JPH0349764A - Sterilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make perfect sterilization in a short period of time without using a toxic gas by providing a heater for controlling the temp. in a housing separately from a heater for evaporating liquid and gasifying a formalin liquid while the inside of the housing is kept at a specified temp. CONSTITUTION:A required volume of the official formalin liquid is poured onto a receiving tray 11 in the sterilizing housing and an object to be sterilized is placed on a rack. The time for neutralization with a neutralizing liquid is set with timers 46, 47 and the temp. of an evaporating heater 9 is set. The evaporation time is set with a timer 45. The in-housing heater 8 is energized and a fan is operated to circulate the air in the housing. A digital timer 44 and the evaporation timer 45 operate and the evaporation heater 9 is energized when the temp. in the sterilizing housing rises up to the set temp. The in-housing heater 8 is de-energized by the operation of a thermostat. The in-housing heater 8 is thereafter turned on and off by the thermostat to maintain the specified temp. in the housing. The formalin liquid in the receiving tray 11 is evaporated by the operation of the evaporation heater 9, by which the object to be sterilized on the tray is sterilized. The sterilization operation is carried out in a short period of time in this way without using the toxic gas.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a sterilizer for sterilizing objects to be sterilized, such as those made of materials that cannot withstand the heat of medical instruments.

(Prior art) It goes without saying that various instruments used for treatment must be sterilized, and conventional gas-based sterilizers include those that use toxic ethylene oxide mixed with chlorofluorocarbon gas. There is. This can be sterilized in a relatively short time, but
Since toxic gas is used, after sterilization, the gas adhering to the object to be sterilized must be completely removed. Therefore, in addition to the sterilizer, a gas release device is required to release the gas adhering to the sterilized object. shall be. Not only is this gas emitting device itself expensive, but there is also a problem in that it takes two or seven days for the gas emitting device to vent the gas. Also,
When this gas is released, fluorocarbon gas is also released, which poses an environmental problem.

Conventionally used devices that do not use this gas are devices that use formaldehyde. The device simply places granules containing 10-14% formaldehyde in the bottom of a sealed container.
The object to be sterilized placed in the container is sterilized using the gas produced by the natural vaporization of the solid. Normally, it takes at least one day, and in winter, it takes about three days for complete sterilization to be achieved.

Furthermore, as is well known, formaldehyde emits a strong irritating odor, so when it is taken out, there is a problem in that the odor fills the room.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention solves these conventional problems and can be completely sterilized in a short time without using toxic gas, and can be taken out of the refrigerator and used as is after completion of the sterilization. The challenge is to provide a sterilization device that can.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, the present invention provides a tray for storing formalin solution at the bottom of the chamber in which objects to be sterilized are stored, and a tray for storing formalin solution disposed under the tray. In addition to providing a vaporization heater for evaporation, an internal heater for heating the inside of the refrigerator is also installed separately from the heater, and when the temperature inside the refrigerator reaches the set temperature by the internal heater, the vaporization heater is activated to evaporate. This is what I did.

Furthermore, a pump is used to circulate the gas inside the refrigerator through the outside of the refrigerator.
The pump performs the first neutralization using a first tank that stores a neutralizing liquid, a second tank that stores a second neutralizing liquid consisting of a solution containing hydrogen peroxide as a main component, and a large number of TTt magnetic valves. It is preferable that the liquid and the second neutralization chamber be switched by the solenoid valve which is operated sequentially to supply gas into the sterilization chamber through each liquid to neutralize formaldehyde after sterilization.

Further, the sterilization gas in the sterilization chamber is circulated by the pump during sterilization, and a nozzle having a large number of elongated ejection ports is installed in the sterilization chamber, and the gas is sprayed from the ejection ports. This is desirable.

In addition, an external exhaust port and an external suction port for circulating sterilizing gas and neutralizing liquid are provided outside the device in the above configuration, and a solenoid valve is connected to these ports to install the device outside the refrigerator. It is desirable that the structure be such that it can also be sterilized.

