US2302241A - Sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 17, 1942. A Q MlcKELSEN 2,302,241

STERILIZER Filed Dec, 9, 1940 Inventor Amon@ 0. Mickelsen Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES earner!" OFFICE Antone 0. Mickelsen, Portland, Oreg. Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,303

4 Claims.

v This invention relates to sterilizers for surgical and dental instruments in which a sterilizing solution at ordinary temperature is to be employed, such as the sterilizer described in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,165,497, issued July 11, 1939.

An object of this invention is to provide such a sterilizer in which a sterilizing solution may be retained and the sterilizer sealed up and kept air- 'ght at all times except when the instruments are being inserted into or removed from the ster- 'ilizer.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a sterilizer for which only a single liquid-containing vessel will be required.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simplied sterilizer of the type above-mentioned which would be comparatively inexpensive `to manufacture and which can therefore be sold much more cheaply than the sterilizer described in my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,165,497, and much more cheaply than other sterilizers of the same general type now on the market.

The manner in which my simplied sterilizer is constructed and used will be apparent from the following brief description of the same with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

-2 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my VsterilizerV with the cover removed, showing the normal position of the sterilizer when not in use;

Figure`2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and v.Figure 3 is a front or end elevation taken from the right of Figure l. Y

My sterilizer includes a container or vessel i of non-corrosive material and preferably of glass. I have found it more practical to use a glass ask for this purpose, the fiask, as apparent from Figures 1 and 2, being generally elliptical in crosssection With one cross-sectional dimension considerably greater than the other. While the container or vessel I for my sterilizer might also be rectangular in cross-section, I consider a iiask of generally elliptical cross-section, as shown, to be more practical for such purpose.

At one end the vessel or flask l is provided with a neck 4 and opening 2, there being no other opening into the vessel. As will be observed in Figure 3, the diameter of the neck 4 is exactly the same as the minor cross-sectional dimension or thickness of the vessel. The outside of the neck is tted with threads 3 (Figure 1) in order that a 55 cap (not shown) may be secured on the neck to seal the opening 2.

An important feature of the vessel or flask il- Ylustrated resides in the fact that the neck 4 is olfset and, when the vessel is in the position illustrated, is considerably nearer the top lateral edge than the bottom. The purpose of having the neck and opening so located is to permit a sucient quantity of sterilizing liquid 9 to be kept in the vessel or ask while the sterilizer remains in the normal horizontal position and when the cap is removed for the insertion of instruments into or the removal of instruments from the sterilizer.

For supporting instruments in the sterilizer before and after the sterilizing process I provide a 'slidable tray 5, preferably in the form of a trough, made of non-corrosive metal and extending the full length of the vessel. The tray has drain openingsor holes l0 so that thesterilizing liquid may be drained of of the instruments and tray when the vessel is in the position illustrated. One end of the tray 5 is supported by a U-shaped leg or standard 'I formed soas to be easily slidable within the vessel or flask. The other end of the tray rests in the neck 4 of the vessel as shown at E in Figure 1.

The vessel or flask l is held inthe position illustrated in Figure l by means of a'support 8, which in this case is slipped over the outside of the vessel or flask, but which also might be made integral with the vessel. The support 8 has two opposite and parallel iiat surfaces or bases Il in order that it may support the vessel either in the position shown in Figure l or in inverted position.

