be determined that the cleaning liquid 33a adheres to the surface of the endoscope tag 6 when communication is "possible" in the same manner as in the "during immersion" state.

In addition, under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output of 250 mW" (frequency characteristic A1), by increasing the transmission output of the tag reader 5 from 200 mW to 250 mW, the communicable distance at 920 MHz is 0.2 m (0.15 m Since the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 can communicate with each other, the tag reader 5 can read the endoscope ID 6 a written in the endoscope tag 6 .

That is, with the distance D between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 fixed at 0.15 m, under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A2), the tag reader 5 and the endoscopic Even if the communication of the mirror tag 6 is "impossible", the communication can be "enabled" by increasing the transmission power of the tag reader 5 (250 mW in this embodiment).

"In air/with droplet (one drop) @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A3), "In air/with droplet (several drops) @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A4), "In air/ No droplets @ output 250 mW" (frequency characteristic A1) will be described in detail later.

(Explanation of cleaning process by cleaning equipment)
Here, the cleaning process by the cleaning device 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cleaning process by the cleaning device 3 in relation to changes in the water level of the cleaning liquid 33a.

When the worker 4 operates the cleaning device 3, the cleaning liquid 33a is supplied to the cleaning tank 33 (time H1). In this schematic diagram, an area A until the water level of the cleaning liquid 33a reaches L1 is an area where communication is "impossible" (the endoscope ID 6a cannot be read). Further, the area B where the water level exceeds L1 indicates an area where communication is "possible" (the endoscope ID 6a can be read).

Next, when the water level reaches L (predetermined water level), the supply of the cleaning liquid 33a is stopped and cleaning is started (time H2). be done. Generally, the cleaning device 3 starts cleaning after detecting that the cleaning liquid 33a has reached a predetermined water level L. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning liquid 33 is supplied after the supply of the cleaning liquid 33 is completed (H2). The cleaning time H is the time up to the start of the drainage of 33a (H3). Note that this cleaning time H is a time preset in the cleaning device 3 .

When the cleaning of the endoscope 2 is completed (time H3), the cleaning liquid 33a is drained from the cleaning tank 33. FIG. At this time, in the case of the condition (frequency characteristic A2) of "in air/no droplet @ output of 200 mW", in this schematic diagram, communication is "impossible" in area C where the water level is lower than L1 (endoscope ID 6a is unreadable).

On the other hand, the condition (frequency characteristic A3) of “in air/with droplet (one droplet) @ output 200 mW” in which the cleaning liquid 33a adheres to the surface of the endoscope tag 6, “in air/with droplet (several droplets) @ In the case of the condition of "output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A4), this schematic diagram shows that the area C is an area where communication is "possible" (the endoscope ID 6a can be read).

Then, the cleaning liquid 33a is completely drained from the cleaning tank 33, completing a series of processes (time H4). In the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning process is from the start of supplying the cleaning liquid 33a (time H1) to the completion of draining the cleaning liquid 33a (time H4). The cleaning time H is the time up to the time H3). In order to facilitate the explanation of the relationship between the series of processes related to cleaning and the water level, FIG. , but it goes without saying that the timings do not necessarily match.

As already described in detail, the cleaning device 3 used in the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention is configured using an existing cleaning device. After is put into the cleaning tank 33, a series of processes related to the supply and discharge of the cleaning liquid 33a, the timing of starting cleaning, the cleaning time, etc. are performed according to the conditions preset in the cleaning apparatus 3.

As described above, the endoscope tag 6 for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention has a frequency characteristic with respect to free space that is higher by a predetermined frequency than the frequency characteristic when immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a. When the endoscope tag 6 is "immersed", "in air/without droplets", and "in air/with droplets" at the communication frequency of the tag reader 5, it is offset to the side. Since the communicable distance changes in each of the aspects, when the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, communication with the tag reader 5 becomes "possible". It is possible to detect the water supply and drainage status of

The cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention uses the endoscope 2 described above, and communicates between the tag reader 5 installed outside the cleaning device 3 and the endoscope tag 6 of the endoscope 2 placed in the cleaning tank 33. and using the fact that communication with the tag reader 5 becomes "possible" when the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a in the cleaning process of the cleaning device 3 is determined. is detected, based on this result it is determined that the endoscope 2 has been washed, and the washing history of the endoscope 2 is obtained. Since an existing cleaning device that does not have a device can be used as it is without modification, the cleaning history management system 1 for the endoscope 2 of the present invention can be configured simply and inexpensively.

In addition, when building a system using multiple cleaning devices of different models, even if there are cleaning devices with different output methods for cleaning information, they can be used as they are without modification to manage the cleaning history of endoscopes. system can be configured.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is " If it is confirmed that the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6 has been read, the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2 is always read. Since it is known that the endoscope has been immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, it is possible to clearly confirm that the cleaning has been completed, thereby preventing misuse of the endoscope that has not been cleaned.

(tag reader)
Next, the tag reader 5 will be explained. As the tag reader 5, a well-known one compatible with the radio system of 920 MHz band can be used. In the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention, the transmission output of the tag reader 5 is set to one output (for example, 250 mW) or two outputs lower than the first output (for example, 200 mW). The setting of the transmission power is performed via the management device 10 described below. In the embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which the transmission output of the tag reader 5 is set by the management device 10. However, the transmission output may be set by manually operating the tag reader 5 itself. An attenuator may be interposed between the tag 6 and the endoscope tag 6, and is not limited to this embodiment.