(Effect) For the formalin solution, use a pharmacopoeial solution (1 degree 38%). Of course, other solutions containing formaldehyde may also be used. This liquid is sensitive to the influence of temperature on germination. Therefore, in the present invention, the temperature inside the refrigerator is first heated to a temperature corresponding to the object to be sterilized using an internal heater, and when the preset temperature is reached, the vaporization heater is activated to vaporize the formalin solution. In other words, in the present invention, the heater that controls the temperature inside the refrigerator and the heater that vaporizes the liquid are separate, so that the formalin liquid can be vaporized by the heater while the temperature inside the refrigerator is maintained at a constant level. I'm trying to vaporize it. Since sterilization is performed using this forcibly vaporized gas, sterilization can be completed in a short period of time, a few hours. It is unnecessary to explain that the temperature inside the refrigerator can be adjusted using a general thermistor.

In the case of the second invention, when many solenoid valves (medium temperature 1 solenoid valve) are opened and the second and third solenoid valves are closed and the pump is operated, the sterilization gas containing formaldehyde vaporized for sterilization is released into the sterilization chamber. It circulates from inside the refrigerator through piping outside the refrigerator and back into the refrigerator. At this time, if a nozzle having a elongated ejection port protruding into the chamber as in the third invention is also provided, for example, when sterilizing a tube or other elongated object to be sterilized, the elongated ejection port can be used to attach a rubber pipe or the like. By attaching one end and inserting the other end into the tube, gas can be applied sufficiently to the inside of the long and narrow object to be sterilized. Circulation of gas by the first electromagnetic valve and the pump is not necessarily necessary.

Furthermore, in the case of the second invention, after sterilization for a certain period of time (the first
(i) If the solenoid valve is opened to circulate gas, close it and open the second solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve is connected to the first tank and forms a bypass path for the first solenoid valve. Therefore, the gas inside the refrigerator passes through the first tank. At this time, it comes into contact with ammonia and formaldehyde is neutralized. Furthermore, after a certain period of time, the second solenoid valve is closed, and the third solenoid valve is closed. It is operated by the solenoid valve. This third solenoid valve is connected to the second tank and bypasses the piping between the second solenoid valve and the first tank, so the gas inside the refrigerator reacts with the neutralizing liquid in the second tank, and ammonia is also generated. neutralized. In other words, at this stage, there is a very small amount of formaldehyde gas and ammonia gas inside the warehouse, so even if you open the sterilization door, there will be no toxic gas and no odor, and you will be able to sterilize from inside the warehouse. You can take things out and use them.

If an external exhaust port and an external suction port are provided as in the fourth invention, when the pump is operated during sterilization, the gas evaporated inside the sterilization chamber will go out through the external exhaust port and into the chamber from the external suction port. be guided. Therefore, the device to be sterilized can be sterilized by wrapping the equipment, etc. to be sterilized in a sealed container or plastic bag, and inserting the external exhaust port and the external suction port into the plastic bag via rubber tubes, etc. Large items that cannot fit inside can be sterilized by leaving them outside. In this case, it may not be possible to completely seal the bag with a plastic bag, and although it cannot be sterilized, it can be sterilized sufficiently. It goes without saying that sterilization can be performed if the device can be completely sealed in an airtight container or the like.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a sterilization device 3 is placed on a mechanical part 2. This arrangement is arbitrary, and there is no problem in placing the sterilizer 3 beside the machine part 2.The sterilizer 3 has a door 4 that can be opened and closed, and has shelves 5.5 for storing objects to be sterilized inside. Appropriately coated. A recess 7 is provided approximately in the center of the bottom 6 of the refrigerator, an internal heater 8 is placed in the recess 7, and a saucer 11 for storing the formalin solution is placed on a stand 10 with a vaporization heater 9 installed therein. It is arranged.

A lid 12 having a gap is provided on the upper surface of this recess 7,
A fan is installed inside the refrigerator to circulate the air inside the refrigerator, if necessary. An introduction pipe 13 connected to a pump 20, which will be described later, is connected to the bottom of the recess 7.

In this embodiment, a nozzle 14 similarly connected to a pump 20 is provided inside the refrigerator. This nozzle 14 has a pipe extending at right angles to its tip and has a number of elongated ejection ports 14 in the pipe.
A is provided.

A door 16 that can be opened and closed is provided on the surface of the mechanical part 2, and at least inside this is a space for storing two tanks 30 and 31 containing a neutralizing agent, which will be described later, and piping that connects these to the pump 20, sterilization, etc. have. Furthermore, an operation panel 17 is arranged on this surface, and various switches and indicator lights are arranged.

Further, in this embodiment, an external exhaust port 18 and an external suction port 19 are provided on the side surface of the mechanical part 2 with their tips protruding.

