JP7557392B2 - Cleaning and disinfection equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning and disinfecting device, and in particular to a cleaning and disinfecting device for cleaning and disinfecting medical instruments such as endoscopes.

A cleaning and disinfecting device that cleans and disinfects used endoscopes is known. The endoscope is housed in a cleaning tank of the cleaning and disinfecting device with its insertion portion rolled up, and supplied cleaning water and disinfectant are stored in the tank. The upper opening of the cleaning tank is covered with a lid to prevent the cleaning water and disinfectant from splashing outside the cleaning tank, and the lid is attached to the device body via a hinge so that it can be opened and closed freely.

During the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid and water are sprayed into the cleaning tank, creating an associated water current, causing droplets of water, cleaning liquid, and disinfectant to adhere to the underside of the lid. When the lid is opened after the cleaning process, the droplets that have adhered to the underside of the lid fall onto the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting device, causing it to get wet, or the droplets dry, sometimes leaving stains on the top surface.

For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus that has a cleaning tank that contains medical instruments and a top cover that opens and closes the opening of the cleaning tank, and that opens and closes the top cover using an electric actuator. A horizontal rib is arranged on the underside of the cover body of the top cover. Both ends of this horizontal rib are inclined so that they retreat rearward as they approach the center. As a result, when the top cover is opened and its front end is raised upward, liquid droplets that flow down from the front to the rear along the underside of the cover body are directed to the center of the width of the cover body, causing the liquid droplets to fall into the cleaning tank.

JP 2010-284213 A

However, the horizontal ribs described in Patent Document 1 are shaped to fit the opening of the cleaning tank, and therefore are not sufficiently inclined to guide droplets. In addition, because the opening angle of the top cover is tilted forward, droplets that run along the horizontal ribs may fall from the top cover before being guided to the center of the top cover. When the top cover is open, the top cover is located on the rear side of the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus, so droplets that fall from the horizontal ribs may fall onto the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus rather than into the cleaning tank. This raises concerns that the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus may become soiled. In addition, there is a concern that droplets that fall onto the top surface will run from the top surface to the side surface, causing the side surface to also become soiled.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus that prevents the appearance of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus from becoming soiled by liquid droplets adhering to the back surface of the cover of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus, and that can be easily maintained on a daily basis.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a cleaning tank for storing medical instruments, an apparatus main body for cleaning and disinfecting the medical instruments stored in the cleaning tank, a lid for sealing the opening of the cleaning tank in the closed position and opening the opening in the open position, the lid having an attachment part attached to the apparatus main body on the base end side and rotatable between the closed position and the open position using the attachment part as a fulcrum, a collection guide provided on the back surface of the lid that faces the cleaning tank when the lid is in the closed position, the collection guide being provided on the lower end region of the back surface of the lid that is the side on which the attachment part is located when the lid is in the open position, the collection guide having a droplet receiving part that receives droplets that fall from the back surface of the lid toward the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and guiding the droplets received by the droplet receiving part to a guide position that is lower than the droplet receiving part, and a drainage guide provided on the back surface of the lid that guides the droplets guided to the guide position by the collection guide toward the cleaning tank.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the device body has a primary receiving section that is higher than the bottom surface of the cleaning tank, and the primary receiving section preferably has a guide surface that guides the droplets guided by the drain guide into the cleaning tank.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surface is inclined toward the cleaning tank by 10° or more with respect to the opening surface of the opening.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the guide surface is preferably provided in a position that is hidden by the lid when the lid is in the closed position.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the lid is in the open position, the opening angle with respect to the opening plane of the opening is preferably 70° or more and 80° or less.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the collection guide preferably has an inclined surface that guides the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion toward the guide position.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lid has a filter attachment section that includes an air passage that allows gas to circulate inside and outside the cleaning tank, and a deodorizing filter that removes odors from the gas passing through the air passage, and the filter attachment section has a filter attachment wall section that protrudes vertically from the back surface of the lid, and it is preferable that the surface of the filter attachment wall section opposite the attachment section guides droplets to the collection guide when the lid is in the open position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the drainage guide preferably has a pair of guide portions on both sides of the droplet guiding direction.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the distance between the pair of guide parts is preferably narrower than the width of the cleaning tank.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery of the back surface of the lid has a packing that seals the opening of the cleaning tank, and it is preferable that the recovery guide is provided integrally with the packing.