(Management device)
Next, the management device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an electrical configuration of the cleaning history management system 1 for the endoscope 2. As shown in FIG. In the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention, the endoscope ID 6a read by the tag reader 5 and written in the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2, and the cleaning device tag 7 provided in the cleaning device 3 The written cleaning device ID 7 a and the employee ID 8 a written in the employee tag 8 of the employee 4 are transmitted to the management device 10 via the connection (LAN) cable 25 .

The management device 10 includes a CPU 12 , a ROM 13 , a RAM 14 , a hard disk 15 , a clock 16 and a NIC (Network Interface Card) 17 , which are interconnected via a bus 11 .

The CPU 12 is a central processing unit, and comprehensively controls operations in the management device 10 and each unit such as the hard disk 15 connected via the bus 11 . Also, the CPU 12 functions as a transmission output setting means for the tag reader 5 . The ROM 13 is a read-only non-volatile storage device, and stores programs (not shown) for the CPU 12 to execute when the management device 10 is started.

The RAM 14 is a volatile storage device in which information can be read and written. The RAM 14 has storage areas (not shown) for an endoscope ID memory, cleaning device ID memory, employee ID memory, current date and time memory, related information memory, cleaning history memory, and the like.

The hard disk 15 is a non-volatile storage device in which information can be read and written. The hard disk 15 stores an operating system (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as "OS"), a cleaning history management program, a database, and the like. The OS is a basic program that causes the CPU 12 to control various devices (for example, the monitor 20 to be described later) and to execute a cleaning history management program.

The cleaning history management program is an application program for causing the CPU 12 to execute information processing as the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention. When an instruction to execute the cleaning history management program is input to the CPU 12 based on the OS, the CPU 12 loads the cleaning history management program 15b into the RAM 14 and starts processing based on the cleaning history management program.

The clock 18 is a device that outputs the current date and time based on a request from the CPU 12 .

The NIC 19 is a net memory interface that controls communication with various devices connected via the LAN 50 . The CPU 12 exchanges information with other devices (for example, the tag reader 5) connected to the LAN 50 via the NIC 19. FIG.

A monitor 20 and a keyboard 21 are connected to the management device 10 as user interfaces. These devices are connected to a bus 11 and configured to be input/output to/from a CPU 12 via the bus 11 .

The monitor 20 is a display device that displays graphics and characters under the control of the CPU 12 . The keyboard 21 is an input device for mainly inputting character information to the CPU 12 . When the coordinates are input by the click operation, the CPU 12 executing the washing history management program treats the components of the screen displayed at the position indicated by the coordinates on the screen displayed on the monitor 30 as the click operation.

(Cleaning history management system)
Next, the cleaning history management system of the present invention configured by using the endoscope 2 equipped with the endoscope tag 6 described above, the cleaning device 3 equipped with the cleaning device tag 7, the tag reader 5, and the management device 10. 1 will be explained. The cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention focuses on the supply and drainage of the cleaning liquid 33a in the cleaning process of the cleaning device 3, attempts communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6, and detects that the endoscope 2 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a. By detecting the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a by utilizing the fact that communication is sometimes "possible", it is determined that the endoscope has been cleaned based on this result, and the cleaning of the endoscope 2 is performed. Configured to capture history. Details of a specific acquisition method of the cleaning history will be described later.

<<Embodiment>>
The cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and drawings (any of FIGS. 8 to 13) required for the description. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an example of a screen displayed on the monitor 20. In the embodiment of the present invention, a procedure for obtaining a washing history is displayed, and the worker 4 is displayed on the monitor 20. It is configured to perform cleaning history management based on the procedure described. In the following description, an endoscope tag (an RFID tag for an endoscope) 6 having the frequency characteristics shown in FIG. 4 is used, and in the configuration shown in FIG. An embodiment in which the distance D=0.15 m is used.

First, a procedure for acquiring information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 13. FIG. FIG. 13 is a flow chart for explaining the overall flow of the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention.

(Selection processing of tag reader and cleaning device)
In the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which a system is constructed using three cleaning apparatuses A, B, and C will be described. At this time, pairs are determined in advance such that tag reader A for cleaning device A is attached to cleaning device A, tag reader B for cleaning device B is attached to cleaning device B, and tag reader C for cleaning device C is attached to cleaning device C. shall be provided. In the following description, an example in which the tag reader A is selected will be used.

When the cleaning history management system 1 is activated in the management device 10 (S10 in FIG. 13, the same applies hereinafter), the monitor 20 displays the cleaning history acquisition procedure 40 stored in the management device 10. FIG. In procedure 1, first, the employee 4 selects a tag reader. A tag reader is selected by touching selection displays 41 a , 41 b , and 41 c for tag reader selection displayed on the monitor 20 . A selection information signal generated by the touch is sent from the monitor 20 to the management device 10 .

The management device 10 monitors the selection information signal sent from the monitor 20 (S11), and if it determines that the selection information signal has been sent (S12: Yes), it determines the sent selection information signal (S13). , the tag reader stored in advance in association with the selection information signal is set as the selected tag reader A (S13: "A"). At the same time, the cleaning device A paired with the selected tag reader A is set (S14). The process of selecting the tag reader and cleaning device described so far consists of tag reader identification numbers "A", "B", and "C" used for cleaning, and identification of the cleaning device, such as tag reader A and cleaning device A. This is a process for setting numbers "A", "B", and "C". After completing the setting of the tag reader and the cleaning device, the process proceeds to the main process S100A (FIG. 8) in this embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the main processing A of cleaning history management executed by the CPU 12 in the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, the main processing A is roughly divided into related information acquisition processing S200, cleaning history acquisition processing S300, and related information and cleaning history management processing S400. consists of Details of the main processing S100A will be described in order below.

