JP2007130037A - Medical instrument washing apparatus and medical instrument washing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical instrument washing apparatus which improves the propagation efficiency of ultrasonic waves and demonstrates a high washing effect by applying ultrasonic washing to an object to be washed after or while deaerating washing liquid, and a medical instrument washing method. <P>SOLUTION: The medical instrument washing apparatus is equipped with: a washing tub 3 for housing a medical instrument as the object to be washed; a washing liquid supply means for supplying the washing liquid into the washing tub 3; an ultrasonic wave generator 5 for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the washing liquid inside the washing tub 3; and a deaerating tub 23 provided in the middle of a circulation system for circulating the washing liquid inside the washing tub 3 by a circulation liquid discharge pump 29. The ultrasonic washing is performed with the washing liquid deaerated by the deaerating tub 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical instrument cleaning apparatus and a medical instrument cleaning method for ultrasonically cleaning medical instruments such as a scalpel and forceps.

  In general, a used medical instrument is often washed with a hand such as a brush or a small jet-jet type washing machine with an improved dishwasher. However, in these cleaning methods, sufficient cleaning power cannot be obtained, and it is difficult to completely remove the dirt attached to the medical instrument.

Therefore, a cleaning device has been proposed in which a medical instrument is immersed in a cleaning solution stored in a cleaning tank, and ultrasonic cleaning is performed using ultrasonic waves to remove dirt adhered to the medical instrument (patent) Reference 1).
JP 2002-355624 A

  By the way, various kinds of medical instruments rapidly increase with the development of medical technology in recent years, and a lot of complicated shapes such as tubes, coil-shaped shapes and connecting parts can be seen. It was. Such a medical device having a complicated shape has low ultrasonic wave propagation efficiency even after ultrasonic cleaning as described above, and dirt adhered to the inside of a hollow element such as a tube or a gap between connecting portions. It was difficult to remove.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to perform ultrasonic cleaning on an object to be cleaned while degassing or degassing a cleaning liquid. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical instrument cleaning apparatus and a medical cleaning method that improve the propagation efficiency of sound waves and exhibit a high cleaning effect.

The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and the invention according to claim 1 is a cleaning tank for storing a medical instrument as an object to be cleaned,
Cleaning liquid supply means for supplying a cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank;
An ultrasonic generator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank;
Deaeration means provided in the middle of the circulation system for circulating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank by a circulation mechanism;
With
The medical instrument cleaning apparatus is characterized in that ultrasonic cleaning is performed with the cleaning liquid deaerated by the deaeration means.

Invention of Claim 2 is equipped with a heating means in the said washing tank,
The medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ultrasonic cleaning is performed with a heated cleaning liquid.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the deaeration means includes a deaeration tank for degassing the cleaning liquid by a vacuum pump. is there.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the cleaning liquid supply means includes an injection nozzle that sprays the cleaning liquid toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank and the object to be cleaned.
The medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is discharged while the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the spray nozzle.

The invention according to claim 5 includes an auxiliary tank having heating means,
5. The medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid in the auxiliary tank is heated and the heated cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank.

  The medical device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating means is configured to heat the cleaning liquid by steam heating in which steam is jetted into the cleaning liquid. It is a cleaning device.

The invention according to claim 7 is a medical instrument cleaning method in which a medical instrument is immersed in a cleaning liquid stored in a cleaning tank, and ultrasonic cleaning is performed by applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank.
This is a medical instrument cleaning method characterized by performing ultrasonic cleaning after degassing the cleaning liquid by a degassing means or while degassing.

  According to the invention of claim 1, an ultrasonic generator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, and a deaeration means provided in the middle of the circulation system for circulating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank by the circulation mechanism, In addition, since ultrasonic cleaning is performed with the cleaning liquid degassed by the degassing means, the residual air in the cleaning liquid can be reduced, and the propagation efficiency of ultrasonic waves can be improved. Accordingly, it is possible to uniformly apply ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect.

  In the invention of claim 2, the cleaning tank may be provided with heating means, and ultrasonic cleaning may be performed with a heated cleaning liquid.