The present invention prevents the appearance of the cleaning and disinfecting device from becoming soiled by droplets adhering to the underside of the cover, making it easy to perform daily maintenance.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus. FIG. 2 is a top view of the washer-disinfector with the lid in the open position. FIG. 2 is a front view of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus with the lid in the open position. FIG. 2 is a side view of the washer-disinfecting apparatus with the lid in the open position. 4 is an enlarged view of the base end side of the back surface of the lid portion. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the lid including a cross section of the collection guide. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the mounting portion including a cross section of the drainage guide. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a path through which droplets adhering to the rear surface of the lid are returned to the cleaning tank. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a path for returning droplets from the lid portion of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus to the cleaning tank in another embodiment. FIG.

The cleaning and disinfecting device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is an external view of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus. Figure 2 is a view of the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus with the lid in the open position. Figure 3 is a front view of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus with the lid in the open position. Figure 4 is a side view of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus with the lid in the open position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 includes a box-shaped device body 11. A cleaning tank 13 is provided at the top of the device body 11, which contains used medical instruments and is supplied with cleaning and disinfecting liquids. An example of a medical instrument is an endoscope. The cleaning tank 13 is a water tank with an open top, and is made of a material with excellent chemical resistance, such as resin or stainless steel. The device body 11 is provided with a lid 16 that covers the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13.

The device main body 11 has a chassis (not shown), which is provided with the cleaning tank 13, the lid 16, and a cleaning and disinfecting mechanism (not shown) that performs the cleaning and disinfecting process. The cleaning and disinfecting mechanism is made up of piping for supplying the cleaning liquid and disinfecting liquid to the cleaning tank 13, a pump solenoid valve, and a tank for storing the disinfecting liquid. The outer periphery of the chassis is covered by exterior members consisting of a front panel 17, side panels 18, and a top panel 19, which respectively constitute the front, side, and top parts of the cleaning and disinfecting device 10.

A roughly circular net 21 on which the endoscope is placed is disposed on the bottom surface of the front portion (the portion on the front panel 17 side) of the cleaning tank 13. The net 21 creates a gap between the endoscope and the bottom surface through which liquid can flow, increasing the area over which the liquid supplied to the cleaning tank 13 comes into contact with the outer surface of the endoscope.

A small item cleaning basket 22 is disposed in the center of the net 21, which contains small parts such as the air/water supply button and suction button that have been removed from the endoscope. A spray nozzle 23 is disposed near the small item cleaning basket 22. The spray nozzle 23 sprays water toward the lid 16 located above. A temperature sensor 24 measures the temperature of the liquid stored in the cleaning tank 13.

The endoscope is placed on the net 21 so that it surrounds the small item cleaning basket 22, with the insertion section to be inserted into the subject and the universal cord wound around it. One end of the universal cord is provided with a connector for connecting to a processor and a light source device. When the endoscope is placed in the cleaning tank 13, a waterproof cap is attached to the connector.

A waste liquid outlet 26 is provided on the bottom surface of the rear portion of the cleaning tank 13 (the portion on the mounting portion 43 side), and a liquid level sensor 27 is provided on the side. The waste liquid outlet 26 discharges used water, cleaning liquid, and disinfectant liquid from the cleaning tank 13. The liquid level sensor 27 is, for example, an electrode-type level sensor, and detects the liquid level position of the liquid stored in the cleaning tank 13.

At the rear of the cleaning tank 13, terraces 13b and 13c are provided, which are one step higher than the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 13. Each terrace 13b and 13c is provided at two corners of the rear of the cleaning tank 13, and is roughly triangular when viewed from above. One of the terraces 13b is provided with an airtightness test port 28. The airtightness test port 28 is a port for sending compressed air into the gap between the outer skin of the insertion part of the endoscope and the universal cord and the built-in contents, to test whether there are any small holes or cracks in the outer skin that allow liquid to enter. The airtightness test port 28 is connected to an airtightness test nozzle provided on the connector of the universal cord via a tube (not shown).