(Related information acquisition process S200)
Returning to FIG. 7, procedure 2 will be described. In step 2, the output setting of the tag reader A selected in step 1 is performed. This output setting is performed by touching the output 1 display 42 a displayed on the monitor 20 . An output 1 information signal generated by touching the output 1 display 42 a is sent from the monitor 20 to the management device 10 . Based on the output 1 information signal sent from the monitor 20, the management device 10 sets the transmission output of the tag reader A selected in step 1 to one output (250 mW in the embodiment of the present invention). Send a signal to tag reader A. When the tag reader A receives the output 1 setting signal sent from the management device 10, it sets the transmission output to the first output, and the predetermined transmission output (250 mW in the embodiment of the present invention) from the antenna 5a provided in the tag reader 5. radio wave (920MHz band).

In procedure 3, the employee 4 first acquires the employee ID 8a from the employee tag 8. FIG. The tag reader A transfers the acquired employee ID 8 a to the management device 10 . The management device 10 stores the transferred employee ID 8a, and displays the employee ID 8a and the name of the employee pre-stored (registered) in association with the employee ID 8a based on the employee ID 8a in the information display column. 43 in the employee ID ([N10001])/name column 43a. The employee ID 8 a is obtained by the employee 4 holding the employee tag 8 over the tag reader 5 .

Next, the employee 4 acquires the endoscope ID 6a from the endoscope tag 6 provided on the endoscope 2. FIG. The tag reader A transfers the acquired endoscope ID 6 a to the management device 10 . The management device 10 stores the transferred endoscope ID 6 a and displays the endoscope ID 6 a in the endoscope ID ([P01001]) column 43 b of the information display column 43 . Furthermore, based on the obtained endoscope ID 6a ([P01001]), the management device 10 sets the identification number of the endoscope 2, for example, "1", which is stored (registered) in advance in association with the endoscope ID 7a. , the endoscope No. in the information display column 43 . It is displayed in column 43c. Acquisition of the endoscope ID 6a is performed while the endoscope 2 is placed in the washing tank 33 (see FIG. 3).

The acquisition processing of this endoscope ID 6a will be described with reference to FIG. As shown well in FIG. 4, when the tag reader A is set to one output (250 mW), the endoscope tag 6 is 0.2 m (920 MHz), which is longer than the distance D between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6 = 0.15 m, so the endoscope ID 6a can be read.

Next, the employee 4 acquires the cleaning device ID 7 a from the cleaning device tag 7 provided in the cleaning device 3 . The tag reader A transfers the acquired cleaning device ID 7 a to the management device 10 . The management device 10 stores the transferred cleaning device ID 7 a and displays the cleaning device ID 7 a in the cleaning device ID ([S00001]) column 43 d of the information display column 43 . Furthermore, the management device 10 associates and stores the cleaning device ID 7a ([S00001]) with the preset cleaning device A (S14 in FIG. ” in the information display field 43 . It is displayed in column 43e. Acquisition of the cleaning device ID 7 a is performed by the employee 4 holding the cleaning device tag 7 over the tag reader 5 .

The management device 10 is associated with the employee ID 8a acquired by the tag reader A in procedure 3, the employee name associated with the employee ID 8a ([N10001]), the cleaning device ID 7a ([P01001]), and the cleaning device ID 7a. The identification number "A" of the cleaning device, the endoscope ID 6a ([S00001]) and the identification number "1" of the endoscope associated with the endoscope ID 6a are associated and stored as related information. In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the management device 10 displays the counted cleaning date and time 44 (FIG. 7), and logs the endoscope ID 6a, the cleaning device ID 7a, and the date and time when related information is acquired. Store as data.

(Flowchart of Related Information Acquisition Processing S200)
Here, the related information acquisition processing S200 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 9. FIG. FIG. 4 shows the frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag 6, and FIG. 9 is for explaining the acquisition processing S200 of information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 acquired from the endoscope ID 6a and the cleaning device ID 7a. It is a flow chart. For ease of explanation, the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 shows a flowchart focusing on the process of acquiring information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 using the endoscope ID 6a and the cleaning device ID 7a. The processing of the employee ID 8a, the identification number of the endoscope 6, the identification number of the cleaning device 3, etc. is omitted.

When tag reader A and cleaning device A are set (S14 in FIG. 13) and related information acquisition processing is started (S200), management device 10 first sets the transmission output of tag reader A to one output. An output 1 setting signal is sent to tag reader A (S201). After sending the output 1 setting signal to the tag reader A, the first result flag of "blank" is set (S202), and the endoscope ID 6a sent from the tag reader A is waited. The first result flag is a flag used to identify whether the endoscope tag 6 is good or bad. This first result flag and the second and third result flags described in detail below are information held in the RAM 14 provided in the management device 10 .