  In the invention of claim 3, the deaeration means may be constituted by a deaeration tank for degassing the cleaning liquid by a vacuum pump.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the cleaning liquid supply means includes an injection nozzle that injects the cleaning liquid toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank and the object to be cleaned, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is ejected from the injection nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dirt and the like floating on the surface of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank from adhering to the inner wall of the cleaning tank and the object to be cleaned. Furthermore, when the heated cleaning liquid is drained, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank can be drained after the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is lowered by spraying a normal temperature cleaning liquid.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the auxiliary tank having the heating means is provided, the cleaning liquid in the auxiliary tank is heated, and the heated cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank, so that the cleaning liquid is heated in the cleaning tank. There is no need to do it. Further, even when the cleaning liquid supplied from the auxiliary tank does not reach the appropriate temperature, the cleaning liquid is preheated, so that it can be heated to the appropriate temperature in a short time.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the heating means is configured to heat the cleaning liquid by steam heating for jetting the steam into the cleaning liquid, steam such as a boiler provided in a medical facility such as a hospital can be used. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a new heat source in the medical instrument cleaning apparatus. Furthermore, since steam heating has a very high heating efficiency, the heating time can be shortened, and as a result, the cleaning processing time can be shortened.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the medical instrument cleaning method, wherein the medical instrument is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank, and ultrasonic cleaning is performed by applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank. Since the ultrasonic cleaning is performed after the cleaning liquid is degassed by the gas means or while degassing, the remaining air in the cleaning liquid can be reduced, and the propagation efficiency of the ultrasonic waves can be improved. Accordingly, it is possible to uniformly apply ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of tubes, on-off valves, and pumps of a medical instrument cleaning apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a cleaning tank 3 having an opening / closing lid 2 on an upper surface opening, a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid such as water into the cleaning tank 3, A cleaning basket 4 that is provided in the cleaning tank 3 so as to be movable up and down, accommodates an object to be cleaned, a heating means that heats the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3, and an ultrasonic wave is applied to the cleaning liquid to ultrasonically clean the object to be cleaned. The ultrasonic generator 5 and a drainage / circulation mechanism for draining or circulating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 are schematically configured. Hereinafter, these will be described in detail sequentially.

  A water supply pipe 7 for supplying a cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank 3 is connected to the cleaning tank 3, and a water supply valve 8 is interposed in the middle of the water supply pipe 7. Further, an auxiliary agent introducing pipe 10 having an auxiliary agent introducing valve 9 interposed is connected between the water supply valve 8 and the washing tank 3, and an auxiliary agent introducing port is connected to the upper end of the auxiliary agent introducing pipe 10. 11 is formed. Thus, the auxiliary agent can be supplied together with the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank 3 from the auxiliary agent inlet 11 through the auxiliary agent introducing pipe 10. As the auxiliary agent, a general detergent, for example, a surfactant or the like is used, and can be appropriately selected as necessary. The water supply pipe 7, the water supply valve 8 and the like function as the cleaning liquid supply means in the present invention.

  The washing tank 3 is a box-like heat-resistant and heat-insulating container. The bottom is provided with a heating means for heating or keeping the washing liquid supplied from the washing liquid supply means, and operates when the washing liquid is stored. It is like that. The heating means shown in FIG. 1 is a steam jet pipe 14 that heats steam supplied from a boiler or the like through a heating steam valve 12 directly into the cleaning liquid from a plurality of jet holes 13 to form hot water (hot water). The cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 can be heated to an appropriate temperature in a short time. Further, a temperature sensor 15 is provided in the cleaning tank 3, and the temperature of the cleaning liquid is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for each cleaning process by controlling the heating means based on a signal from the temperature sensor 15. Can do. The heating means is not limited to the vapor jet pipe 14, and any heating means may be used as long as it can heat the cleaning liquid. For example, a heat source such as an electric heater may be provided in the cleaning tank 3.

  The cleaning tank 3 is provided with a cleaning basket mounting portion 17 on which a cleaning basket 4 containing a medical device as an object to be cleaned is placed, and the cleaning basket mounting portion 17 is moved up and down to raise the medical instrument. A lifting mechanism 18 is provided to immerse the cleaning basket 4 in the cleaning solution together with the cleaning basket 4 (see FIG. 1). In addition, a plurality of water supply nozzles 19 for injecting a cleaning liquid toward the cleaning basket 4 and the entire inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 are provided in the upper part of the cleaning tank 3, and the cleaning liquid is supplied from these water supply nozzles 19 to medical use in the cleaning basket 4. It is configured so that it can be sprayed onto the entire inner wall of the appliance or the cleaning tank 3 for shower cleaning or supplied into the cleaning tank 3. In addition, an ultrasonic generator 5 is attached below the cleaning tank 3, and is configured to allow ultrasonic cleaning by applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3.