Figure 4 is a piping system diagram for circulating the gas in the sterilization chamber 3, and the pump 20 in this embodiment has two suction ports and two discharge ports. However, it is not limited to this. In particular, if the external exhaust port 18 and the external suction port 19 are not provided, a normal device having one suction port and one exhaust port may be used.

The sterilization chamber 3 is connected to the recess 7 at the bottom through the introduction pipe 13 mentioned above.
Air is blown from the nozzle 14, and the exhaust pipe 21
Piping is directed from the pump 20 to the suction port of the pump 20. Pump 2 from exhaust pipe 21 connected to sterilization chamber 3
The gas guided to the first solenoid valve 2 by the pump 20
The liquid is returned to the pump 20 through the second and sixth solenoid valves 25, and is exhausted into the sterilization chamber 3 through the introduction pipe 13 and the nozzle 14 branched from the introduction pipe 13.

In this embodiment, a seventh electromagnetic valve 26 is provided after the introduction pipe 13 separates from the nozzle 14, so that the air can be exhausted into the sterilization chamber 3 only from the nozzle 14 as required. During sterilization, gas circulation by the pump 20 may not be performed.

In this embodiment, a first tank 30 connected to a second TL solenoid valve 23 is further connected to the discharge port side of the pump 20 so as to bypass the first solenoid valve 22, and a first tank 30 is further connected to the second TL solenoid valve 23 so as to bypass the first solenoid valve 22. 3 solenoid valves and the second tank 31 are connected.

In this embodiment, the external exhaust port 18 and the fourth electromagnetic valve 27 are connected to the discharge side of the pump 20, and the fifth electromagnetic port valve and the external intake valve 19 are connected to the suction side of the pump 20. These are arranged so that the sixth solenoid valve 25 described above is located between the fourth solenoid valve 27 and the fifth solenoid valve 28. Further, a check valve 32 is connected between the sixth solenoid valve 25 and the fifth solenoid valve 28 . Furthermore, a sensor 33 for detecting temperature is attached near the external exhaust port 18.

The first tank 30 contains 10% or less, preferably 3 to 5% ammonia water as a first neutralizing solution, and the second tank 31 contains 2.5 to 3.5% peroxide. A second neutralization solution is prepared by mixing 1.5 to 2% of L-histidine hydrochloride l-hydrate in hydrogen water (HO: 34.01).

Each electromagnetic valve and each heater described above are operated by a control circuit having a CPU 40 and each timer connected thereto.

The operation of the above embodiment will be explained below. First, sterilization cabinet 3
Open the door 4 and pour the pharmacopoeial formalin solution (HCHO) into the saucer 11.
Concentration: approx. 38%) in the required amount (1 per 10M of sterile chamber volume)
m1 or more) inject. The items to be sterilized are placed on the shelf 5 and the door 4 is closed.

Set the neutralization time with the neutralizing solution (30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the object to be sterilized) using the respective timers 46 and 47, set the temperature of the formalin vaporization heater, and set the vaporization time using the timer 45. Set.

When a power switch (not shown) is turned on, power is applied to the CPU 40, various pilot lamps are lit, and the process starts.

The temperature controller 41 is activated and the current temperature and set temperature are displayed on the display 42. The display 42 is attached to the operation panel 17. Seeing the display, set the set temperature using the temperature setting device 43 (40℃ to 60℃), and at the same time turn on the internal heater 8.
is energized, and the inside of the sterilization chamber 3 is heated. At this time, it is desirable to operate the fan to circulate the air inside the refrigerator.

When the temperature inside the sterilization chamber rises to the set temperature, it is detected and the digital timer 44 and vaporization timer 45 are activated to supply electricity to the vaporization heater 9, and the thermostat is activated to stop supplying electricity to the interior heater 8. Thereafter, the temperature inside the refrigerator is kept constant by turning on and off the heater 8 in the refrigerator using the thermostat, and the formalin solution in the saucer 1 is vaporized by the operation of the vaporization heater 9, and the items to be sterilized placed on the shelf 5.5 are sterilized. Sterilize. In this embodiment, the sterilization time by the digital timer 44 is set to 4 hours. Needless to say, this time can be changed depending on the size of the sterilization chamber 3, etc.
At the same time as the digital timer 44, which is preset to a time that allows the object to be sterilized to be completely sterilized, times up, the vaporization timer 45 also times up, and the vaporization heater 9
stop.

