WO2003084576A1

WO2003084576A1 - Vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and dezymotizing device

Info

Publication number: WO2003084576A1
Application number: PCT/JP2003/002010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kiyoshi Mito; Katsuhisa Ohta; Shinji Masuoka
Original assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha; Sharp Manufacturing System Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2002-04-04
Filing date: 2003-02-24
Publication date: 2003-10-16
Also published as: AU2003211294A8; AU2003211294A1; JP2005143513A; CN1556713A

Abstract

A vacuum ultrasonic cleaning device, wherein a storage tank part (6a) for storing cleaning solvent (5) and having a cleaned object (3) stored therein and an ultrasonic vibrator unit (7) having a specified internal space (7k) opening to the inside of a vacuum container (1) and providing ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning solvent (5) are installed in the vacuum container (1) capable of being brought into a vacuum state, the cleaning solvent (5) filled in the storage tank part (6a) under vacuum is heated by a heater (6i), the ultrasonic vibrator unit (7) is driven to perform the ultrasonic cleaning and dezymotizing of the cleaned object (3) immersed in the cleaning solvent (5), and after the cleaning solvent (5) is drained from the storage tank part (6a), the cleaned object (3) is vacuum-dried in the vacuum container (1).

Description

Vacuum Ultrasonic Cleaning Sanitization Equipment Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for efficiently cleaning and sterilizing used medical equipment used in hospitals, medical institutions, inspection institutions, and the like. Background art

Used medical equipment (scissors, forceps, tweezers, etc.) used in hospital wards, outpatients, operating rooms, delivery rooms, etc. is usually used repeatedly in hospitals, medical institutions, and inspection laboratories. Therefore, these items must be disinfected or sterilized to prevent secondary infection for next use, and safety for workers handling these contaminated medical devices must be sufficiently ensured. . This is because incomplete sterilization leads to cross-infection (infecting other people with bacteria and viruses attached to medical devices).

These used medical devices are attached with contaminants (blood, mucus, secretions, tissue fragments, excrement, drugs, inorganic substances, etc.), and many pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses) are attached to them. Lurking. For this reason, it is said that "visible dirt" or "invisible dirt" must be completely removed before disinfection and sterilization, and organic contaminants such as blood-protein remain. It is said that the sterilization effect cannot be expected even after disinfection and sterilization.

Looking at the guidelines of public institutions, for example, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Guy Dryon for In-Hospital Infection Prevention” said that there are many organic substances such as blood and protein as a pretreatment for disinfection. Since it contains microorganisms, it must be completely removed before disinfection. In addition, these organic substances may inactivate chemical disinfectants and protect microorganisms from disinfection and sterilization.

However, in order to satisfy these requirements, it is necessary to install both a cleaning device and a sterilization device. It was expensive in terms of surface area, and it was also uneconomical because a separate space was required for installing them.

By the way, each step from sterilization to cleaning is defined as follows.

1. Sterilization: To kill or remove all microorganisms in a substance.

2. Disinfection: To kill microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans.

3. Sterilization: Means to kill microorganisms, means to realize sterilization and disinfection. 4 Antibacterial: To prevent and control microbial life and breeding activities.

5. Sterilization: A method to ensure the desired level of safety by removing microorganisms in the environment (water, air) where surgery and food are handled.

6. Cleaning: The surface of an article contaminated with contaminants including microorganisms is chemically dissolved with warm water, preservatives, and detergents, and then physically washed and removed.

There are various sterilizers as post-treatment devices after washing, but a typical one is an autoclave device (high pressure steam sterilizer). This consists of a sealed container for storing medical equipment for steam sterilization, a tank for storing water as a source of steam, and a heater for heating the water.

This autoclave is effective and widely used even for heat-resistant bacteria (such as tuberculosis and spore bacteria) that are difficult to disinfect completely by ordinary simple boiling disinfection. For example, by putting medical equipment in an airtight container and sealing it, pressurizing the airtight container (approx. 1 to 2 atmospheres or less) and heating (approx. 130 to 135 ° C). Bacteria attached to medical equipment can be almost certainly killed.

Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) Medical high pressure steam sterilizer According to JIST7324, sterilization temperature and sterilization time are as follows: 1 2 1 ° C for 20 minutes or more, 1 26 ° C for 15 minutes or more, 1 3 2 ° It is defined as 5 minutes or more at C, 3 minutes or more at 1 35 ° C, and 10 minutes or more at 93 ° C at the sterilization level.