The terrace portion 13b is also provided with a supply port that supplies the liquid used for cleaning and disinfecting the endoscope into the cleaning tank 13. The supply port is provided with a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 29a and a disinfectant liquid supply nozzle 29b that are bent toward the inside of the cleaning tank 13. These nozzles 29a and 29b are positioned higher than the liquid level stored in the cleaning tank 13.

The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 29a is connected to the detergent tank and the water faucet via a pipe equipped with a switching valve. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 29a selectively communicates with either the detergent tank or the water faucet by switching the switching valve, and supplies water or detergent into the cleaning tank 13. Body fluids and dirt adhering to the endoscope after use are washed away with the cleaning liquid, which is a mixture of water and detergent. The disinfectant supply nozzle 29b supplies the disinfectant stored in the disinfectant tank into the cleaning tank 13. Pathogenic bacteria and viruses are killed and inactivated by the disinfectant.

The terrace portion 13c is provided with a channel cleaning port 32 used for cleaning and disinfecting the air and water supply channel, the suction channel, and the forceps channel of the endoscope. The channel cleaning port 32 is provided with a coupler for the air and water supply channel and a coupler for the suction channel. Each coupler is connected to the respective mounting ports of the air and water supply button and the suction button provided on the endoscope via a connection tube (not shown). The channel cleaning port 32 supplies liquids and gases such as water, cleaning solution, disinfectant, alcohol, and compressed air into the air and water supply channel, the forceps channel, and the suction channel.

The front panel 17 of the device body 11 has its side ends attached to the chassis via hinges and can be opened and closed freely. A storage tray (not shown) is provided inside the front panel 17. A detergent tank and an alcohol tank are stored in the storage tray. The detergent tank stores detergent used to clean the endoscope. The alcohol tank stores alcohol to be poured into each channel, such as the forceps channel, after cleaning and disinfecting the endoscope. A transparent window 33 is attached to the front panel 17 to allow the remaining amount of liquid in each tank to be seen.

The storage tray also stores interchangeable supply bottles that contain concentrated disinfectant (e.g., peracetic acid, glutaraldehyde (GA), ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), etc.). The supply bottles are connected to a disinfectant tank mounted on the chassis and supply the concentrated solution into the disinfectant tank. The concentrated solution is diluted with water in the disinfectant tank before use.

Reference numeral 34 denotes a paper outlet for discharging a printout on which cleaning history information is printed. The cleaning history information is, for example, information such as the date and time when cleaning was performed, the name of the person in charge of cleaning, and the ID of the endoscope that was cleaned. The printout on which the cleaning history information is printed is used for checking and managing the results of cleaning and disinfecting endoscopes.

An operation unit 36 is provided at the front end of the upper panel 19. The operation unit 36 is provided with operation buttons 37 for inputting various operation instructions, a display 38 for displaying various information, and operation keys 39 for operating the operation screen displayed on the display 38. The operation buttons 37 include, for example, a start button for instructing the start of cleaning or disinfection, and a stop button for instructing an emergency stop. The display 38 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and displays an operation screen including a selection screen for selecting a menu for the cleaning and disinfection process and a setting screen for making various settings, as well as the progress of the cleaning and disinfection process, the remaining time, and warning messages when a problem occurs.

The upper panel 19 has a frame shape with an opening 19a that exposes the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13. At the top end of the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13, a peripheral portion 13d is formed that extends horizontally and is perpendicular to the vertically rising side of the cleaning tank 13. The peripheral portion 13d and the upper panel 19 are joined so that no gaps are formed between them that would allow gas or liquid to leak. At the inner edge of the opening 19a of the upper panel 19, a slope 19b is formed that is inclined toward the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13 so that liquid flows toward the cleaning tank 13 by the action of gravity.

The lid 16 is composed of a lid body 41 formed of, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-like body made of plastic, and a packing 42 attached to the outer periphery of the back surface of the lid body 41 that faces the cleaning tank 13. The lid 16 has an attachment part 43 on the base end side and is attached to the device body 11. The lid 16 is provided so as to be rotatable, with the attachment part 43 as a fulcrum, between a closed position in which it covers and closes the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13, and an open position in which it opens and exposes the opening 13a. The attachment part 43 rotates around a rotation shaft 82 (see FIG. 7) provided on the device body 11.