  A first circulation drain pipe 21 constituting a part of the circulation / drainage system is connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank 3, and a first on-off valve 22 is interposed in the first circulation drain pipe 21. The tip is connected to the upper half of the deaeration tank 23. Therefore, by opening the first on-off valve 22, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 can be discharged into the deaeration tank 23 and temporarily stored in the deaeration tank 23.

  This deaeration tank 23 is a pressure-resistant tank having heat insulation properties like the washing tank 3, and an intake pipe 25 connected to the intake port side of a vacuum pump 24 (a kind of deaeration means) is connected to the upper part. The cleaning liquid stored inside can be degassed under reduced pressure, for example, by reducing the residual air in the cleaning liquid by the vacuum pump 24. The vacuum pump 24 is operated when the cleaning liquid is circulating.

  Further, a second circulation drain pipe 27 constituting a part of the circulation / drainage system is connected to the lower part of the deaeration tank 23, and a second on-off valve 28 is connected to the second circulation drain pipe 27. And a circulation drainage pump 29 (a kind of circulation / drainage mechanism) are provided, and the downstream side branches into a circulation pipe 30 and a drainage pipe 31 as a part of the circulation system. A circulation valve 32 is provided in the middle, and a drain valve 33 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 31, and the downstream side of the circulation pipe 30 is connected to the upper side of the side wall of the cleaning tank 3. That is, the first circulation drain pipe 21 connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank 3, the deaeration tank 23 connected to the first circulation drain pipe 21, and the first circulation drain connected to the lower part of the deaeration tank 23. Two circulation drainage pipes 27, a circulation drainage pump 29 provided in the second circulation drainage pipe 27, the upstream side is connected to the second circulation drainage pipe 27, and the downstream side is connected to the washing tank 3. The circulation pipe 30 functions as a circulation system in the present invention. Accordingly, when the circulation drainage pump 29 is operated in a state where the valves of the circulation system are opened and the drainage valve 33 is closed, the cleaning liquid can be circulated in the circulation system including the cleaning tank 3. At this time, when the vacuum pump 24 is operated, the cleaning liquid is circulated while being degassed under reduced pressure. Further, since the downstream side of the drainage pipe 31 is connected to the sewage system, if the circulation valve 32 is closed and the drainage valve 33 is opened to switch to the drainage pipe 31, it can function as a drainage system. The cleaning liquid or the like in the cleaning tank 3 after cleaning can be quickly discharged to the sewage system by the circulation drainage pump 29.

  In the circulation system in the present embodiment, for example, it is desirable to remove impurities from the circulating cleaning liquid by providing a strainer 34 in the first circulation drain pipe 21.

  The medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 is configured as described above, and the operation of the medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 will be described below together with the medical instrument cleaning method.

  First, the opening / closing lid 2 of the medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 is opened, the used medical instrument is accommodated in the raised cleaning basket 4, and the medical instrument is lowered together with the cleaning basket 4 by the lifting mechanism 18. It puts in the washing tank 3 (medical instrument loading step).

  Then, after closing the open / close lid 2, the water supply valve 8 of the cleaning liquid supply means is opened, and the normal temperature cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water supply nozzle 19 through the water supply pipe 7 and supplied into the cleaning tank 3. If a predetermined amount (the amount in which the washing basket 4 and the medical instrument are immersed, for example, the water level shown in FIG. 1) is accumulated, the water supply valve 8 is closed to stop the water supply (prewash water supply step). At this time, the first on-off valve 22 of the circulation system is closed.

  Next, the ultrasonic generator 5 in the cleaning tank 3 is operated, the first on-off valve 22 of the circulation system is opened, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 is discharged into the deaeration tank 23. Then, the vacuum pump 24 is operated in a state where a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid is accumulated in the deaeration tank 23, the second on-off valve 28 and the circulation valve 32 are opened, the circulation drainage pump 29 is operated, and the second cleaning liquid is supplied. It is returned to the washing tank 3 through the circulation drainage pipe 27 and the circulation pipe 30 and circulated. Therefore, the cleaning liquid deaerated in the deaeration tank 23 circulates and ultrasonic cleaning with the degassed cleaning liquid is performed (pre-cleaning step). Thereby, ultrasonic vibration can be uniformly given to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 in a state where the propagation efficiency of ultrasonic waves is improved, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced. In this pre-washing step, ultrasonic cleaning is performed by circulating a normal temperature cleaning liquid in order to remove protein component mucus and blood coagulated at high temperatures.