The definition of sterilization is, as described above, a method of removing the microorganisms present in the environment (water, air) where surgery and food are handled to ensure the intended safety level. Therefore, the standard of sterilization is only the level of sterilization, and if a sterilization level is required, it is only a pretreatment. However, it differs greatly from mere washing in that it has reached a certain level of safety that can be touched with bare hands after sterilization. However, in actual medical practice, bare hands should never touch the medical equipment after sterilization, and some protective equipment is usually worn.

This is because many of these medical devices have sharp edges and are configured with cutting edges for the purpose of cutting skin and bones. This is because many trauma accidents occur. For this reason, a safety-considering system has been devised, in which articles to be discarded are directly put into a sealed container from a waste disposal contractor and stored in an appropriate amount, and then the container is sealed and discharged as it is. Even in that case, the medical equipment to be reused is usually sorted by hand and then processed by a cleaning device.

From the viewpoint of countermeasures against infectious diseases, the handling of medical equipment, which is a normal object to be cleaned, is verified from the cleaning process to the sterilization process. ① When set in the cleaning device, ② Removal after cleaning is completed However, these ①, ②, and ③ are especially scenes where there is a danger that requires careful handling.

Ideally, it is desirable that these cleaning devices, sterilization devices, or sterilization devices are installed at each site or room, but there are many issues such as budget and installation space. Most forms of centralized processing. For this reason, these cleaning devices and sterilization devices or sterilization devices are often separated from the place where the medical devices are used, and they adhere to the devices when the medical devices are collected and transported to those devices. It is necessary to pay close attention to the spread of bacteria.

Therefore, by combining two devices, a cleaning device and a sterilization device, into a single system called a sterilization device, there are scenes where there is a risk of contact with workers who handle medical equipment. Of the three scenes, it is only when set in the cleaning device in (1), and the number of times is reduced to 1/3, greatly reducing the workload. In addition, although it is difficult to express numerically, safety improvements can also be made, and the safety improvement can be counted three times by simply estimating.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-38 1 76 discloses a vertical photoclave apparatus capable of performing ultrasonic cleaning as shown in FIG. According to this autoclave device, as described below, the pallet placed on the mushroom 1 0 6 1 1 5 From ultrasonic cleaning to pressure sterilization of the object to be cleaned can be performed automatically and consistently. First, add water up to level L2, drive the ultrasonic transducer 1 1 1 and basket 1

1 Wash the items to be cleaned in 5. Thereafter, water is added to level L 1, the heater 10 7 is heated, high pressure steam is generated in the chamber 10 2, and the objects to be cleaned in the basket 1 15 are sterilized under pressure.

However, with this device, it is not possible to dry the object to be cleaned.Therefore, it is necessary to dry the object to be cleaned after it has been cleaned and sterilized, or to transfer it to a dryer for drying. There was a problem that it took. In addition, securing the space for installing the dryer is also a problem.

Disclosure of the invention

In the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, vacuum cleaning and sterilization can be performed, and a series of processes from washing, sterilization, drying, and cooling can be performed efficiently and easily with the same apparatus. Provide a device that can do this.

Specifically, the vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting apparatus of the present invention applied ultrasonic vibration to a cleaning liquid placed under vacuum in a sealable vacuum container that accommodates an object to be cleaned, and was immersed in the cleaning liquid. In an apparatus for vacuum-cleaning and sterilizing an object to be cleaned, the cleaning liquid is stored and a storage tank portion for storing the object to be cleaned and a predetermined internal space opened in the vacuum container are provided. A vibrating body for applying a sonic vibration to the inside of the vacuum vessel, heating the cleaning liquid with a heat source such as a heater in the storage tank, vacuum cleaning the object to be cleaned with the cleaning liquid whose temperature has increased, and sterilization The cleaning liquid is further dried in a vacuum after being discharged from the storage tank.

This device is capable of removing (cleaning) and sterilizing dirt on the object to be cleaned, and removing germs adhering to the dirt, and has a high cleaning and sterilizing effect.

