JP2006167088A - Surgical medical tool cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clean a surgical tool contaminated with blood in a short time, to reduce human intervention, to eliminate the danger of infection and to eliminate the need of the separate processes of cleaning and sterilization further. <P>SOLUTION: A surgical medical tool cleaning apparatus is provided with an electrically insulated metal swing shelf and an opposing electrode (electrode) inside a cleaning tub, a wire mesh basket in which the surgical medical tools are put side by side is mounted on the swing shelf, and a DC power source is connected so as to apply a negative potential to the swing shelf and a positive potential to the opposing electrode. When cleaning liquid including an H<SB>2</SB>O<SB>2</SB>(hydrogen peroxide) aqueous solution is put in the cleaning tub, the mesh basket and the opposing electrode are submerged, and the swing shelf inside the water tub is swung inside the cleaning liquid in the state of mounting the mesh basket. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surgical medical instrument contaminated with blood or the like after surgery.

The patient's blood contains various viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and West Nile fever and sources of infectious diseases, and medical personnel are at risk of infection.
Cleaning of contaminated surgical instruments after surgery, including the source of infection, currently uses ultrasonic cleaners. The sterilization includes hydrogen peroxide gas, steam sterilization, or ethylene oxide gas (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-149875).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-149875

Other methods include a means for automatically injecting a sterilizing chemical into a washing tank from a nozzle, a blood removing chemical automatic injection means, tap water, hot air automatic There is an automatic washer having a supply means (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-201), and it is known whether a cleaning liquid or a chemical liquid is sprayed from a nozzle to perform cleaning, sterilization, and drying.
Another known example is an ozone sterilization cleaning apparatus (JP-A-7-88163) that performs ultrasonic cleaning using an ozone aqueous solution as a cleaning liquid.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-201 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-88163

As described above, conventionally, physical methods such as ultrasonic waves and jet water flow have been combined with detergents. However, dirt consisting of blood containing fat and protein is difficult to remove, and it is extremely difficult to remove dry blood dirt. Many nurses wash their hands in warm water before putting them in these washers.
Further, in the present situation where chemicals and detergents are frequently used for cleaning, it takes a lot of time and money to process the waste liquid after cleaning to suit the environment.

Clean medical equipment contaminated with blood in a short time, reduce human intervention, and eliminate the risk of infection. Furthermore, cleaning and sterilization required separate processes.

OH radicals generated by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) have an extremely high oxidizing power, and are known to instantaneously oxidize and decompose organic substances. Most of the products of the oxidation reaction by OH radicals do not require post-treatment such as water, oxygen and carbon dioxide.
As the principle of generation of OH radicals, the Haber-Weiss reaction is known in addition to the ultraviolet decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. As an electron donor in the Haber-Weiss reaction, electrons can be directly given to hydrogen peroxide from the surface of a negative electrode.

A contaminated metal surface is brought into contact with hydrogen peroxide, and a negative voltage is applied in this state. Then, hydrogen peroxide molecules receive electrons on the metal surface, and OH radicals are generated. The OH radicals generated on the metal surface directly attack and oxidize and decompose dirt substances adhering to the same surface. This is disclosed in JP-A-2002-173799.
JP 2002-173799 A

This technology is applied to a surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus and a new invention is made.
That is, the washing tank has an electrically insulated metal swing shelf and a counter electrode (electrode), and the swing shelf is configured to be able to mount a wire mesh cage with a surgeon's tools side by side. When a DC power supply is connected so that a negative potential is applied to the moving shelf and a positive potential is applied to the counter electrode, and the cleaning liquid containing an aqueous solution of H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) is put in the cleaning tank, the net and the counter electrode are submerged. The swing shelf in the water tank is a surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus configured to swing in the cleaning liquid with a mesh cage placed thereon.

A negative potential is connected to the metal swing shelf, but if you put a wire mesh cage with dirty surgical tools after use on it, the metal surgeon device inside will swing through the wire mesh cage. By making the same electrical potential as the shelf, passing electrons to hydrogen peroxide molecules in contact with the surface of the surgeon's tool (metal), generating OH radicals, and oxidatively degrading organic contaminants consisting of protein and fat attached Removes dirt that adheres firmly.