  When the pre-washing process is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed, the vacuum pump 24 is stopped and the circulation valve 32 is closed and the drainage valve 33 is opened, that is, the circulation system is switched to the drainage system to circulate. The cleaning liquid that has been discharged is drained into the sewage system communicated with the sewage treatment facility by the circulation drainage pump 29 (pre-washing draining process). In this way, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 can be drained by the circulation discharge pump, so that the liquid can be drained quickly and the time of the draining process can be shortened. In this drainage process, the water supply valve 8 of the cleaning liquid supply means is opened to prevent the dirt floating on the cleaning liquid surface from remaining on the inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument in the drainage. Then, it is desirable to discharge the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 while spraying the cleaning liquid from the water supply nozzle 19 toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument.

  When the circulation drainage pump 29 is stopped and the prewash drainage process is completed, the first on-off valve 22 is closed again, the water supply valve 8 and the auxiliary agent introduction valve 9 are opened, and the cleaning tank 3 is assisted with the cleaning liquid. A surfactant as an agent is supplied from the water supply nozzle 19. When the amount of the surfactant becomes an appropriate amount (set as appropriate in relation to the cleaning liquid), the auxiliary agent supply valve 9 is closed to stop the supply of the surfactant, and when the amount of the cleaning liquid becomes an appropriate amount, the water supply valve 8 Is closed to stop the supply of the cleaning liquid (main cleaning water supply step).

  Next, the heating steam valve 12 is opened, steam is ejected from the steam ejection pipe 14, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 is heated. For example, when the cleaning liquid reaches about 60 ° C., the heating steam valve 12 is closed and the heating is finished (main cleaning heating step). Then, as in the pre-washing step, the drain valve 33 is closed, the first on-off valve 22, the second on-off valve 28, and the circulation valve 32 are opened, and the vacuum pump 24 is operated and the heated cleaning liquid is degassed under reduced pressure. Circulate and perform ultrasonic cleaning (main cleaning step). This main washing step is to remove oil such as subcutaneous fat adhering to the medical device using a washing liquid heated to about 60 ° C. and a surfactant, and the washing method is the same as the pre-washing step. . Therefore, since the propagation efficiency of the ultrasonic wave can be improved as in the pre-washing step, the ultrasonic vibration can be uniformly applied to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 and the cleaning effect can be enhanced. The temperature of the cleaning liquid is maintained at a constant temperature by controlling the heating steam valve 12 of the heating means based on the signal from the temperature sensor 15 in the cleaning tank 3.

  When the main washing process is completed, the circulation system is switched to the drainage system by stopping the vacuum pump 24, closing the circulation valve 32, and opening the drainage valve 33, as in the prewash drainage process. Then, the cleaning liquid is drained into the sewage system together with the waste by the circulation drain pump 29 (main cleaning draining process). Therefore, similarly to the pre-washing draining process, draining can be performed quickly, and the draining process time can be shortened. In this main washing drainage process, when the water supply valve 8 of the cleaning liquid supply means is opened and the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water supply nozzle 19 toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument, the filth floats on the cleaning liquid surface. In addition to preventing the adhesion of the sewage system, the heated cleaning liquid can be discharged while the temperature is lowered, so that it is possible to prevent the sewage system from being damaged by the heat.

  When the main washing and draining process is completed, the first on-off valve 22 is closed, the water supply valve 8 is opened, and the cleaning liquid is supplied into the cleaning tank 3 until an appropriate amount is reached (rinsing water supply process). When the cleaning liquid reaches an appropriate amount, the heating steam valve 12 of the heating means is opened, and the cleaning liquid is heated to about 60 ° C. as in the main cleaning heating process (rinse heating process). Then, like the other washing steps, the drain valve 33 is closed, the first on-off valve 22, the second on-off valve 28, and the circulation valve 32 are opened, the vacuum pump 24 is operated, and the heated washing liquid is degassed under reduced pressure. While being circulated, ultrasonic cleaning is performed (rinsing step). Thereby, the propagation efficiency of an ultrasonic wave can be improved by using the degassed washing | cleaning liquid similarly to another washing | cleaning process.