Furthermore, the vibrator comprises a diaphragm that forms part of the bottom surface of the storage tank and propagates ultrasonic vibrations, a plurality of vibrators that are attached to the lower surface of the diaphragm and emit ultrasonic vibrations, and the vibrators. And a cover attached to the lower surface of the diaphragm so as to form an internal space for accommodating the cleaning liquid, so that a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators can apply uniform and powerful ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid. Not only can it be super sound Since the entire wave vibrator is not immersed in the cleaning liquid, it is possible to easily prevent the cleaning liquid from adhering to the charged part.

By supplying purge gas to this internal space, the mist-like cleaning liquid in the vacuum vessel does not enter the internal space. Even if the cleaning liquid leaks into the internal space due to a defect in the diaphragm, it is compulsory. Are exhausted.

Further, by intermittently evacuating the vacuum vessel during cleaning or sterilization of the object to be cleaned, the rate of pressure change in the vacuum vessel is increased, and the replacement of residual gas and steam is promoted. Therefore, efficient cleaning and sterilization can be performed. In addition, since water can be used as the cleaning liquid in this device, cleaning costs can be reduced compared to the case of using chemicals such as fumigation with formalin.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the entire vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the configuration around the vacuum container of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a photoclave apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-381176. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows the overall configuration of the cleaning and disinfection device. The explanation is limited to the main part, and the explanation of surrounding traps is omitted.

First, the main part configuration of the entire apparatus will be described below. 1 is a vacuum container, 2 is a lid of the vacuum container, 3 is an object to be cleaned, 4 is a basket for storing the object to be cleaned, 5 is a cleaning liquid, 6 is a cleaning tank for storing the object 3 to be cleaned, 7 is an ultrasonic vibration The child unit 8 is a storage container for supplying detergent.

The vacuum vessel 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open upper end, and a cleaning tank 6 and an ultrasonic vibrator unit 7 are provided inside, and a lid 2 that rotates around a base shaft 2 a at the opened upper end. It has. In other words, with the lid 2 turned and opened, the net-like basket 4 containing the object to be cleaned 3 is put in and out of the vacuum vessel 1, while it is true when closed. The empty container 1 is sealed. A vacuum exhaust port 1a is formed on the side wall of the vacuum vessel 1, a pressure gauge 1h for detecting the pressure in the vacuum vessel 1 in the vacuum vessel 1, and if the internal pressure in the vacuum vessel 1 exceeds the set value A safety valve 1 j is provided to release gas to the outside through the gas-liquid separator 1 g. Furthermore, an opening 1 b for draining is provided at the bottom of the vacuum vessel 1.

Fig. 2 shows the configuration around the vacuum vessel 1 on an enlarged scale. The washing tank 6 includes a bottom wall 6b and a storage tank part 6a for storing the cleaning liquid 5, and an overflow liquid recovery part 6f for recovering the cleaning liquid 5 overflowing from the storage tank 6a. An opening 6c for pouring the cleaning liquid 5 is formed on the upper surface of the reservoir 6a, and a pair of upper and lower liquid level sensors 6d that sandwich the opening 6c at one point are disposed. A cleaning liquid supply port 6 g is located above the storage tank 6 a, and the cleaning liquid 5 is poured from the cleaning liquid supply port 6 g and stored in the storage tank 6 a. The cleaning liquid 5 overflowing from the storage tank 6a flows out from the storage tank 6a to the overflow recovery part 6f using the periphery of the opening 6c as a weir, but since the liquid level sensor 6d maintains a constant liquid level. The inconvenience that the basket 4 containing the article 3 to be cleaned is not immersed in the cleaning liquid 5 is avoided.

Further, the cleaning tank 6 includes a temperature sensor 6 e that measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid 5 in the storage tank 6 a. An opening 6h for drainage is formed in the bottom wall of the overflow recovery part 6f. Furthermore, an annular heater 6 i is provided at the bottom of the storage tank 6 a as an auxiliary heat source.

A liquid level sensor 6 k that detects the level of the cleaning liquid 5 is also provided at the bottom of the vacuum vessel 1. As a result, the recovery of the cleaning liquid 5 overflowing from the storage tank 6a is not smoothly performed in the overflow recovery section 6f, and the level of the cleaning liquid 5 overflowing to the outside of the cleaning tank 6 and flowing into the bottom of the vacuum vessel 1 is reduced. If it rises, an alarm is issued and the supply of cleaning solution 5 can be stopped. Therefore, the cleaning liquid 5 can be prevented from reaching the ultrasonic transducer unit 7.