This indicates that OH radicals can simultaneously sterilize infectious disease pathogens adhering to the surface of a surgical instrument. By placing the surgeon's tools on the conductive wire mesh cage, all of the surgeon's tools can be set to the negative pole of the same potential without connecting each one to the negative pole, thereby improving the operability.

Note that the DC voltage applied between both electrodes is equal to or higher than the voltage for generating OH radicals, and is lower than the voltage for electrolyzing water. In this embodiment, since it is as low as 1.5 volts, the cleaning tank can be made of metal, and the counter electrode provided in the cleaning tank can be used as the cleaning tank.
Since medical facilities require cleanliness, it is preferable to use stainless steel as a metal so as not to rust.

The counter electrode metal is preferably platinum, and the larger the area, the larger the contact area with the cleaning liquid. Further, it is preferable that the fresh cleaning liquid and the counter electrode come into contact with each other, and the position where the cleaning liquid in the cleaning bowl moves frequently, for example, rocking, so that the cleaning liquid moves by the swing of the swing shelf and comes into contact with the fresh cleaning liquid. It is preferable to provide it under or on the shelf.

It is necessary to supply fresh cleaning liquid to the cathode side and the surface of the medical device together with the counter electrode. H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) is consumed by decomposing and separating dirt components on the surface of the medical device by OH radicals generated by receiving electrons from the surface of the medical device in contact with H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide). Along with the supplement, it is necessary to peel away the dirt component from the vicinity of the surface of the medical device.

For this reason, the swinging movement of the swinging shelf generates a large amount of water near the surgical instrument in the mesh cage, bringing the cleaning solution into contact with the surface of the medical instrument, and the swinging shelf in order to keep the detached dirt away from the surface of the medical instrument. Rock.
Further, it is effective to attach wings to the swing shelf and the scissors in order to generate a large amount of water flow in the vicinity of the surgical instrument in the reed by this swinging operation.

The washing solution is a solution in which the supporting electrolyte is dissolved in an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) of 10 to 100 mmol (10 mM to 100 mM), and the molar concentration is 10 to 100 mmol (10 mM to 100 mM). Used as a cleaning solution. For example, KCL, NaCL or the like is used as the supporting electrolyte. In this way, it is a very thin and environmentally friendly cleaning solution compared to a thick cleaning solution that relies on the cleaning power of conventional cleaning solutions.

After the cleaning operation by the cleaning device is completed, the cleaning device (cleaning bowl) becomes contaminated with the dirt that has been washed away. This washing machine needs to be cleaned, and it is necessary to eliminate this manual work. For this reason, the apparatus can be cleaned by switching the negative voltage applied to the swing shelf to the cleaning tank, or switching to apply to both the swing shelf and the cleaning tank.

By putting contaminated surgical medical tools side by side in a wire mesh cage and applying a negative potential, OH radicals are generated from the metal surface of the medical device to break up blood stains and sterilize. The effect is obtained.
By switching the minus potential, the cleaning object and the cleaning tank can be cleaned.

Next, although it demonstrates based on the Example regarding the surgical-medical-tool washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on this invention, this invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment.
Inside the washing tank 1 made of stainless steel, there is a metal swing shelf 17 that is electrically insulated, and a counter electrode (electrode) 9, on which the wire mesh cage 3 in which the surgical tools 4 are arranged can be placed. It is configured so that a positive potential is applied to the swing shelf 17 by connecting a negative potential to the negative electrode of the battery 6 which is a DC power source with the electric wire 7 and connecting the positive electrode of the battery 6 to the counter electrode 9 with the electric wire 8. . The metal swing shelf 17 has a structure in which the cleaning liquid easily passes, for example, a wire mesh shape or a saw shape. A blade is attached to generate a water flow in the cleaning liquid by swinging the metal swing shelf 17. The cleaning solution comes into contact with the surgical tool 4 in the wire mesh cage 3 well.

When a cleaning solution 20 in which a supporting electrolyte such as KCL or NaCL is added to an aqueous solution of H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) is placed in the cleaning tank 1, the wire mesh basket 3 and the counter electrode 9 are submerged, and the water in the tank 1 is shaken. The moving shelf 17 is configured to swing in the cleaning liquid with the wire mesh cage 3 placed thereon. The swing shelf 17 is suspended by a wire 18 from a support portion 2 having an insulating effect and can swing, and the left end is attached to the cleaning tank 1 and the support portion 12 having an insulating effect and the swing shelf 17 are connected by a spring 11. Then, the direction of the right end of the swing rack 17 is changed with the wire 19 by using the pulley 21, and the winding wheel 22 is wound around the motor 5 with the motor 5 to rotate forward and backward. The counter electrode 9 is insulated from the metal in the cleaning tank 1 by an insulator 10.