The employee 4 reads the endoscope ID 6 a from the endoscope tag 6 using the tag reader A set to one output, and sends the read endoscope ID 6 a to the management device 10 . When the endoscope ID 6a is acquired, the endoscope ID 7a is displayed in the endoscope ID ([S00001]) column 43b of the information display column 43, as shown in FIG.

The management device 10 waits until the endoscope ID 6a read by the tag reader A is sent from the tag reader A (S203), and when the endoscope ID 6a is acquired (S204: Yes), the first result flag is set to " OK" (the endoscope tag 6 is "good") is set (S205), and the process proceeds to the next step. When the endoscope ID 6a is not acquired (S204: No), the time during which the endoscope ID 6a is not acquired, that is, the communication disabled time t1 is counted. (S206: Yes), the process proceeds to S202, and the processes from S202 to S206 are repeated until the endoscope ID 6a can be acquired. If the communication unavailable time t1 is longer than the predetermined time T1 (S206: No), the related information acquisition process S200 is terminated, and the result flag determination process (S101 in FIG. 8) of the main process S100A (FIG. 8) ).

Returning to the acquisition determination of the endoscope ID 6a (S204), the endoscope ID 6a is acquired (S204: Yes), and when the first result flag is set to "OK" (S205), the second A flag is set as a result of (S207). The second result flag is a flag used for identifying whether the cleaning device tag 7 is good or bad.

The employee 4 reads the cleaning device ID 7 a from the cleaning device tag 7 using the tag reader A set to one output, and sends the read cleaning device ID 7 a to the management device 10 . When the cleaning device ID 7a is acquired, the cleaning device ID 7a is displayed in the cleaning device ID ([S00001]) column 43d of the information display column 43, as shown in FIG.

The management device 10 waits for the cleaning device ID 7a read by the tag reader A to be sent from the tag reader A (S208), and when the cleaning device ID 7a is acquired (S209: Yes), the second result flag indicates "OK ' (cleaning device tag 7 is 'good') is set (S210), and the process proceeds to the next step. When the cleaning device ID 7a is not acquired (S209: No), the time during which the cleaning device ID 7a is not acquired, that is, the communication disabled time t2 is counted. : Yes), the process proceeds to S208, and the processing from S208 to S212 is repeated until the cleaning apparatus ID 7a can be acquired. If the communication disabled time t2 is longer than the predetermined time T2 (S212: No), the related information acquisition process S200 is terminated, and the result flag determination process (S101 in FIG. 8) of the main process S100A (FIG. 8) ).

Returning to the acquisition determination (S209) of the cleaning device ID 7a, when the cleaning device ID 7a is acquired (S209: Yes) and the second result flag is set to "OK" (S210), the management device 10 The ID 6a ([P01001]) and the cleaning device ID 7a ([S00001]) are stored as associated information (S211). When the related information of the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 can be acquired from the endoscope ID 6a and the cleaning device ID 7a, the related information acquisition processing S200 ends.

Here, returning to the main process A (FIG. 8), the process after the related information acquisition process S200 is completed will be described. When the related information acquisition process S200 ends, it is determined whether the first result flag and the second result flag are "OK" (S101), and the first result flag and the second result flag are "OK". (S101: Yes), the process proceeds to the next cleaning history acquisition process S300.

If the first result flag and the second result flag are not "OK" (S101: No), it is determined whether or not the "blank" result flag is the first result flag (S102). If the result flag is "blank" (S102: Yes), the management device 10 displays an error display (not shown) indicating that the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6 cannot be read. is displayed in the endoscope ID column 43b of the information display column 43 of the monitor 20 (S103), and the main processing A ends.

Similarly, if the "blank" result flag is determined (S102), and if the first result flag is not "blank" (S102: No), the management device 10 writes to the cleaning device tag 7. An error display (not shown) indicating that the cleaning device ID 7a cannot be read is displayed in the cleaning device ID column 43d of the information display column 43 of the monitor 20 shown in FIG. 7 (S104), and the main processing A ends. do.

(Washing history acquisition process S300)
Returning to FIG. 7, procedure 4 will be described. In step 4, the cleaning switch of the cleaning device 3 is turned on. As already described in detail, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning process by the cleaning device 3, that is, after the endoscope 2 is put into the cleaning tank 33, the supply and discharge of the cleaning liquid 33a, the timing of the start of cleaning, and the cleaning time. A series of processes such as the above are performed according to conditions preset in the cleaning device 3 . When the cleaning switch of the cleaning device 3 is turned on in step 4, proceed to step 5.

In step 5, the output setting of the tag reader A is performed. This output setting is performed by the employee 4 touching the output 1 display 42 b displayed on the monitor 20 . An output 2 information signal generated by touching output 1 display 42 b is sent from monitor 20 to management device 10 . Based on the output 2 information signal sent from the monitor 20, the management device 10 sets the transmission output of the tag reader A selected in procedure 1 to the second output (200 mW in the embodiment of the present invention). A setting signal is sent to tag reader A. When the tag reader A receives the output 2 setting signal sent from the management device 10, it sets the transmission output to the second output, and a predetermined transmission output (200 mW in the embodiment of the present invention) from the antenna 5a provided in the tag reader 5. It emits radio waves (920 MHz band).