In the operation of my sterilizer, a sufficient amount of the sterilizing liquid is rst poured into the vessel I to cause the level of the liquid 9 to reach approximately to the height indicated' in Figure 41 when the vessel is supported in its normal position by the support 8, the top level of the liquid thus being below the ybottom of the neck 4 and the offset location of the neck thus preventing any escape of the liquid when the vessel rests in this position and the cap is removed. The tray 5 is then pulled out through the neck 4 and opening 2 a short distance to facilitate the placing of the instruments in the tray, Whereupon the tray with the instruments thereon is pushed back into the vessel. The cap (not shown) is now firmly secured on the outside of the neck 4 to seal the opening 2. Next, the sterilizer is inverted causing the instruments to become immersed in the sterilizng liquid which will have passed to the opposite side of the vessel I. After the instruments have been immersed for a suicient length of time for sterilization, the sterilizer is again returned to its normal position causing the instruments to fall back onto the tray 5 and the sterilizing liquid to be drained from them and from the tray. When the instruments are desired for use, the cap is remo-ved from the neck 4, and the tray is pulled out a short distance to facilitate the lifting of the instruments from the tray. Finally the tray is pushed back and the cap replaced to prevent evaporation of the sterilizing liquid until the sterilizer is again used. In this way very little loss of the sterilizing liquid occurs and the liquid may be used many times with resulting economy.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the structure of the different parts of my sterilizer which would still come within the scope of my invention as set forth in the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A sterilizer of the type described including a vessel, the cross-sectional area of which has one dimension greater than the other, a neck and opening at one end of said vessel, said neck and opening being circular in cross-section, the diameter of said neck and opening corresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectional area of said vessel, said n eck and opening being located nearer to one lateral edge of said vessel than to the other, and a tray in said vessel, the width of said tray corresponding to the lesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectional arca of said Vessel, drain openings in the bottom of said tray, one end of said tray supported by said neck, a leg attached to said tray supporting the other end of said tray, and means for supporting said vessel on one side with said neck and opening in raised position when the instruments to be sterilized are placed in or removed from said vessel and means for holding said vessel on the opposite side with said neck and opening in lowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in the vessel.

2. In a sterilizer of the type described, a vessel the cross sectional area of which has one dimension greater than the other, an opening at one end of said vessel, the width of said opening corresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectional area of said vessel, said opening being located nearer to one lateral edge of said vessel than to the other, a sealable closure for said opening, and a slidable tray in said vessel, the width of said tray corresponding appro-ximately to the Width of said openino' said tray extending the full length of said vessel, drain openings in the bottom of said tray, the outer end of said tray supported in said opening, means attached to the inner end of said tray for supporting it on the bottom of said vessel when said vessel is in normal position, and means for supporting said vessel in normal position on the bottom side with said opening in raised position when the instruments to be sterilized are placed in or removed from said vessel and means for holding said vessel in inverted position on the opposite side with said opening in lowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in the vessel.

3. In a sterilizer of the type described, a flask, the cross-sectional area of which has one dimension greater than the other, an opening at one end of said flask, a neck extending about said opening, said opening being circular in cross-section, the diameter of said opening corresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions of the cross-sectional area of said ask, said opening being located nearer to one lateral edge of said liask than to the other, a sealable closure for said opening, and a slidable tool rest in said flask, the width of said tool rest corresponding approximately to the diameter of said opening` said tool rest extending the full length of said flask, one end of said tool rest adapted to rest in said neck, means for supporting the other end of said tool rest in said flask when said flask is in normal position, and means for supporting said flask in normal position on the bottom side with said opening in raised position when the instruments to be sterilized are placed in or removed from said flask and means for holding said flask in inverted position on the opposite side with said opening in lowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in the ask.

4. A sterilizer comprising, a container elliptical in cross-section, an opening at. one end of said container, the width of said opening corresponding approximately to the lesser of the two dimensions oi the cross-sectional area of said container, said opening being located nearer to one lateral edge of said container than to the other, a sealable closure for said opening, and a tray in said container, the width of said tray correspending approximately to the width of said opening, said tray extending the full length of said container, drain openings in the bottom of said tray, the outer end of said tray adapted to rest in said opening, a leg attached to said tray supporting the other end of said tray, and means for supporting said container in normal position on the bottom side with said opening in raised position when the instruments to be sterilized are placed in or removed from said container and means for holding said container in inverted vposition on the opposite sidewith said openingin lowered position during the sterilizing of the instruments in the container.

ANTONE O. MICKELSEN.

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