A water pipe 15 and a cleaning liquid pipe 16 are connected to the cleaning tank 1 so that each can be introduced via a valve 14, and a drain pipe 13 is also connected via a valve 14 so that waste liquid can be discharged.
There is a switch 23 for switching the negative electrode in order to clean the cleaning tank 1, which is switched when cleaning the medical instrument and cleaning the cleaning tank.

Example 2 is shown in FIG. The counter electrode 9 is preferably located at a position where the amount or degree of movement of the cleaning liquid 20 in the cleaning basket 1 by moving the swing rack 17 and the wire mesh basket 3 is large. In the case of FIG. In FIG. 2 of the second embodiment, it may be both sides or front and rear. Further, the negative electrode of another battery is connected to each counter electrode. A blade 24 is attached to the swing shelf so that the cleaning liquid can be easily moved by the swing operation. This increases the contact of fresh cleaning fluid to the counter electrode and fresh cleaning fluid to the surgeon instrument surface.
When the washing basket is made of metal, such as stainless steel, the counter electrode can be a washing tank.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a method of connecting the negative pole of the power source with a clip 25 is shown as a method of setting the wire mesh cage 3 as a negative pole.

FIG. 4 shows a method in which a conductive mat 26 is connected to the negative pole, and this is covered with the wire mesh cage 3 to obtain a negative potential. Others are the same as the said Example.
However, there are various other methods for insulating and swinging the basket from the washing tank, including those.

Schematic diagram showing the configuration of Example 1 Schematic diagram showing the configuration of Example 2 Schematic diagram showing the configuration of Example 3 Schematic diagram showing the configuration of Example 4

Explanation of symbols

1 Washing tank
2 Support section
3 Wire mesh bag
4 Surgeon tools
5 Motor
6 batteries
7,8 electric wire
9 Counter electrode
10 Insulator
11 Spring
12 Support section
13 Drain pipe
14 valves
15 Water piping
16 Cleaning fluid piping
17 Swing shelf
18 wires
19 wire
20 Cleaning solution
21 pulley
22 Roller
23 switch
24 wings
25 clips
26 Conductive mat

Claims (8)

A metal oscillating shelf that is electrically insulated in the cleaning tank and a counter electrode (electrode), and configured to be able to place a wire mesh cage in which surgeon's tools are lined up. When a cleaning solution containing an aqueous solution of H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) is put in the cleaning tank, the net cage and the counter electrode are submerged in water. A surgical instrument cleaning apparatus having a structure in which a swing shelf in a water tank swings in a cleaning liquid with a net cage placed thereon. 2. The surgical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning tank is made of metal and the counter electrode is the cleaning tank. 2. The surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a counter electrode is provided at a position in the cleaning tank where the cleaning liquid in the cleaning basket moves well by swinging of the swing shelf. 2. The surgical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the counter electrode is provided under the swing shelf. The surgical medical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the cleaning liquid is a cleaning liquid in which a supporting electrolyte (10 mM to 100 mM) is dissolved in an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) 10 mM to 100 mM. 6. The surgical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, which is an oscillating shelf having a wing for generating a water flow in the vicinity of the surgical instrument in the mesh cage by an oscillating operation of the oscillating shelf. A metal oscillating shelf electrically insulated inside a washing tank made of stainless steel, and a counter electrode (electrode), and configured to be able to place a wire mesh cage in which surgical tools are placed side by side, When a DC power source is connected so that a negative potential is applied to the swing shelf and a positive potential is applied to the counter electrode, and when a cleaning liquid containing an aqueous solution of H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) is placed in the cleaning tank, the screen and the counter electrode are A surgical instrument cleaning apparatus configured to be submerged and swing in a cleaning liquid while a swing shelf in the water tank is placed with a net cage. The surgical instrument cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, wherein the negative voltage applied to the swing shelf is switched to the cleaning tank.

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