After sending the output 2 setting signal to the tag reader A, the management device 10 sends an ID request signal to the tag reader A at regular intervals. Procedure 6 is performed based on this ID request signal. The tag reader A acquires the endoscope ID 6a ([P01001]) from the endoscope tag 6 provided on the endoscope 2 in response to the ID request signal, and transfers the acquired endoscope ID 6a to the management device 10 . The management device 10 stores the transferred endoscope ID 6 a and displays the endoscope ID 6 a in the endoscope ID ([P01001]) column 43 f of the information display column 43 . Also, while the endoscope ID 6 a can be acquired from the endoscope tag 6 , a mark “◯” indicating that cleaning is in progress is displayed in the cleaning start display column 43 g of the information display column 43 . Incidentally, in the embodiment of the present invention, the ID request signal is repeatedly sent for the cleaning time H set in advance.

The processing for obtaining the endoscope ID 6a will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As well shown in FIG. 4, when the endoscope tag 6 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, the endoscope is The communicable distance of the tag 6 is 0.1 m (920 MHz), which is shorter than the distance D=0.15 m between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6, so the endoscope ID 6a cannot be read.

When the water supply of the cleaning liquid 33a progresses and the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, as well shown in FIG. , the communicable distance of the endoscope tag 6 is 0.41 m (920 MHz), which is longer than the distance D between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6 = 0.15 m, so the endoscope ID 6a can be read. . Communication between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6 becomes "possible". As a result, it is detected that the cleaning liquid 33a has been supplied into the cleaning tank 33, and based on this result, it is determined that the endoscope 2 is being cleaned.

In procedure 7, when the cleaning of the endoscope 2 is finished and the cleaning liquid 33a is drained, the cleaning switch of the cleaning device 3 is turned off, and the cleaning process is completed. In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning process ends at a timing preset in the cleaning device.

In step 8, communication between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6 is confirmed after the cleaning liquid 33a is drained. If the communication becomes "impossible" when the cleaning liquid 33a is completely drained, it is determined that the cleaning is completed, and "communication is not possible" is displayed in the confirmation result column 43h of the information display column 43, indicating that the cleaning is completed. is displayed in the washed display field 43i of the information display field 43, and the completion of washing is stored as the washing history.

On the other hand, when the communication is "possible" and the reading of the endoscope ID 6a continues after the cleaning liquid 33a has been drained, the endoscope tag 2 status confirmation process S1000 is performed. The state confirmation processing S1000 of the endoscope tag 2 will be described later.

(Flowchart of Washing History Acquisition Processing S300)
Here, the cleaning history acquisition processing S300 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 10. FIG. FIG. 4 shows frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag 6, and FIG. In addition, in FIG. 10, in order to facilitate the explanation, the acquisition of the endoscope ID 6a will be focused on and explained.

When the related information acquisition process S200 is completed and the water supply of the cleaning liquid 33a to the cleaning tank 33 is started, the management device 10 starts the cleaning history acquisition process (S300), and changes the transmission output of the tag reader A to the second output. An output 2 setting signal to be set to the tag reader A is sent to the tag reader A (S301), and an ID request signal is sent to the tag reader A (S302). When the ID request signal is sent, the third result flag of "blank" is set (S303), and the tag reader A waits for the endoscope ID 6a to be sent. The third result flag is a flag used for identifying the quality of the endoscope tag 6 immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a.

The tag reader A set to two outputs reads the endoscope ID 6a in response to the ID request signal and sends the read endoscope ID 6a to the management device 10 .

The management device 10 waits until the endoscope ID 6a read by the tag reader A is sent from the tag reader A (S304), and when the endoscope ID 6a is acquired (S305: Yes), the third result flag is set to " OK" (endoscope tag 6 immersed in cleaning liquid 33a is "good") is set (S306), and the process proceeds to the next step. When the endoscope ID 6a is not acquired (S305: No), the time during which the endoscope ID 6a is not acquired, that is, the communication disabled time t3 is counted. (S309: Yes), the process proceeds to S302, and the processes from S302 to S309 are repeated until the endoscope ID 6a can be acquired. If the communication disabled time t3 is longer than the predetermined time T3 (S309: No), the cleaning history acquisition process S300 is terminated, and the third result flag determination process (S105) of the main process S100A (FIG. 8). proceed to

Returning to the acquisition determination of the endoscope ID 6a (S305), the endoscope ID 6a is acquired (S305: Yes), and the third result flag is set to "OK" (S306). make a judgment. In the embodiment of the present invention, since the washing time H is preset in the washing device 3, the water supply of the washing liquid 33a is started, and the communication is started after the communication becomes "possible" (the endoscope ID 6a can be obtained). The available time ts is counted (S307), and if the counted available communication time ts is shorter than the cleaning time H (S308: Yes), the process returns to S302 and repeats the series of processes at a constant cycle. If the counted communicable time ts is longer than the cleaning time H (S308: No), the process proceeds to endoscope tag status confirmation processing S1000 (see FIG. 5).

In the status confirmation processing S1000 of the endoscope tag 6a (see FIG. 12), if the endoscope ID 6a cannot be read and the communication is determined to be "impossible", the communication "impossible" is replaced with the completion of cleaning ( S310), the completion of cleaning is acquired and stored as the cleaning history (S311), and the acquisition processing S300 of the cleaning history ends.

When the preset cleaning time H is completed, the cleaning device 3 starts draining the cleaning liquid 33a, and when the drainage is completed, the cleaning switch is turned off to complete the cleaning process.