When the digital timer 44 times up, the first neutralization timer 46 is activated, and at the same time, the pump 20 is activated. At this time, the first solenoid valve 22 is off, the second solenoid valve is on, the third solenoid valve is off, the fourth solenoid valve is off, the fifth solenoid valve is off, and the sixth and seventh solenoid valves are on. Therefore, the gas in the sterilization layer 3 is transferred from the exhaust pipe 21 to the pump 20. It circulates from the introduction pipe 13 into the sterilization layer 3 through the second solenoid valve 23, the first tank 30, the fourth solenoid valve 25, and the pump 20. Aqueous ammonia is placed in the first tank 30, and formalin gas is introduced into the first tank 30, so that formaldehyde is neutralized.

When the first neutralization timer 46 times out, the second neutralization timer 47 starts operating. At the same time, the second solenoid valve 23 is turned off and the third solenoid valve 24 is turned on. therefore,
The gas in the sterilization layer 3 is circulated through the second tank 31.

A second neutralizing solution is placed in the second tank, and gas passes through it, so that formaldehyde is almost completely removed from the sterilization layer 3 and ammonia is also removed at the same time.

When the second neutralization timer 47 times up, the internal heater is turned off, the pump 20 is stopped, and various pilot lamps are turned off to signal the end of the sterilization work. The object to be sterilized can be taken out by turning off the power switch and opening the door 4 of the sterilization warehouse 3.

Since the inside of Sterilization 3 is neutralized with two types of neutralizing liquids and becomes harmless and odorless, the object to be sterilized can be used as is. That is, the object to be sterilized can be used immediately after several hours of sterilization work.

The above is a case where the nozzle 14 is not actively used. The method of using this nozzle 14 will be described below.

There are two ways to use it. When the object to be sterilized is sterilized using the method described above, the long, thin tube-like object is completely sterilized at the same time. In case of bacteria.

This is a case where the object to be sterilized is placed in a separately prepared container that can be opened and closed as shown in FIG. 7 and is sterilized. First, the former case will be explained.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
Attach one end of the , insert the other end into the object to be sterilized A,
As above, set the timer and temperature and turn on the power switch. At that time, a nozzle switch (not shown) provided on the operation panel 17 of the mechanical section 2 is turned on. As a result, the pump 20 is operated, and the first solenoid valve 22 is turned on, the sixth solenoid valve 25 is turned on, and the seventh solenoid valve 26 is turned on. After that, operate in the same manner as above. Therefore, during sterilization when the digital timer 44 is in operation, the gas is circulated through the piping, and formaldehyde gas can be injected to the inside of the object A to be sterilized through the rubber tube 50, thereby sufficiently sterilizing both the inside and outside. It goes without saying that neutralization is similarly carried out both inside and outside of the object A to be sterilized.

Next, when storing the object to be sterilized in the container 50 shown in FIG. 5
0 and performs the same operation as described above. At that time, the seventh solenoid valve 26 is kept in the OFF state, that is, the gas vaporized in the sterilization layer 3 is sent to the nozzle 14. do. The subsequent operation is the same as described above. The gas vaporized within the sterilization layer 3 is sent into the container 50 from the nozzle 14. After sterilization and neutralization, the entire container can be transported to the required location.

Next, a sterilization operation using the external exhaust port 18 and the external suction port 19 will be explained. When sterilizing large equipment (not shown) that cannot fit into the sterilization cabinet 3, carry the equipment to the side of this device IT or move this device 1 to the side of the equipment and sterilize the equipment. It works by covering it with something like a plastic bag. The solenoid valves are used with the first solenoid valve 22, fourth and fifth solenoid valves 27 and 28 turned on, and the sixth solenoid valve 25 turned off. Further, temperature management is controlled not only inside the sterilization chamber 3 but also by a sensor 33 provided near the external exhaust port 18. It does not require any special explanation that the gas vaporized in the sterilization layer 3 is sent into the plastic bag from the external exhaust port 18 and returned to the germ cell storage from the external suction port 19.The subsequent operation is also as described above. There is nothing different from the example.

Next, this embodiment has an external exhaust port 18.

If the formalin solution is not placed in the saucer 11, the air inside the refrigerator can be exhausted. In this case, it is desirable to attach a filter to the external intake port 19.