  When the main washing process is completed, the vacuum pump 24 is stopped, the circulation system is switched to the drainage system, and the cleaning liquid is fed into the sewage system together with the waste by the circulation drainage pump 29, as in the main washing drainage process. Drain (rinse drain process). Thereby, like other drainage processes, drainage can be performed quickly and the time of the drainage process can be shortened. In this rinse draining process, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water supply nozzle 19 toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument, not only the dirt that floats on the cleaning liquid surface is prevented but also the heated cleaning liquid. The liquid can be drained while the temperature is lowered.

  Here, the process from the rinse water supply process to the rinse drain process is repeated once more. When the second cycle of this rinsing process is completed, next, as in the other water supply processes, the first on-off valve 22 is closed, the water supply valve 8 is opened, and the water supply nozzle 19 is inserted into the cleaning tank 3. Supply cleaning liquid (final rinse water supply process). When this cleaning liquid reaches an appropriate amount, the heating steam valve 12 of the heating means is opened, and the cleaning liquid is heated to a sterilizable temperature, for example, 93 ° C. or higher by steam (final rinse heating step). When the cleaning liquid reaches an appropriate temperature (93 ° C. or higher), the drain valve 33 is closed and the first on-off valve 22, the second on-off valve 28, and the circulation valve 32 are opened as in the other washing steps, The vacuum pump 24 is operated and the circulating drainage pump 29 is operated to perform ultrasonic cleaning while circulating the heated cleaning liquid while circulating under reduced pressure in the circulation system (final rinsing step). In this way, when the cleaning liquid is heated to 93 ° C. or higher, disinfection and sterilization can be reliably performed. This final rinsing step is preferably performed for about 10 minutes.

  When the final rinsing process is completed, the process proceeds to the final draining process. In this final drainage process, the vacuum pump 24 is stopped, the circulation system is switched to the drainage system, and the cleaning liquid is drained into the sewage system together with the waste by the circulation drainage pump 29, as in the other drainage processes. To do. As described above, when the liquid is drained by the circulation drain pump 29, the liquid can be drained quickly, and the time for the draining process can be shortened. In addition, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the water supply nozzle 19 toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument, not only the dirt that floats on the cleaning liquid surface is prevented, but also the heated cleaning liquid is discharged while the temperature is lowered. Can do.

  And this final draining process is complete | finished and all this washing | cleaning processes are complete | finished. When the cleaning process is completed through these steps, the medical instrument remaining in the cleaning tank 3 is cleaned, and further, a disinfection / sterilization process is also performed. Therefore, the opening / closing lid 2 is opened, the washing basket mounting portion 17 is raised by the lifting mechanism 18, the medical instrument is raised together with the washing basket 4, taken out from the washing basket 4, and dried to be used again. It becomes possible.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, in each cleaning (rinsing) step, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 is degassed or ultrasonically cleaned while degassing, so that the remaining air in the cleaning liquid is reduced. And the propagation efficiency of ultrasonic waves can be improved. Specifically, compared with a cleaning solution that has not been degassed, the ultrasonic wave propagation efficiency of about 1.5 times can be obtained in the present embodiment, although depending on conditions. Accordingly, it is possible to uniformly apply ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

  And since the washing | cleaning liquid in the washing tank 3 can circulate through a circulation system with the circulation drainage pump 29, and can deaerate with the deaeration tank 23 provided in the middle of this circulation system, it can wash | clean with running water, There is no need to provide a deaeration system having a separate deaeration means. Therefore, not only the cleaning efficiency is increased by running water, but also the medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 can be made compact.

  Further, in each draining step, when the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 3 is drained while spraying the cleaning liquid from the water supply nozzle 19, the cleaning liquid is sprayed toward the inner wall in the cleaning tank 3 and the medical instrument. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adhesion of dirt and the like floating on the cleaning liquid surface in the cleaning tank 3. Further, when the heated cleaning liquid is discharged, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 can be discharged after being discharged by spraying the normal temperature cleaning liquid. Occurrence of defects that cause deformation or thermal damage can be prevented.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of pipes, on-off valves, and pumps of the medical instrument cleaning apparatus 1 provided with the auxiliary tank 36 in the present embodiment.

  In this embodiment, an auxiliary tank 36 having a heating means is added to the cleaning liquid supply means of the first embodiment. The cleaning liquid is preheated in the auxiliary tank 36, and the heated cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank 3. It is configured to supply hot water inside. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, portions related to the auxiliary tank 36 will be described in detail.