So far, the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a is controlled by utilizing the fact that communication is "enabled" when the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a (in other words, during cleaning). The configuration of the present invention has been described in which it is determined that the endoscope 2 has been washed based on the result of the detection, and the washing history of the endoscope 2 is acquired. Regarding the detection of the water supply and drainage state, as an endoscope tag for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention, a configuration using the endoscope tag 6 described above, and as a comparative example, a commercially available RFID tag (920 MHz A comparison will be made between the cases of using the band), and the difference in the effects will be explained.

As shown by the frequency characteristic A1 in the graph of FIG. 2, the endoscope tag 6 used in the present invention has a maximum communicable distance in this embodiment under the condition of "in air/without droplets". It is designed so that the indicated frequency is approximately 970 MHz, and is designed to be offset to the high frequency side by approximately 50 MHz in advance as compared with the 920 MHz band defined by the Radio Law. Therefore, when the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, a frequency shift occurs to the low frequency side, and the communicable distance at 920 MHz, which is the communication frequency of the tag reader 5, becomes longer.

On the other hand, commercially available RFID tags are designed to support communication using the 920 MHz band. Since commercially available RFID tags are generally used in the air, the frequency characteristics of RFID tags are designed on the premise of "in air/no droplets". For this reason, when a commercially available RFID tag is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a, a frequency shift occurs to the low frequency side, deviating from the communication frequency (920 MHz) of the tag reader 5, and the communicable distance becomes extremely short. There was a risk that communication would become "impossible".

That is, in the comparative example configured with a commercially available RFID tag, by attempting communication between the RFID tag and the tag reader 5, when the RFID tag is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a (in other words, during cleaning), the tag reader 5 and By utilizing the "disabled" communication of the RFID tag, it is possible to detect the state of supply and discharge of the cleaning liquid 33a. It is impossible to judge whether communication is interrupted by being immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a or by damage due to poor watertightness of the RFID tag until cleaning is completed and the cleaning liquid 33a is completely drained and communication is restored. There was

In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention, the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is performed when the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a (in other words, during cleaning). Since it is configured to detect the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a by utilizing the fact that it becomes "possible", when a state in which communication is "impossible" occurs during cleaning (during immersion) (S309 in FIG. 10). : No), it is possible to quickly determine that the cause is damage due to poor watertightness of the RFID tag.

(Endoscope state confirmation process S1000)
Here, the state confirmation processing S1000 of the endoscope tag 2 will be described using FIGS. 4 and 12. FIG. FIG. 4 shows the frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag 6, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the state confirmation processing S1000 for requesting confirmation of the surface state of the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2. FIG.

When it is determined that the counted communication available time ts is longer than the cleaning time H (S308: No) in the communication available time ts determination process (S308) of the cleaning history acquisition process S300 (FIG. 10), the endoscope 2 state confirmation processing is started (S1000), and until the cleaning liquid 33a is completely drained (time H4 in FIG. 5), the communication trial between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope ID 6 is waited (S1001 and FIG. 5). reference).

After a certain period of time has elapsed (time for the cleaning liquid 33a to be completely drained), the management device 10 sends an ID request signal to the tag reader A set to output two (S1002).

The tag reader A reads the endoscope ID 6a in response to the ID request signal and sends the read endoscope ID 6a to the management device 10 .

The management device 10 attempts communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 (S1003), determines the communication state (S1004), and determines that the endoscope ID 6a has been acquired (S1004: Yes). , the status confirmation display of the endoscope is displayed on the monitor 20 (S1005), and the process returns to S1002 to continue the trial of communication between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6. FIG. At this time, "status confirmation" (not shown) is displayed in the confirmation result column 43h of the information display column 43 of the monitor 20,
At this point, the endoscope 2 has been washed, so the washed display column 43i displays "completed" indicating that it has been washed.

When the confirmation result column 4h of the information display column 43 of the monitor 20 displays "status confirmation", the employee 4 checks whether the cleaning liquid 33a is adhered to the surface of the endoscope tag 6, and the cleaning liquid 33a is removed. If so, the cleaning liquid 33a is removed from the surface of the endoscope tag 6 by, for example, wiping off the cleaning liquid 33a.

The management device 10 repeatedly sends ID requests (S1002), attempts communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 (S1003), determines the communication state (S1004), and determines that communication is "impossible" (endoscope If it is determined that the mirror ID 6a cannot be obtained (S1004: No), the endoscope tag 2 state confirmation S1000 is terminated.

The state confirmation processing S1000 of the endoscope tag 6 will be described with reference to FIG. As is well shown in FIG. 4, when the tag reader A is set to two outputs (200 mW), under the condition of "in air/droplet (one drop) @ output 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A3), The communicable distance of the endoscope tag 6 is 0.22 m (920 MHz), which is longer than the distance D=0.15 m between the tag reader A and the endoscope tag 6, so the endoscope ID 6a can be read.

In addition, under the condition of "in air/with droplets (three drops) @ output of 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A4), the communicable distance of the endoscope tag 6 is 0.28 m (920 MHz). The endoscope ID 6a can be read because the distance D of the mirror tag 6 is greater than 0.15m.

These two conditions are based on the assumption that the washing liquid 33a remains on the surface of the endoscope tag 6 when the washing of the endoscope 2 is finished and the washing liquid 33a is drained, as already described in detail. . That is, even after the cleaning liquid 33a is completely drained, it can be determined that the cleaning liquid 33a is attached to the surface of the endoscope tag 6 when communication is still "possible".