The lid 16 is electrically opened and closed by a motor (not shown). An instruction to open or close is input by stepping on the foot switch 44. The foot switch 44 is arranged below the front panel 17 and has a pedal shape. When the foot switch 44 is stepped on while the lid 16 is closed, the lid 16 opens, and when the foot switch 44 is stepped on while the lid 16 is open, the lid 16 closes. The closed position of the lid 16 is a position where the lid 16 is almost aligned with the horizontal direction. The open position of the lid 16 is a state where the lid 16 is opened by the foot switch 44, and as shown in FIG. 4, the opening angle α of the lid 16 is 70° or more and 80° or less with respect to the opening surface of the opening 13a. That is, the opening angle of the lid 16 is 70° or more and 80° or less based on the closed position of the lid 16. By setting the opening angle of the lid 16 at the open position to 70° or more and 80° or less, it is possible to easily wipe off droplets adhering to the lid 16. In addition, the net 46, which will be described later, can be easily maintained.

The surface of the lid 16 is gently curved without small irregularities to facilitate cleaning. A net 46 is provided at the front portion of the underside of the lid 16. The net 46 is positioned opposite the net 21 placed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 13 when the lid 16 is closed. The net 46 presses down from above on the endoscope contained in the cleaning tank 13, submerging the endoscope below the liquid surface.

The lid body 41 is formed, for example, from a transparent or translucent plastic material so that the state inside the cleaning tank 13 can be seen from the outside. The packing 42 is formed from an elastic material such as rubber, and seals the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13 airtight and watertight. The packing 42 presses against the peripheral portion 13d of the cleaning tank 13 and the inner surface of the opening 19a of the upper panel 19, preventing the liquid supplied to the cleaning tank 13 from splashing to the outside and further preventing the odor of the disinfectant from leaking to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 3, the base end portion of the lid 16 has a filter mounting portion 51 on which a deodorizing filter 49 (see FIG. 7) is replaceably attached, and is provided so as to protrude from the back surface of the lid 16. The filter mounting portion 51 has a filter mounting wall portion 51b that protrudes vertically from the back surface of the lid 16, and a filter mounting bottom portion 51c that is connected to the filter mounting wall portion 51b and covers the underside of the deodorizing filter 49. The filter mounting bottom portion 51c prevents liquid in the cleaning tank 13 from splashing onto the deodorizing filter 49. A slit 51a is formed in the filter mounting bottom portion 51c. The deodorizing filter 49 is attached to the filter mounting portion 51 so as to cover the slit 51a from above.

A filter cover 52 that covers the deodorizing filter 49 is provided on the surface of the lid 16 of the filter mounting part 51 so as to be freely opened and closed. The filter cover 52 has a slit 52a (see FIG. 1). The slit 51a of the filter mounting part 51 and the slit 52a of the filter cover 52 form an air passage that connects the inside and outside of the cleaning tank 13 and allows gas to flow inside and outside the cleaning tank 13. The deodorizing filter 49 is disposed midway along this air passage. The deodorizing filter 49 passes through the air passage and deodorizes the odor of the gas discharged from the cleaning tank 13 to the outside. The deodorizing filter 49 is, for example, a sponge-like porous material carrying a deodorizing agent such as activated carbon, and one with high airflow resistance is used.

The opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13 is sealed by a packing 42. Therefore, when the liquid in the cleaning tank 13 is discharged from the waste liquid port 26 with the lid 16 closed, outside air can be taken into the cleaning tank 13 from the outside through the air passage. Also, at the beginning of the rotation when the lid 16 starts to rotate from the closed position to the open position, the opening 13a is sealed by the packing 42, so when the lid 16 rotates in the opening direction in this state, negative pressure is created inside the cleaning tank 13. Outside air is taken into the cleaning tank 13 from the outside through the air passage until the sealing of the opening 13a by the packing 42 is released. This eliminates the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the cleaning tank 13, allowing the lid 16 to rotate in the opening direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, abutment portions 54 are formed on both sides of the front portion of the back surface of the lid body 41 of the lid 16. When the lid 16 is closed, the abutment portions 54 abut against the peripheral portion 13d of the cleaning tank 13 to determine the closed position of the lid 16. The height of the abutment portions 54 is determined so that the packing 42 abuts against the peripheral portion 13d.