  An auxiliary tank water supply pipe 37 for supplying a normal temperature cleaning liquid into the auxiliary tank 36 is connected to an upper portion of the side wall of the auxiliary tank 36, and an auxiliary tank water supply valve 38 is interposed in the auxiliary tank water supply pipe 37. . A hot water supply pipe 39 for supplying the cleaning liquid heated in the auxiliary tank 36 into the cleaning tank 3 is connected to the vicinity of the bottom of the auxiliary tank 36, and one end on the downstream side of the hot water supply pipe 39 is connected to the water supply valve 8. It is connected to a water supply pipe 7 between the tank 3 and a hot water supply valve 40 is interposed. Further, a water supply pipe 7 for supplying cleaning water directly into the cleaning tank 3 is connected between the auxiliary tank water supply valve 38 and the water supply system, and a water supply valve is connected between the water supply pipe 7 and the cleaning tank 3. 8 is interposed. Therefore, the cleaning liquid supply means in the present embodiment is configured by two systems of the water supply pipe 7 that supplies the normal temperature cleaning liquid directly and the hot water supply pipe 39 that supplies the cleaning liquid heated via the auxiliary tank water supply pipe 37 via the auxiliary tank 36. Is done. Thereby, according to each process, the washing | cleaning liquid of normal temperature to high temperature can be supplied in the washing tank 3. FIG.

  The auxiliary tank 36 is a box-shaped heat-resistant and heat-insulating container, similar to the cleaning tank 3, and has a capacity equal to or slightly larger than that of the cleaning tank 3. A heating means for heating the cleaning liquid supplied into the auxiliary tank 36 is provided at the bottom of the auxiliary tank 36 and operates when the cleaning liquid is stored. This heating means includes, for example, a heating steam valve 41 and a steam ejection pipe 43 that performs steam heating by directly ejecting steam from a plurality of ejection holes 42 into a cleaning liquid via a heating steam valve 41 from a boiler or the like. Therefore, the cleaning liquid in the auxiliary tank 36 can be heated to an appropriate temperature in a short time.

  Here, in the present embodiment, heating means such as the heating steam valve 12 and the steam jet pipe 14 provided in the cleaning tank 3 function as auxiliary heating means. With this auxiliary heating means, for example, when a cleaning liquid heated to some extent in the auxiliary tank 36 is supplied into the cleaning tank 3, additional heating is performed in the cleaning tank 3 until the cleaning liquid reaches an appropriate temperature, As in the first embodiment, heating is performed based on a signal from the temperature sensor 15 so that the cleaning liquid maintains an appropriate temperature. Thereby, it can wash | clean in the state which always maintained the washing | cleaning liquid in the washing tank 3 at appropriate temperature.

  Next, the effect | action in the medical device cleaning apparatus 1 is demonstrated with the medical device cleaning method in this embodiment. In this embodiment, by providing the auxiliary tank 36 having the heating means in the cleaning water supply means, the cleaning liquid heated in advance in the auxiliary tank 36 can be supplied into the cleaning tank 3. Here, the pre-washing heating process and the main-cleaning water supply process, which are different from the first embodiment, will be described as examples.

  First, when the pre-washing water supply process for supplying the normal temperature cleaning liquid from the water supply pipe 7 into the cleaning tank 3 is completed and the pre-washing process is started, or before that, the auxiliary tank water supply valve 38 is opened and the auxiliary tank is opened. When the cleaning water is supplied into the auxiliary tank 36 and the cleaning water starts to accumulate in the auxiliary tank 36 to some extent, the heating steam valve 41 of the heating means is opened, and the cleaning liquid is heated by jetting steam into the cleaning liquid from the steam jet pipe 43. (Preheating process). At this time, the hot water supply valve 40 is closed, and the auxiliary tank water supply valve 38 is closed when the washing water reaches an appropriate amount.

  When the pre-washing process is completed and the pre-washing draining process is started, the process proceeds to the main washing water supply process. In this main washing water supply step, the auxiliary agent introduction valve 9 and the hot water supply valve 40 are opened, and the cleaning liquid heated together with the surfactant is supplied into the cleaning tank 3. As described above, when the preheated cleaning agent is supplied into the cleaning tank 3, the main washing heating process of heating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 3 can be omitted, and the working efficiency is improved. When the supplied cleaning liquid does not reach the proper temperature for the main washing process (for example, 60 ° C.), it is heated to the appropriate temperature by the steam heating by the steam from the steam jet pipe 14 of the heating means of the cleaning tank 3. be able to. In this case, since the cleaning liquid is heated in advance in the auxiliary tank, the time for the main cleaning heating process can be greatly shortened. In the present embodiment, the main washing process has been described as an example from the pre-washing process. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in other processes, a pre-process of the water supply process, for example, a washing / rinsing process is performed. The preheating step can be performed using the auxiliary tank 36.