Until now, even if there was a case where the cleaning liquid 33a remained on the surface of the endoscope tag 6 after the cleaning liquid 33a was completely drained, the reading of the endoscope ID 6a continued, that is, communication was "possible." , and here, when the cleaning liquid 33a remains on the surface of the endoscope tag 6, the endoscope tag for the cleaning history management system 1 of the present invention is Next, a configuration using the endoscope tag 6 described above and a configuration using a commercially available RFID tag (920 MHz band) as a comparative example will be compared, and differences in effects will be described.

As already described in detail, in the comparative example configured with commercially available RFID tags, communication with the tag reader 5 becomes "impossible" when the RFID tags are immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a (in other words, during cleaning). In this comparative example, after the cleaning liquid 33a is drained, the cleaning liquid 33a remains on the surface of the RFID tag provided in the endoscope 2. In this case, the endoscope ID of the endoscope 2 cannot be read (communication is not restored) because the frequency characteristic of the RFID tag shifts to the low frequency side or the communicable distance becomes extremely short. There is a risk that a state may occur, and a state in which it is not possible to determine whether the cause of this "impossible" communication is due to damage due to poor watertightness of the RFID tag or due to the frequency shift of the RFID tag. I had a problem.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, even if the cleaning liquid 33a remains on the surface of the endoscope tag 6 provided in the endoscope 2 after the cleaning liquid 33a is drained (the frequency shown in FIG. 4). Characteristic A3, frequency characteristic A4), the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is "possible" in the same way as when the endoscope tag 6 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 33a (in other words, during cleaning). Since the state of the surface of the endoscope tag 6 can be detected by continuing the state, if a state in which communication is possible occurs after the cleaning liquid 33a is drained (S1004 in FIG. 12: Yes ), it is possible to clearly determine that the cause is the frequency shift caused by the cleaning liquid 33a adhering to the surface of the endoscope tag 6, and the influence of the frequency shift on communication can be quickly eliminated.

Here, returning to the main process A (FIG. 8), the process after the cleaning history acquisition process S300 is completed will be described. When the cleaning history acquisition process S300 ends, the third result flag set in the cleaning history acquisition process S300 is determined (S105), and if the third result flag is set to "OK" (S105: Yes ), the process proceeds to the next related information and cleaning history management process S400.

If the third result flag is not set to "OK" (S105: No), the management device 10 displays an error display indicating that the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6 cannot be read. 7 is displayed in the confirmation result field 43h of the information display field 43 of the monitor 20 (for example, "error"), and the fact that the washing is not completed is displayed in the washed display field 43i (for example, x), and the main processing is performed. End A. Note that the "error" display here indicates a defect in the endoscope tag 6 (such as poor watertightness).

(Related information and washing history management processing S400)
Next, the related information and cleaning history management processing S400 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 11. FIG. FIG. 4 shows the frequency characteristics of the endoscope tag 6, and FIG. 11 shows information related to the endoscope 2 and the cleaning device 3 obtained from the endoscope ID 6a and the cleaning device ID 7a, and detection of the supply/drainage state of the cleaning liquid 33a. 10 is a flow chart for explaining a management process with a cleaning history acquired by doing.

If the cleaning history acquisition process S300 is completed and the third result flag is set to "OK" (S105: Yes), the management device 10 starts the related information and cleaning history management process (S400). , an output 1 setting signal for setting the transmission output of tag reader A to one output is sent to tag reader A (S401), an ID request signal is sent to tag reader A (S402), and communication after draining cleaning liquid 33a is performed. is tried (S403).

The tag reader A set to one output reads the endoscope ID 6a in response to the ID request signal and sends the read endoscope ID 6a to the management device 10 .

The management device 10 attempts communication until the endoscope ID 6a read by the tag reader A is sent from the tag reader A (S403). Monitoring continues until the mirror ID 6a is obtained. When the endoscope ID 6a is acquired (S404: Yes), the already acquired related information and the cleaning history are associated with each other, and the related information is stored as management information (S405), and management processing of the related information and the cleaning history is performed. End S400. When the endoscope ID 6a is acquired, the confirmation result column 43b of the information display column 43 displays "communication possible" indicating that the endoscope ID 6a has been acquired on the monitor 20 (not shown). It should be noted that the washed display field 43i displays "completed" indicating that the washing has been completed.

When the relevant information and cleaning history management process S400 is completed, the process returns to the main process S100A (FIG. 8) and sets the first result flag, the second result flag, and the third result flag to "blank". The main processing AS100A for cleaning history management in the cleaning history management system 1 for the endoscope 2 of the present invention ends.

The related information and cleaning history management processing S400 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown well in FIG. 4, under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output of 250 mW" (frequency characteristic A1), by increasing the transmission output of the tag reader 5 from 200 mW to 250 mW, communication at 920 MHz is possible. Since the distance is 0.2 m (more than 0.15 m), communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 becomes "possible", and the tag reader 5 can read the endoscope ID 6a written in the endoscope tag 6. FIG.

In other words, even if the communication between the tag reader 5 and the endoscope tag 6 is "impossible" under the condition of "in air/no droplet @ output of 200 mW" (frequency characteristic A2), the transmission output of the tag reader 5 is increased (this 250 mW in the example) to "enable" communication.