As shown in Fig. 1, one end of the liquid supply pipe 1 3 is connected to the cleaning liquid temperature control tank 1 2, and the multi-end side where the cleaning liquid supply port 6 g is formed is inserted into the vacuum vessel 1. The liquid supply pipe 1 3 allows liquid supply from the cleaning liquid supply port 6 g. Inside the cleaning liquid temperature control tank 1 2, a heating part of a heating heat source 14 for the cleaning liquid 5 is arranged. heating The cleaning liquid thus prepared is adjusted to a constant temperature in the cleaning liquid temperature control tank 12. Then, the temperature-controlled cleaning liquid 5 is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port 6 g to the storage tank 6 a through the liquid supply pipe 1 3 provided in the path with the liquid supply pump 15, filter 16, solenoid valve 17, etc. Supplied. Returning to the explanation in Fig. 2, the detergent storage container 8 is connected to the storage tank section 6a through the filter 8a and the air drive valve 8b through the communication pipe 8c, and supplies the specified amount of detergent in a predetermined sequence. Furthermore, it is possible to select whether or not to use.

The ultrasonic vibrator unit 7 includes a vibration plate 7 a through which ultrasonic vibration propagates, a plurality of vibrators 7 b that are attached to the lower surface of the vibration plate 7 a and emit ultrasonic vibration, and each of these vibrators 7 b. A predetermined inner space 7 k surrounded by the diaphragm 7 a and the cover 7 e is formed. . In the diaphragm 7 a, the central portion 7 c to which each vibrator 7 b is attached is one step higher on the upper surface side than the peripheral portion 7 d, and the step portion engages with the diaphragm 7 a. The cover 7 e is attached to the lower surface of the diaphragm 7 a so as to fit in the center part Ίc.

The diaphragm 7 a is provided so as to close the opening formed in the bottom wall 6 b of the cleaning tank 6, and the diaphragm 7 a includes the peripheral portion 7 d of the diaphragm 7 a and the bottom of the cleaning tank 6. It is fastened through a port through a through hole (not shown) that passes through the wall 6 and the packing sandwiched between them. Although the cleaning solution 5 stored in the storage tank 6a may leak through the through hole, the cover 7e is attached at the center 7c of the diaphragm 7a, and the through hole is the internal space 7 Therefore, even if the cleaning liquid 5 leaks through the through hole, there is almost no risk of entering the internal space 7k and eroding the vibrator 7b. Further, an opening 7 f and an exhaust port 7 i connected to a check valve 7 h that can open the internal space 7 k only toward the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 are formed on the side wall of the force par 7 e. . Note that the end of each vibrator 7b that is driven by electricity is equipped with a charging part 7j that controls the electric drive, but in the unlikely event that the cleaning liquid 5 has entered the internal space 7k due to leakage or the like. In this case, there is a risk that the charging unit 7 j may cause electric leakage. 7 It is desirable to wipe out the cleaning solution 5 adhering to b. As shown in Fig. 1, the vacuum exhaust port 1a of the vacuum vessel 1 is formed at one end of a vacuum exhaust pipe 1e equipped with a filter 1c and a solenoid valve 1d in the path, and the vacuum exhaust pipe 1e The other end is connected to the vacuum pump 1f. Furthermore, a gas-liquid separator 1 g is provided downstream of the vacuum pump 1 f. This gas-liquid separator 1 g includes a liquid level sensor 1 n, a temperature sensor 1 o, an overflow pipe 1 p, a cooling source 1 r for a cooling heat exchanger 1 q, and the like. As for the liquid used in 1 g of gas-liquid separator, it is necessary to introduce liquids such as tap water or pure water from the outside of the system at the beginning of use, but usually when evacuating from the vacuum vessel 1 side. Usually, there is no need to supply from outside the system. In the present invention, by passing 1 g of the gas-liquid separator in this way, it is considered that the gas is discharged out of the system through liquid bubble filtration.

Vacuum exhaust pipe 1 By opening the e-system electromagnetic valve 1 d, the vacuum inside the vacuum vessel 1 is reduced through the filter 1 c, so that the cleaning tank 6 and the ultrasonic vibrator unit 7 are also put under reduced pressure. Accordingly, the internal space 7 k of the ultrasonic transducer unit 7 is also decompressed via the check valve 7 h.

