US1213810A - Sterilizing apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

c. A SCHAERER. STERI'LIZING APPARATUS.. APPLICATION FILED AUG-Y8. I915.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

L a L f ZZZ CARL ALBERT SCI-IAERER, OF PANKOW, BERLIN, GERMANY.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

aiaaio.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 191"].

Application filed August 18, 1915. Serial No. 46,166i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL ALBERT SCHAE- BER, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at No. 113 Hartwigstrasse, Pankow, Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterlizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved sterilizing apparatus destined for the surgical and medical use.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which a liquid, such for instance as a solution of chlorid of sodium, is not only sterilized in a known manner by subjecting it to heat, but within which the said sterilized liquid may also be preserved for a considerable length of time, ready for use on any occurrence; and the sterilizing effect of said apparatus is not limited to the liquid to be employed for'medical or surgical use, but it simultaneously extends to the auxiliary means and implements, such, for instance, as rubber or metal pipes, injection-needles and other instruments to be employed in applying the sterilized liquid.

The method of preparing sterilized liquids by heating the same, is well known, the difliculty hitherto experienced in applying such sterilized liquids, particularly in injecting the same into the human body with every due precaution against introducing infectious matter along with the sterilized liquid, consisting in equally keeping in a thoroughly sterilized state the accessory and auxiliary means, implements and instruments, ready for use at any moment. Such mechanical means for applying the sterilized liquid, generally, are subjected to a sterilizing treatment separate and independent from that employed for sterilizing the liquid, in the moment of use, then, the said auxiliary means, such as rubber, metal, glass or other pipes, injection needles and injection pipes are required to be connected to the bottle or receptacle containing the liquid to be applied, and as such connections, usually, are made by the aid of hands, or under admission of the surrounding atmosphere, there is no certainty that perfect sterilization is obtained.

By the use of the improved sterilizing apparatus of this invention, the sundry auxil iary mechanical means for applying the sterilized liquid are contained in the apparatus and kept in proper connection for immediate use with the bottle or other receptacle containing said liquid, all in a sterilized state and avoiding the necessity of fitting the said mechanical means preparatory to the surgical application.

According to this invention, the improved sterilizing apparatus includes, with the bottle or receptacle containing the liquid to be applied, all mechanical and accessory means for immediate conveyance of the liquid from the apparatus into the body of the suffering person.

In order to fully explain my invention, I have illustrated the same by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 'isa plan of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side-elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus, the covering bell and the casing for the rubber pipe having been removed.

Referring to the drawings: 1 designates a bottle of glass or other suitable material, having a neck and a metal plate 9. to cover its month, said plate having apertures through which extend a short discharge pipe 3, and a pipe 4 for admitting air into the bottle, and which plate, further, carries a central supporting stay 8 or post. The said plate 2 has its circumferential edge bent down to engage the bottle-head 5. The neck of the bottle, further, carries secured to it a collar 6, serving to support the lower edge of a covering bell 7. A rubber band 9 is placed between the said collar 6 and the bottle 1. Below the annular flange of the bottle head a hoop 10 is laid around the bottle-neck, said hoop being open and adapted to be removed; a swivel 11 is pivoted to said hoop with its free ends. A screw 12 passes through the central part of said swivel and the lower end of said screw carries secured to it an inverted cup-shaped cap 13 fitting the top of the stay or post 8. It will be seen, that by screwing down the said screw 12, the said stay will force the plate 2 against the mouth of the bottle, thereby hermetically stoppering the same.

A perforated cylindrical drum 14: is placed upon the neck of the bottle, surrounding the swivel 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. At the upper end of said drum, a flange 16 projects outside as well as inside; the inside flange has two slots 17 opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 2, through which pins 18 projecting from the swivel 11 are made to pass on sliding said drum over said swivel. The rubber pipe 20 connectedto the discharge pipe 3 carries at its free end a needle holder 19 adapted to receive the injection needle. The said rubber pipe 20, is wound up around the drum 14 and secured in position by suitable clamps 21 or binding means. Below the collar 6 laid around the bottle-neck, an open hoop 22, is fitted around said bottle neck. adapted to be closed and tightened by a bayonet joint 2d: or other suitable means. A swivel 28 is pivoted to said hoop 22 with its free ends, and to the central part of said swivel a cap 26, is secured by means of a spring-actuated stud 25. The said cap fits the top of the glass-bell 7 and holds the same tightly in position owing to the pressure of the spring of stud 25.

The operation of the apparatus before described is as follows: The bottle or receptacle 1, having been filled up to the brim with the liquid to be sterilized, such for instance, as .a solution of chlorid of sodium, the stoppering plate 2 is superposed on the bottle-mouth and tightened by the screw 12 of the swivel 11 acting against the stay 8 through the cap 13. The drum 14, is then placed in position, surrounding said swivel l1, and a slight turn is given to said drum to shift the slots 17, out of coincidence with the guide pins 18 of the swivel 11; the drum, thereby, is prevented from coming out of position. The rubber pipe 20, is then connected to the discharge-pipe 3 extending into the bottle mouth through the covering plate 2. The glass-bell is then placed to cover the bottle mouth with the swivel 11 and drum 1% and the rubber pipe 20 in position. In such condition the whole apparatus-is put into a heating chamber of any known kind, within which the temperature is raised to C. Under the influence of heat vapors will be developed from the liquid within the bottle, said vapors escaping through the discharge pipe and rubber pipe 20 connected to.it, flowing into the space inside the glass-bell 7, and expelling from the said space the atmospheric air therein contained. lVhen the heating operation has been continued for a suflicient length of time, not only the liquid contents of the bottle, but also the whole of thevparts connected to said bottle and kept inside the glass-bell will undergo an absolute and reliable sterilization. The said parts comprise all that is required for applying the injection of the sterilized liquid into parts of the human body. When the sterilizing operation has been completed,,the apparatus is removed from the heating chamber; on cooling down, the vapors within the bottle and inside the bell 7 will condense, a vacuum will be formed within said bell and the outside atmospheric pressure will keep the bell tightly prwsed down against the rubber or packing band 9, below the hoop 22. The swivel 23, all the time, is kept in its raised and locked position, whereby the bell T is prevented from being thrown oil, while interior pressure exists within said bell. In this state of complete sterilization the apparatus may be preserved for any length of time, up to the moment of use of the sterilized liquid contained in the bottle. On occurrence of such moment of application, the swivel 22-; of the apparatus is released and swung down, whereupon the bell 7 may be readily removed; the rubber pipe 20, needle holder and injection-needle being all in position for immediate use and being all in a pen fectly sterilized state, the surgical or medical operation may go on immediately.