The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a recovery guide 60, a drainage guide 70, and a primary receiving section 78, which will be described later, in order to prevent the appearance of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 (mainly the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10) from being soiled by droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid section 16. The configuration of each section will be described below.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the base end side of the back surface of the lid 16. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the lid, including a cross-section of the recovery guide. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the attachment part, including a cross-section of the drainage guide. Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the path that droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid 16 follow along the back surface and are returned to the cleaning tank.

As shown in FIG. 5, a collection guide 60 is provided on the back surface of the lid portion 16. The collection guide 60 is arranged on both sides and the center of the width direction of the lid portion 16 (direction parallel to the axial direction of the pivot shaft 82 (see FIG. 7) that rotates the lid portion) in the region of the back surface of the lid portion 16 on the base end side of the lid portion 16 where the attachment portion 43 is arranged. That is, when the lid portion 16 is in the open position, the collection guide 60 is arranged along the lower edge from near the corner of the lid portion 16 in the region on the lower end side of the back surface of the lid portion 16 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 5). This collection guide 60 is provided integrally with the packing 42 arranged on the back surface of the lid portion 16, and is formed to extend in a direction along the outer periphery of the lower end side of the back surface of the lid portion 16.

The collection guide 60 collects droplets that have moved along the back surface of the lid 16 and guides them toward the drain guide 70 provided at a guide position 66 that is lower than the collection guide 60. The collection guide 60 has a droplet receiving portion 64 that receives droplets that fall downward (to the side where the upper surface of the device body 11 is located) from the back surface of the lid 16 when the lid 16 is in the open position. The cross-sectional shape of the droplet receiving portion 64 (cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the collection guide 60) is a U-shaped groove shape as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the droplet receiving portion 64 has a groove shape (also called a "gutter shape") that opens upward and extends along the longitudinal direction of the collection guide 60. The groove shape that constitutes the droplet receiving portion 64 is not limited to a U-shape, and can have various cross-sectional shapes such as a semicircular shape, a V-shape, and a rectangular shape.

The shape of the droplet receiving portion 64 (groove depth, groove width, etc.) is not particularly limited as long as it can receive droplets downward from the back surface of the lid portion 16 when the lid portion 16 is in the open position, but the shape should be determined so that the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion 64 can be guided to the guide position 66 without overflowing from the droplet receiving portion 64.

The recovery guide 60 has an inclined surface 68 that guides the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion 64 toward the guide position 66. This inclined surface 68 corresponds to the bottom surface of the droplet receiving portion 64. In other words, when the lid portion 16 is in the open position, the bottom surface of the droplet receiving portion 64 is configured with an inclined surface 68 that is inclined toward the guide position 66 located on the lower side. As a result, the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion 64 are guided along the inclined surface 68 (the bottom surface of the droplet receiving portion 64) to the guide position 66.

With this type of collection guide 60 having a droplet receiving portion 64, even when the lid portion 16 is in the open position, i.e., when the lid portion 16 is tilted forward relative to the opening surface and the opening angle α is between 70° and 80°, the droplets falling downward from the back surface of the lid portion 16 can be received by the droplet receiving portion 64 and can be guided toward the drainage guide 70, which will be described later.

The drain guide 70 is connected to a guide position 66, which is the lowest position of the collection guide 60 when the lid 16 is in the open position. Specifically, a cutout portion 72 is formed by cutting out a part of the collection guide 60 at this guide position 66, and the drain guide 70 is connected to the position where the cutout portion 72 is formed. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the drain guide 70 is provided at the center of the width direction of the lid 16 (a direction parallel to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 82 (see FIG. 7) that rotates the lid) is shown as an example, but this configuration is not limited, and the drain guide 70 may be provided at any position in the width direction of the lid 16. In this case, the position where the drain guide 70 is provided is the guide position 66, and the cutout portion 72 is formed at the guide position 66 to connect the drain guide 70.