The cover 7 e of the ultrasonic vibrator unit 7 is connected to one end of the intake passage 7 X, and the purge gas is supplied to the internal space 7 k of the ultrasonic vibrator unit 7 from the start of decompression to the completion of cleaning. It is used at the time of venting after sterilization completion. The other end of the intake path 7 X is connected to air such as the atmosphere. From the other end, along the intake path 7 X, the filter 7 1, solenoid valve 7 m, throttle valve 7 n, vent solenoid valve 7 o A flow meter 7p is provided.

The operation of the vacuum cleaning and sterilization apparatus configured as described above and the state during the operation will be described below. As shown in Fig. L, the basket 4 with the object to be cleaned 3 is accommodated in the storage tank 6 a provided in the vacuum vessel 1, the lid 2 is closed, and then the cleaning liquid temperature control tank 1 2 Introduce warmed cleaning solution 5 that has been stored and immerse it completely in cleaning solution 5. Next, when the vacuum pump 1 f is activated and the solenoid valve 1 d is opened, the air in the vacuum chamber 1 is sucked from the vacuum exhaust port 1 a to the vacuum pump 1 f via the vacuum exhaust pipe 1 e, and the vacuum The pull is started. At this time, the ultrasonic transducer unit 7 is sucked from the exhaust port 7 i through the check valve 7 h and is vacuumed at the same time as the atmospheric air is introduced from the intake port 7 f and the purge gas is supplied. Depressurized at the same pressure as in container 1 Here, examples of the vacuum pump include reciprocating, liquid ring, and rotary vacuum pumps. In the present embodiment, it is desirable to employ a liquid ring vacuum pump 1 f. In other words, with the liquid seal type, even if the cleaning liquid 5 vaporized in the vacuum vessel 1 is inhaled, the liquid is confined and comes into contact with the rotating part of the vacuum pump 1 f. This is because, unlike the pump 1 f, there is no inconvenience even if there is some intake of liquid mixture. On the other hand, liquid-sealed vacuum pump 1 f generates severe noise due to cavitation when the operating vacuum reaches the saturated vapor pressure of the replenishing liquid, and cannot be used. Generally, the air ejector 1 i is arranged at the front stage of the path to suck in air. However, in this embodiment, the role of the air ejector 1 i can be substituted by supply of purge gas.

After that, when the vibrator 7 b is activated when the pressure in the vacuum vessel 1 detected by the pressure gauge 1 h reaches a predetermined value (predetermined negative pressure state), the ultrasonic vibration causes the diaphragm 7 a to move. Propagated and given to the cleaning liquid 5, the cavity is excited in the cleaning liquid 5, and the object 3 to be cleaned is cleaned. This cleaning process includes a sterilization process. That is, the cleaning liquid 5 is heated by the heater 6 i, which is a heat source provided at the bottom of the storage tank 6 a, and the object to be cleaned 3 is simultaneously cleaned and sterilized. At that time, since the liquid level is maintained by the liquid level sensor 6d, emptying is prevented.

By the way, if the residual gas in the vacuum chamber 1 is not sufficiently evacuated, even if the cleaning liquid 5 is heated by the heater 6 i, the residual gas inhibits heat conduction and a sufficient temperature rise is obtained. In some cases, effective cleaning and disinfection may not be performed. To prevent this, open and close the solenoid valve 1d during cleaning and sterilization, temporarily stop evacuation, and sandwich the intermittent evacuation to increase the rate of pressure change. In addition, it promotes the replacement of residual gas and steam to achieve efficient cleaning and sterilization effects.

Next, when the product temperature of the medical device that is the object to be cleaned 3 reaches 80 to 100 ° C. and a time of 10 minutes or more has elapsed, the heating of the object to be cleaned 3 is finished and the process proceeds to drying. At that time, it is difficult to directly measure the temperature of the item 3 to be cleaned. Instead, the completion of the sterilization process is judged by judging the temperature indicated by the temperature sensor 6 e and the residence time of the temperature band. To do. In addition, since the purge gas is flowing in the internal space 7 k of the ultrasonic transducer unit 7, the mist-like cleaning liquid 5 existing in the vacuum vessel 1 does not enter the internal space 7 k and is temporarily vibrated. Even if the cleaning liquid 5 leaks into the internal space 7k due to a defect in the plate 7a, it is forcibly discharged from the exhaust port 7i.