  In this way, the auxiliary tank 36 having heating means is provided in the cleaning liquid supply means, the cleaning liquid is heated in advance in the auxiliary tank 36, and the heated cleaning liquid is supplied into the cleaning tank 3. Each heating process to heat can be eliminated. Further, even when the cleaning liquid supplied from the auxiliary tank 36 has not reached the appropriate temperature, the cleaning liquid is heated in advance, so that it can be heated to the appropriate temperature in a short time. Therefore, the cleaning processing time can be greatly reduced.

  Further, in these embodiments, if the heating means is configured to heat the cleaning liquid by steam heating that jets steam into the cleaning liquid, steam such as a boiler provided in a medical facility such as a hospital can be used. There is no need to provide a separate heat source such as an electric heater. Therefore, the structure can be simplified and made compact. In addition, since the steam heating is very efficient in heating, the heating time can be shortened, and as a result, the cleaning processing time can be shortened.

  In the present invention, the hot water supply pipe 39 of the second embodiment may be directly connected to the hot water supply equipment of a medical facility such as a hospital instead of the auxiliary tank 36. In this case, as in the second embodiment, the cleaning liquid heated in advance can be supplied into the cleaning tank 3, so that the cleaning processing time can be reduced.

It is the schematic which shows arrangement | positioning of the pipe | tube, on-off valve, and pump of a medical instrument cleaning apparatus. It is the schematic which shows arrangement | positioning of the pipe | tube, on-off valve, and pump of a medical instrument washing | cleaning apparatus provided with the auxiliary tank.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medical instrument washing | cleaning apparatus 2 Opening / closing lid 3 Washing tank 4 Washing basket 5 Ultrasonic generator 7 Water supply pipe 8 Water supply valve 9 Auxiliary charging valve 10 Auxiliary charging pipe 11 Auxiliary charging inlet 12 Heating steam valve 13 Ejection hole 14 Steam Ejection pipe 15 Temperature sensor 17 Cleaning basket mounting part 18 Elevating mechanism 19 Water supply nozzle 21 First circulation drain pipe 22 First on-off valve 23 Deaeration tank 24 Vacuum pump 25 Intake pipe 27 Second circulation drain pipe 28 Second opening / closing Valve 29 Circulation drain pump 30 Circulation pipe 31 Drainage pipe 32 Circulation valve 33 Drainage valve 34 Strainer 36 Auxiliary tank 37 Auxiliary tank water supply pipe 38 Auxiliary tank water supply valve 39 Hot water supply pipe 40 Hot water supply valve 41 Heating steam valve 42 Ejection hole 43 Steam Spout pipe

Claims (7)

A cleaning tank for storing medical instruments as objects to be cleaned;
Cleaning liquid supply means for supplying a cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank;
An ultrasonic generator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank;
Deaeration means provided in the middle of the circulation system for circulating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank by a circulation mechanism;
With
A medical instrument cleaning apparatus that performs ultrasonic cleaning with a cleaning liquid deaerated by the deaeration means. The cleaning tank is provided with heating means,
The medical device cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ultrasonic cleaning is performed with a heated cleaning liquid.   The medical device cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degassing unit is configured by a degassing tank that degasses the cleaning liquid by a vacuum pump. The cleaning liquid supply means includes an injection nozzle that sprays the cleaning liquid toward the inner wall of the cleaning tank and the object to be cleaned.
The medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is discharged while the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the spray nozzle. An auxiliary tank with heating means,
The medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cleaning liquid in the auxiliary tank is heated and the heated cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank.   The medical device cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating unit is configured to heat the cleaning liquid by steam heating that ejects steam into the cleaning liquid. In the medical device cleaning method of performing ultrasonic cleaning by immersing the medical device in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank and applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank,
A medical instrument cleaning method, wherein ultrasonic cleaning is performed after the cleaning liquid is degassed by a degassing means or while degassing.

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