On removing the bell 7, atmospheric air will enter into the bottle through the pipe 4, thereby allowing the liquid contents of the bottle to be discharged through the pipe 3 and rubber pipe 20. The hollow head of said pipe 4- may be filled with any filtering material such as wad or the like, to retain dust or any impurities floating in the atmos phere. For the rest, any such impurities which might enter through said pipe 4-, would be unable to do any harm, as the entering atmosphere only serves to counteract-the atmospheric pressure without, viz. to allow the liquid to be discharged from the bottle, the said air which enters at the moment ofdischarge will. not enter into contact with the amount of liquid actually discharged.

By this means, surgical and medical injections of liquid matter may be carried on with full security.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved sterilizing apparatus comprising, in combination, a receptacle for receiving the liquid substance to be sterilized, a stopper for tightly closing the mouth of said receptacle, a discharge pipe leading through said stopper from the receptacle and an air feeding, pipe leading into said receptacle through the said stopper, a flexible discharge pipe connected to the said discharge pipe leading from the receptacle, means connected to said flexible discharge pipe for applying the sterilized liquid to the sick body, a perforated drum placed at top of said receptacle and serving to guide the flexible discharge pipe, a bell covering the top of said receptacle together with the stoppering means, pipes and drum connected thereto, and means for tightening said bell against its support, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an improved sterilizing apparatus, the combination, with a receptacle for receiving the liquid substance to be sterilized, of a stoppering device, means for tightening and releasing said stoppering device, a discharge pipe leading from the receptacle through said stoppering device, an air feeding pipe leading into said receptacle through said stoppering device, means connected to said discharge pipe for leading the sterilized liquid out of the apparatus, a perforated drum surrounding the stopperingdevice and parts carried by the same, a bell surrounding said drum and superposed to the said receptacle, means for supporting said bell, a swivel carried by said supporting means for holding the said bell in position, and means for tightening and releasing said bell as required, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluid substances to be sterilized, a closure for the receptacle, i11- strumentalities for facilitating the discharge of the fluid from the receptacle, and a removable sealing bell secured to the receptacle to inclose the fluid discharging instrumentalities, said receptacle with the receiving bell secured thereto being capable of being heated as an entirety to sterilize the fluid within the receptacle to cause the vapors from the heated fluid to pass into the sealing bell through the fluid discharging instrumentalities to sterilize the instrumentalities contained within the sealing bell.

4:. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluid substances to be sterilized, a collar secured to the receptacle, a closure for the receptacle having means to discharge fluid from the receptacle and provided also with a vent, a sealing bell for inclosing the fluid discharging means and the vent, and means carried by the collar to clamp the bell into engagement with collar supporting means to hermetically seal the instrumentalities within the bell including the fluid discharging means and the vent, whereby the entire apparatus may be heated sufliciently to sterilize the fluid within the receptacle and permit the vapors from the fluid to escape through the fluid discharging means for sterilizing the instrumentalities contained within the sealing bell.

5. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a receptacle for receiving fluid substances to be sterilized, a hoop secured to the receptacle near the mouth thereof and provided with a swivel, means to maintain the swivel in a predetermined position, locking pins carried by the swivel, a closure for the receptacle having fluid discharging instrumentalities, a drum adapted to be positioned around the fluid discharging instrumentalities, said drum being provided with a flange having notches to permit of the passage therethrough of the swivel locking pins whereby the drum may be moved to a predetermined position on the receptacle and retained in such position, a part of the fluid discharging instrumentalities being coiled around the drum, a sealing bell to close the fluid discharge instrumentalities and a drum, and means to hermetically seal the bell to the receptacle.

6. The hereindescribed method of sterilizing fluid and fluid discharging instrumentalities, which consists in placing the fluid to be sterilized within a receptacle having a closure provided with fluid discharge instrumentalities and a vent leading to the interior of the receptacle, and provided also with a sealing bell to inclose the receptacle closure, the fluid discharging instrtimentalities and the vent, placing the entire apparatus into a heating chamber to heat the fluid within the container until it is sterilized, continuing such heating of the fluid within the receptacle until heat vapors developing from the fluid within the receptacle are discharged through the fluid discharging instrumentalities into the sealing bell to expel the atmospheric air from within the sealing bell through the vent and to thereby sterilize instrumentalities within said bell, removing the entire apparatus from the heating chamber to a cooler chamber to permit the vapors Within the receptacle and the receiving bell to be condensed and thereby form a partial vacuum within the sealing bell.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL ALBERT SCHAERER.

Witnesses HENRY HASPER, ARTHUR SoHRoEDER.

fleplee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommlsaloner of Watenta, Washington, D. U.

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