After that, in order to start vacuum drying, the heater 6 i is de-energized, the vacuum exhaust pipe 1 f connected to the vacuum pump 1 f is closed, the solenoid valve 1 d is closed, and the intake path to the vacuum vessel 1 7 X Open the inside of the vacuum vessel 1 to atmospheric pressure by opening a 7 m solenoid valve. Next, by opening the electromagnetic valve 6 j located below the vacuum container 1, the cleaning liquid 5 flowing out from the overflow recovery part 6f or the cleaning liquid 5 in the storage tank part 6a is discharged to the outside. At this time, as an interlock for preventing air blow when the temperature rises due to the remaining heat of the heater 6 i, the elapsed time after the power supply to the heater 6 i is interrupted is included in the condition, and if the condition is satisfied, it remains as it is. If the discharge is continued, and if it has not been completed, then-close the solenoid valve 6 j, open the solenoid valve 6 j again after a predetermined time, and discharge the cleaning solution 5 intermittently to the outside.

Below the vacuum vessel 1 is equipped with a temporary waste water storage tank 1 8 with a capacity corresponding to the capacity of the storage tank 6a, connected to the waste heat exhaust heat recovery tank 1 9 through a circulation pump 21 and a heat exchanger 20 and The heat medium enclosed in the pipe is used to collect heat from the discharged high temperature cleaning liquid 5. In addition, heat recovery will be actively carried out, but in order to eliminate the risk of contamination, the cleaning solution should not be recovered again in principle. In addition, these storage tanks, pipes, solenoid valves, and traps that involve the transfer of heat are heat shielded with heat insulating materials (not shown).

After the cleaning liquid 5 accumulated under the vacuum container 1 is discharged, the solenoid valve 6 j is closed, the solenoid valve 1 d is opened, and the vacuum container 1 is started to be evacuated. The cleaning liquid 5 adhering to the medical device that is the cleaning object 3 evaporates while removing the latent heat of evaporation from the medical device that is the cleaning object 3, and thus drying and cooling proceed. Since normal sterilizers use steam, it takes time to cool down after sterilization and cannot be used immediately when needed, heat-resistant gloves are required, and there is a risk of burns. Yes. On the other hand, this device has the advantage that it can be taken out of the vacuum vessel 1 and immediately started on the next operation.

When drying of the object to be cleaned 3 is completed, the solenoid valve 1 d of the vacuum exhaust pipe 1 e is closed. Next, the solenoid valve 7 m in the intake passage 7 X, which is the gas pipe for supplying the purge gas, opens, and the The air that has passed through the filter 7 1 is introduced into the vacuum vessel 1 and the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 1 is returned to normal pressure. At the end of a series of processes, display or sound end notification is issued. Finally, open the lid 2 of the vacuum container 1 and take out the basket 4 containing the medical device, which is the object to be cleaned 3, which has been cleaned, sterilized and dried, from the vacuum container 1.

Industrial applicability

As described above, according to the present invention, vacuum cleaning and sterilization of medical equipment and the like can be performed at the same time, and a series of processes from cleaning, sterilization, drying, and cooling can be performed efficiently and easily with the same apparatus. Yes. Therefore, it is possible to effectively use the space at the medical site and reduce expenses.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for applying ultrasonic vibration to a cleaning liquid placed under vacuum in a sealable vacuum container that accommodates an object to be cleaned, and vacuum cleaning and sterilizing the object to be cleaned immersed in the cleaning liquid. A storage tank section for storing the object to be cleaned and a vibrating body that has a predetermined internal space opened in the vacuum container and applies ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid. A vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and sterilizing apparatus, wherein the cleaning liquid is heated in the storage tank by a heat source such as a heater, and the object to be cleaned is vacuum cleaned and sterilized with the cleaning liquid whose temperature has increased.

2. The vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid is further vacuum-dried after being discharged from the storage tank section.

3. The vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inside of the vacuum container is intermittently vacuum exhausted during cleaning or disinfection of the object to be cleaned. The vibrator includes a diaphragm that forms part of the bottom surface of the storage tank and propagates ultrasonic vibrations, a plurality of vibrators that are attached to the lower surface of the diaphragm and emit ultrasonic vibrations, and each of the vibrators The vacuum ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a cover attached to a lower surface of the diaphragm so that an internal space is formed.

5. The vacuum ultrasonic cleaning sterilization apparatus according to claim 4, wherein purge gas is supplied to the internal space.

The vacuum ultrasonic cleaning disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cleaning liquid is water.