According to the cleaning history management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the transmission output of the tag reader 5 can be set to one output and two outputs, so that the distance D ( In the embodiment of the present invention, the communicable distance can be changed while the distance is fixed at 0.15 m. Therefore, even if the endoscope tag 6 of the present invention is designed such that the frequency characteristics are offset to the high frequency side under the condition of "in air/without droplets" (frequency characteristics A1 and A2 in FIG. 4 ), a series of processes related to cleaning history acquisition are configured to start with one output and end with one output. It is possible to judge whether the endoscope tag 6 is good or bad. In addition, after cleaning is completed, the configuration is such that the second output is returned to the first output to confirm communication. It is possible to provide a cleaning history management system 1 that does not impair convenience, such as being able to perform cleaning 2 without fail.

So far, an embodiment has been described in which the transmission output of the tag reader 5 can be set to one output and two outputs, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the process of acquiring the cleaning history of the endoscope 2 is performed with the transmission output of the tag reader 5 fixed to the second output, which is the same as in the embodiments described above. can be performed by bringing the endoscope tag 6 and the cleaning device tag 7 close to the tag reader 5 and obtaining the endoscope ID 6a and the cleaning device ID 7a, respectively.

1 Cleaning history management system 2 Endoscope 3 Cleaning device 4 Worker 5 Tag reader 5a Antenna 6 Endoscope tag (RFID tag for endoscope)
6a Endoscope ID (endoscope identification information)
7 Cleaning equipment tag (RFID tag for cleaning equipment)
7a cleaning device ID (cleaning device identification information)
8 employee tag 8a employee ID (personal identification information)
10 management device 20 monitor 25 connection cable (LAN cable)
31 Lid 31a Window 33 Cleaning tank 33a Cleaning liquid D Distance L Water level S200 Related information acquisition processing S300 Cleaning history acquisition processing S400 Related information and cleaning history management processing

Claims (5)

In an RFID tag for an endoscope that is provided in the endoscope and performs non-contact wireless communication of information with a tag reader,
Compared to the frequency characteristics when immersed in the cleaning liquid, the frequency characteristics in free space are offset by a predetermined frequency to the high frequency side in advance, so that the communication frequency of the tag reader is free compared to when immersed in the cleaning liquid. An RFID tag for an endoscope, characterized in that the communicable distance differs between when it is in space and when it is immersed in a cleaning liquid, and is formed so that the communicable distance is longer than when it is immersed in a free space. . In a management device comprising a tag reader for acquiring endoscope identification information for identifying each endoscope written in an RFID tag provided in the endoscope,
Compared to the frequency characteristics when immersed in the cleaning liquid, the frequency characteristics in free space are offset by a predetermined frequency to the high frequency side in advance, so that the communication frequency of the tag reader is free compared to when immersed in the cleaning liquid. The RFID tag for an endoscope formed so that the communicable distance differs between when it is in space and when it is immersed in a cleaning liquid, and is longer than when it is immersed in a cleaning liquid, and the tag reader. When communication is attempted and the endoscope identification information written in the RFID tag for the endoscope is acquired, it is determined that the endoscope has been cleaned, and the cleaning history of the endoscope is acquired. A management device characterized by: An endoscope cleaning history management system that manages the cleaning history of an endoscope using non-contact wireless communication between an RFID tag provided on the endoscope and a tag reader,
Compared to the frequency characteristics when immersed in the cleaning liquid, the frequency characteristics in free space are offset by a predetermined frequency to the high frequency side in advance, so that the communication frequency of the tag reader is free compared to when immersed in the cleaning liquid. An endoscope equipped with an RFID tag for an endoscope formed so that the communicable distance differs between when it is in space and when it is immersed in a cleaning liquid, and is longer than when it is immersed in a free space. a mirror and
a cleaning device for cleaning the endoscope provided with the RFID tag for the endoscope;
a tag reader that reads endoscope identification information for identifying each individual endoscope written in the RFID tag for the endoscope;
Communication between the endoscope RFID tag and the tag reader is attempted, and when the endoscope identification information written in the endoscope RFID tag can be obtained, the endoscope is considered to have been washed. a management device that determines and acquires the cleaning history of the endoscope;
An endoscope cleaning history management system comprising: The cleaning device includes an RFID tag for the cleaning device in which cleaning device identification information for identifying the cleaning device for each individual is written,
The management device
using the endoscope identification information read from the RFID tag for the endoscope and the cleaning device identification information read from the RFID tag for the cleaning device to identify the endoscope and the cleaning device; Acquire related information and
Communication between the endoscope RFID tag and the tag reader is attempted, and when the endoscope identification information written in the endoscope RFID tag can be obtained, the endoscope is considered to have been washed. determine and acquire the cleaning history of the endoscope,
4. The endoscope cleaning history management system according to claim 3, wherein the related information and the cleaning history are managed in association with each other. A transmission output setting means for setting the transmission output of the tag reader to one output or two outputs lower than the first output,
The management device
With the transmission output of the tag reader set to the one output, the endoscope identification information read from the RFID tag for the endoscope and the cleaning device identification read from the RFID tag for the cleaning device obtaining relevant information about the endoscope and the cleaning device using information;
In a state in which the transmission output of the tag reader is set to the second output, communication between the RFID tag for endoscope and the tag reader is attempted, and the endoscope written in the RFID tag for endoscope is detected. determining that the endoscope has been washed when the endoscope identification information can be acquired, and acquiring a washing history of the endoscope;
5. The endoscope cleaning history management system according to claim 4, wherein the related information and the cleaning history are managed in association with each other .

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