The drain guide 70 guides the droplets guided to the guide position 66 by the recovery guide 60 toward the cleaning tank 13. In this embodiment, the device body 11 has a primary receiving section 78 that is located at a position higher than the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 13, and the droplets guided by the recovery guide 60 are not guided directly to the cleaning tank 13, but are guided indirectly to the cleaning tank 13 via the primary receiving section 78.

The drainage guide 70 has a drainage surface 74 that slopes downward from the cutout portion 72 of the recovery guide 60 formed at the guide position 66. The primary receiving portion 78 described above is disposed below the tip side of the drainage surface 74 (the side opposite to the side where the cutout portion 72 is provided).

The drainage guide 70 also has a pair of guide sections 76 formed by bending upward from both sides of the drainage surface 74 (the ends of both sides in the width direction of the lid section 16). That is, the pair of guide sections 76 are positioned opposite each other across the drainage surface 74.

In this way, the drainage guide 70 has a drainage surface 74 and a pair of guide parts 76, which form a drainage channel that guides the droplets guided to the guide position 66 by the recovery guide 60 toward the cleaning tank 13 (in this embodiment, guides them to the primary receiving part 78). In other words, the drainage guide 70 not only has the drainage surface 74 consisting of a flat inclined surface, but also has a pair of guide parts 76 on both sides that form the side parts of the drainage channel, making it possible to prevent the droplets collected by the recovery guide 60 from scattering from both sides of the drainage guide 70, effectively preventing the droplets from falling onto the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10.

The width of the tip side (droplet discharge side) of the drainage path formed by the drainage guide 70 is narrower than the width of the base side (droplet inlet side; notch 72 side). That is, the drainage surface 74 is formed so that its width gradually decreases from the base side toward the tip side, and the pair of guide parts 76 are inclined to match the shape of the drainage surface 74. In other words, the pair of guide parts 76 are provided so that the width of the pair of guide parts 76 narrows from the guide position 66 toward the primary receiving part 78 side. This allows the drainage guide 70 to reliably and efficiently guide the droplets guided to the guide position 66 by the collection guide 60 to the primary receiving part 78 without scattering them on the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10.

The primary receiving section 78 is disposed directly below the drain guide 70 in the rear portion (the portion on the mounting section 43 side) of the cleaning tank 13 in the device body 11, and is provided at a position higher than the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 13 (see Figs. 2 and 7). The primary receiving section 78 has a guide surface 80 that receives the droplets guided by the drain guide 70 and discharged from the tip side of the drain guide 70 and then guides them to the cleaning tank 13. The guide surface 80 is provided with an inclination so as to become lower from the rear side of the device body 11 toward the cleaning tank 13 side. Note that the guide surface 80 in this embodiment is provided with an angle β of 10° or more toward the cleaning tank 13 side with respect to the opening surface of the opening 13a of the cleaning tank 13, and is configured to make it easier to guide the droplets to the cleaning tank 13 more efficiently. This makes it easier for the droplets received by the primary receiving section 78 to naturally flow toward the cleaning tank 13, making it easier for the droplets to remain in the primary receiving section 78.

In this embodiment, the primary receiving portion 78 has the above-mentioned guide surface 80, but it may be anything that can temporarily receive the droplets discharged from the tip side of the drainage guide 70 and then guide them to the cleaning tank 13. For example, it may be a container-shaped buffer tank that temporarily stores the droplets discharged from the tip side of the drainage guide 70 and then flows them into the cleaning tank 13.

The primary receiving section 78 configured as described above is disposed in a position hidden by the lid section 16 when the lid section 16 is in the closed position. By locating the primary receiving section 78 in a position hidden by the lid section 16, even if the primary receiving section 78 becomes soiled, the exterior of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 can be prevented from becoming soiled by closing the lid section 16. In addition, liquid droplets can be prevented from flowing onto the sides of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10, preventing the sides from becoming soiled.