Therefore, this can be used as a gas release device for the conventional sterilizer using ethylene oxide. In this case, it goes without saying that not only formalin solution but also neutralizing solution is not necessary.
0, it may be released through the first solenoid valve 22 and the fourth solenoid valve 27.

Note that the check valve 32 is designed to close the glass 33 provided on the door 4 of the sterilization chamber 3 of the device 1 in the event that the suction pressure by the pump 20 increases.
This is to prevent damage to the product. Furthermore, it is desirable that the glass 33 be double glazed in order to have a heat insulating effect.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, sterilization is performed by using a formalin solution and forcibly vaporizing it with a vaporization heater, so that sterilization work can be performed in a short time. can. In addition, since the temperature inside the chamber in which the items to be sterilized are heated using a separately installed internal heater, and then the vaporization heater is activated to vaporize the items, it is possible to Even if the external temperature varies depending on the season, the time for actually vaporizing formalin, that is, the sterilization time, can be kept constant, and sterilization can be ensured under any circumstances. If the time was set so that the formalin solution would be vaporized at the same time as the start of operation, the vaporization status of the formalin solution would differ depending on the temperature, so there was a risk that sterilization would be inaccurate depending on the external temperature. If you could wipe things like that out.

In addition, the second invention circulates the gas inside the refrigerator using a pump and a solenoid valve, and furthermore, a neutralizing liquid is placed in the circulation path so that the neutralized gas is circulated inside the refrigerator after sterilization. Since there is no residual formaldehyde and no odor after the neutralization process, it can be taken out and used immediately. Therefore, the time from the start of sterilization to the reuse of the object to be sterilized can be extremely shortened.

In the third invention, since the sterilizing gas is injected from the injection port of the nozzle during sterilization, even the inside of a long and narrow object to be sterilized can be reliably sterilized.

Furthermore, if an external exhaust port and an external suction port are provided as in the fourth invention, it is possible to sterilize even large equipment that cannot fit into the sterilization chamber, and the usage of the device of the present invention can be expanded.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view showing the inside of the sterilization cabinet with the door open, Figure 3 is a sectional view of only the bottom of the sterilization cabinet, and Figure 4 is a view of the nozzle. 5 is a piping system diagram for gas circulation, FIG. 6 is an electrical block diagram of a control circuit, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the containers that can be used in this apparatus. 1: This device, 2: Ja, machine part, 3: Sterilization cabinet, 4: Door, 5
:Shelf, 8: Internal heater, 9: Evaporation heater, 10: Stand, 1
1: saucer, 14: nozzle, 14a: injection port, 20: pump, 22-28: solenoid valve, 30.31: tank, 40: CP
U, A: Items to be sterilized.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In a sterilizer that has a sterilization chamber and sterilizes objects to be sterilized by storing them in the chamber, a recess is provided at the bottom of the sterilization chamber, and a saucer for storing formalin solution is inserted into the tray. The formalin solution is placed on top of a vaporization heater for vaporizing the formalin solution, and an internal heater for heating the inside of the sterilization chamber is placed separately from the vaporization heater. A sterilization device characterized by being provided with a control circuit that operates a vaporization heater when a temperature is reached. (2) A first tank that stores a first neutralizing liquid consisting of an ammonia solution, a second tank that stores a second neutralizing liquid whose main component is a hydrogen peroxide solution, a pump, and the gas in the sterilization chamber. a first electromagnetic valve provided in the piping for circulating gas in the refrigerator by the pump without passing through the first and second tanks; and the first solenoid valve in the piping is in a branch path that bypasses the first solenoid valve.
a second solenoid valve connected to the tank and configured to circulate gas through the first neutralizing liquid by actuation of the pump; The sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a third solenoid valve connected to the pump to circulate gas through the second neutralizing liquid by operation of the pump. 3. The sterilizer according to claim 2, further comprising: (3) a nozzle having a large number of elongated ejection ports connected to a pipe branched from an introduction pipe connected from the pump to the sterilization chamber and introduced into the sterilization chamber and projected in an elongated manner. . (4) The sterilizer according to claims 2 and 3, further comprising the following configurations. an external exhaust port connected to the exhaust side of the pump via a fourth solenoid valve and having a tip protruding outside the device; an external exhaust port connected to the intake side of the pump via a fifth solenoid valve and having a tip protruding outside the device; A protruding external intake port.