Furthermore, by receiving droplets from the drain guide 70 in the primary receiver 78 and then guiding them to the cleaning tank 13, the leak detection operation of the endoscope can be easily confirmed. The leak detection operation is a test using the cleaning tank 13 of the cleaning and disinfecting device 10 to check whether air bubbles are generated from the endoscope by applying internal pressure to an endoscope immersed in the cleaning tank 13 with water stored in it with the lid 16 open. Specifically, first, an endoscope is set in the cleaning tank 13, and water is stored in the cleaning tank 13 with the lid 16 closed. When water is stored in the cleaning tank 13, droplets adhere to the inside of the lid 16. After water is stored in the cleaning tank 13, the lid 16 is opened, and internal pressure is applied to the endoscope with the lid 16 open to perform the leak detection operation. If droplets attached to the lid 16 fall into the cleaning tank 13 during the leak detection operation, the water surface will shake, making it difficult to confirm the generation of air bubbles. By allowing droplets to fall into the primary receiver 78, it is easy to check for the generation of air bubbles.

Next, the path that the droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid portion 16 take to return to the cleaning tank 13 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Arrow 84 indicates the path that the droplets move along. During the endoscope cleaning process, water, cleaning liquid, and disinfectant are sprayed into the cleaning tank 13, creating an associated water flow, causing droplets of water, cleaning liquid, and disinfectant to adhere to the back surface of the lid portion 16. After the cleaning process, the lid portion 16 is moved to the open position.

By moving the lid 16 to the open position, the droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid 16 move along the back surface of the lid 16 to the lower end of the lid 16, i.e., in the open position, toward the attachment portion 43. As shown in FIG. 8, when the filter mounting portion 51 is provided, some of the droplets that have traveled to the filter mounting wall portion 51b move directly to the lower end along the filter mounting bottom portion 51c and are collected in the collection guide 60. In addition, another part of the droplets that have traveled to the filter mounting wall portion 51b moves along the filter mounting wall portion 51b in the width direction of the lid 16. The droplets that have traveled in the width direction move along the filter mounting wall portion 51b and are collected in the collection guide 60. Or, they are guided by the packing 42 and collected in the collection guide 60 along the packing 42.

The droplets collected by the collection guide 60 are received by a droplet receiving portion 64 provided on the collection guide 60. The droplets then move along the droplet receiving portion 64 to a guide position 66. The droplet receiving portion 64 is configured in a groove shape, so that it is possible to prevent droplets from spilling out of the collection guide 60 when the lid portion 16 is in the open position.

The droplets guided to the guide position 66 flow into the drainage guide 70 and are discharged from the tip of the drainage guide 70 into the primary receiver 78 provided on the top surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10. The primary receiver 78 has a guide surface 80 that is inclined relative to the opening surface of the opening 13a, so that the droplets that fall into the primary receiver 78 flow into the cleaning tank 13.

In this way, according to the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the back surface of the lid portion 16 is provided with a collection guide 60 and a drainage guide 70, so that droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid portion 16 can be guided to the cleaning tank 13 via the primary receiving portion 78 by the collection guide 60 and the drainage guide 70, and the droplets can be prevented from falling onto the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 from being soiled by droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid portion 16 of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10, and it is possible to easily perform daily maintenance.

In this embodiment, as one of the preferred aspects, the droplets guided by the drain guide 70 are guided to the primary receiving section 78, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the droplets guided by the drain guide 70 may be returned to the cleaning tank 13 by being guided directly to the cleaning tank 13. By returning the droplets directly from the drain guide 70 to the cleaning tank 13, the droplets do not fall onto the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10, and therefore it is possible to prevent the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 10 from being soiled by droplets adhering to the back surface of the lid 16.

<Another embodiment>
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a path for returning droplets from the lid portion of a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus to a cleaning tank in another embodiment.

The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 110 shown in FIG. 9 differs from the above embodiment in that it does not have a deodorizing filter mounting section for arranging a deodorizing filter. In the absence of a deodorizing filter mounting section, the back surface of the lid section 116 is formed to be approximately flat. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, droplets adhering to the widthwise side of the lid section 116 run along the back surface of the lid section 116, are guided to the collection guide 60, and are guided to the guide position 66, as in the above embodiment. In the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 110 shown in FIG. 9, the collection guide 60 also has a droplet receiving section 64, so that the droplets can be guided to the guide position 66 without falling from the collection guide 60. In addition, droplets adhering to the center of the widthwise direction of the lid section 116 run along the back surface of the lid section 116, and are guided to the guide position 66.

The droplets guided to the guide position 66 are guided to the drainage guide 70, and as in the above embodiment, are guided from the drainage guide 70 to the primary receiving section 78, and the droplets are returned to the cleaning tank 13.

In this way, even in another embodiment, the droplets adhering to the lid portion 116 can be returned to the cleaning tank 13 without falling onto the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 110, so that the upper surface of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 110 can be prevented from being soiled by droplets adhering to the underside of the lid portion 16.

10 Cleaning and disinfecting device 11 Device body 13 Cleaning tank 13a Opening 13b Terrace portion 13c Terrace portion 13d Periphery 16 Lid portion 17 Front panel 18 Side panel 19 Upper panel 19a Opening 19b Slope 21 Net 22 Small item cleaning basket 23 Spray nozzle 24 Temperature sensor 26 Waste liquid port 27 Liquid level sensor 28 Airtightness test port 29a Cleaning liquid supply nozzle 29b Disinfecting liquid supply nozzle 32 Channel cleaning port 33 Transparent window 34 Discharge port 36 Operation unit 37 Operation button 38 Display 39 Operation key 41 Lid body 42 Gasket 43 Mounting portion 44 Foot switch 46 Net 49 Deodorizing filter 51 Filter mounting portion 51a Slit 51b Filter mounting wall portion 51c Filter mounting bottom portion 52 Filter cover 52a Slit 54 Abutment portion 60 Collection guide 64 Droplet receiving portion 66 Guide position 68 Inclined surface 70 Drainage guide 72 Notch portion 74 Drainage surface 76 Guide portion 78 Primary receiving portion 80 Guide surface 82 Rotation shaft 84 Arrow 110 Cleaning and disinfecting device 116 Lid portion

Claims (9)

a washing tank for accommodating medical instruments;
an apparatus main body for cleaning and disinfecting the medical instruments contained in the cleaning tank;
a cover portion that seals an opening of the cleaning tank at a closed position and opens the opening at an open position, the cover portion having an attachment portion attached to the device body at a base end side, the cover portion being rotatable between the closed position and the open position with the attachment portion as a fulcrum;
Equipped with
a recovery guide provided on a back surface of the lid portion that faces the cleaning tank when the lid portion is in the closed position, the recovery guide being located in a lower end region of the back surface of the lid portion on the side where the attachment portion is located when the lid portion is in the open position, the recovery guide having a droplet receiving portion that receives droplets falling from the back surface of the lid portion toward an upper surface of the apparatus body, and guiding the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion to a guide position that is lower than the droplet receiving portion;
a drainage guide provided on a rear surface of the lid portion and configured to guide the droplets guided to the guide position by the recovery guide toward the cleaning tank ;
The apparatus body has a primary receiving portion higher than a bottom surface of the cleaning tank,
The primary receiving portion has a guide surface that guides the droplets guided by the drainage guide to the cleaning tank.
Cleaning and disinfecting equipment. The guide surface is inclined at an angle of 10° or more toward the cleaning tank with respect to an opening surface of the opening.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 1 . The guide surface is provided at a position hidden by the lid portion when the lid portion is in the closed position.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 . When the lid portion is in the open position, the opening angle with respect to the opening plane of the opening portion is equal to or greater than 70° and equal to or less than 80°.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The recovery guide has an inclined surface that guides the droplets received by the droplet receiving portion toward the guide position.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . the cover portion has a filter mounting portion including an air passage for circulating gas inside and outside the cleaning tank, and a deodorizing filter for deodorizing odors from the gas passing through the air passage;
the filter mounting portion has a filter mounting wall portion protruding vertically from a rear surface portion of the lid portion,
When the lid portion is in the open position, a surface of the filter mounting wall portion opposite to the mounting portion guides the droplets to the collection guide.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The drainage guide has a pair of guide portions on both sides in the guide direction of the droplets.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . The distance between the pair of guide parts is narrower than the width of the cleaning tank.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 7 . a packing for sealing the opening of the cleaning tank on the outer periphery of the rear surface of the lid;
The collection guide is provided integrally with the packing.
The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .

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