JP2009142324A - Endoscope washing/disinfecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope washing/disinfecting device configured to hardly leave a liquid inside a channel switching part to switch a liquid feeding channel and inside a plurality of conduits connected to the channel switching part, and capable of securely discharging the liquid from the channel switching part and the plurality of conduits in short time. <P>SOLUTION: The endoscope washing/disinfecting device 1 is to wash and disinfect an endoscope 101 disposed in a washing tub 4, and has a container 61 having electromagnetic valves 52-54 to which a plurality of channels 44-47 are individually connected. The endoscope washing/disinfecting device comprises the channel switching part 51 for selectively switching a channel to feed liquid to the plurality of channels by opening/closing the plurality of electromagnetic valves, a liquid feeding path 43 connected to the channel switching part and having a liquid feeding pump 42 for feeding the liquid into the container, an air feeding path 49 connected to the channel switching part and having a compressor 65 for feeding compressed air into the container, a discharge valve 58 disposed on the bottom of the container and connecting a drain path for draining the liquid inside the channel switching part, and a control part 68 for driving/controlling the plurality of electromagnetic valves, the liquid feeding pump and the compressor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus for automatically cleaning / disinfecting an endoscope, and in particular, a flow path for selectively switching the liquid supply to a plurality of pipes provided in the apparatus main body. The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus including a switching unit.

  In recent years, endoscopes are widely used in the medical field and the industrial field. An endoscope used in the medical field observes an organ in a body cavity by inserting a long and thin insertion portion into the body cavity, and inserts it into an insertion channel of a treatment instrument included in the endoscope as necessary. Various treatments can be performed using the treated tool.

  Endoscopes in the medical field are used by being inserted into body cavities, particularly for the purpose of examination and treatment. Therefore, after use, cleaning and disinfection are required for reuse. It is well known that the used endoscope is cleaned and disinfected by an endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, in addition to hand washing and disinfecting.

  A used endoscope set in such an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus has not only an outer surface but also a plurality of endoscope conduits such as an air supply / water supply conduit and a treatment instrument insertion conduit. It is also necessary to clean and disinfect the interior of the. For this reason, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus is provided with a plurality of liquid supply conduits for supplying a fluid such as a cleaning liquid and a disinfecting solution to each of the plurality of endoscope conduits.

Each of these liquid supply pipe lines is connected to a flow path switching unit (channel block in Patent Document 1) to which liquid is supplied from a fluid supply pipe line having a liquid supply pump interposed therein. A plurality of electromagnetic valves are disposed in the flow path switching unit, and the plurality of liquid supply pipes are individually connected to the electromagnetic valves. Then, the flow path switching unit controls the opening and closing of each solenoid valve according to various steps executed by the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus for cleaning / disinfecting the endoscope, thereby supplying the fluid supplied to the inside. Supply to liquid line. In addition, the flow path switching unit can connect all of the plurality of liquid supply pipe lines and the fluid supply pipe line in communication with each other. The structure has a large volume.
JP 2005-192641 A

  By the way, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus conventionally needs to drain the liquid circulated inside the apparatus after the endoscope cleaning process, the disinfection process, and the rinsing process. At this time, if the liquid remains in various pipes and various components in the apparatus, it is unsanitary, and when performing the cleaning process or the disinfection process next time, the cleaning liquid or the disinfection is performed by the residual liquid in the apparatus main body. This is because the agent may be diluted and cannot be used at an appropriate concentration. For this reason, in a conventional endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, a drainage process for discharging the liquid remaining in various pipes and various components in the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus is performed.

  However, in the conventional endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, when the liquid circulated after the end of each step is discharged to the outside of the apparatus, the remaining liquid is easily stored in the flow path switching unit having a relatively large volume, and completely. In order to remove the liquid from the flow path switching unit, there has been a problem that the duration of the drainage process must be set longer. Therefore, in the conventional endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, it is desired that the liquid hardly remains in the flow path switching unit and the liquid is easily removed from the flow path switching unit during the drainage process. It was. Furthermore, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which it is difficult for fluid to remain in various pipes connected to the flow path switching unit.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is in the flow path switching unit that switches the liquid supply flow path after the end of the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting process, and the flow path switching. The structure is such that liquid does not easily remain in the plurality of pipes connected to the section, and the liquid can be reliably removed in a short time in the flow path switching unit and in the plurality of pipes. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to the present invention includes an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus for cleaning / disinfecting an endoscope disposed in a cleaning tank. A flow path switching unit that includes a container provided with a solenoid valve and selectively switches liquid to the plurality of flow paths by opening and closing the plurality of solenoid valves; and is connected to the flow path switching unit. A liquid supply path provided with a liquid supply pump for supplying the liquid into the container, and an air supply path connected with the flow path switching unit and provided with a compressor for supplying compressed air into the container. And a drain valve to which a drainage channel for discharging the liquid in the flow path switching unit is connected, and a control unit that drives and controls the plurality of electromagnetic valves, the liquid feed pump, and the compressor. Features.

  According to the present invention, after the cleaning and disinfecting process of the endoscope, the structure in which the liquid hardly remains in the channel switching unit that switches the liquid feeding channel and in the plurality of pipes connected to the channel switching unit. In addition, it is possible to realize an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus capable of reliably removing water from the flow path switching unit and the plurality of pipelines in a short time.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 to 11 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the flow path switching unit, FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the flow path switching unit, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of the flow path switching unit and the pipes connected to the flow path switching unit. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the flow path switching unit showing a state filled with liquid, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the flow path switching unit showing a state where a part of the liquid is discharged, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the action during the water removal process of each liquid feed pipe connected to the flow path switching unit, and FIG. 9 shows the action during the water removal process of the fourth liquid feed pipe connected to the brush cassette unit. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the flow path switching unit showing a state in which compressed air is supplied into the flow path switching unit, and FIG. 11 is a water removal step in the flow path switching unit. It is a diagram for explaining the operation of.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 includes an apparatus body 2 that has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and a top cover 3 that covers the upper surface of the apparatus body 2. The top cover 3 as a cleaning tank cover is attached to the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown).

  A cleaning / disinfecting tank (hereinafter abbreviated as “cleaning tank”) 4 capable of storing the endoscope 101 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2. The endoscope 101 housed in the cleaning tank 4 is cleaned and disinfected in accordance with a predetermined cleaning / disinfecting process in a state where the top cover 3 is closed so as to cover the cleaning tank 4 of the apparatus main body 2. The front surface of the apparatus main body 2 has an operation panel 8 that can set and instruct start, stop, various cleaning and disinfecting functions, and have various display functions.

  The endoscope 101 includes a flexible insertion portion 102 and an operation portion 103. The insertion portion 102 is bent and stored in the cleaning tank 4. Specifically, the operation unit 103 is positioned and set between a plurality of pins 4 a provided in the cleaning tank 4. A pin for positioning the insertion portion 102 in a predetermined shape may be provided in the cleaning tank 4.

  The insertion portion 102 of the endoscope 101 is provided with a plurality of channels which are endoscope ducts (not shown). These channels are endoscope channels provided for inserting treatment tools and the like, and performing suction, air supply, water supply, and the like. These channels have one end opened at the operation unit 103 and the other end opened at the distal end of the insertion unit 102.

  The apparatus main body 2 is provided with a brush cassette unit 5 that performs brushing cleaning by moving a cleaning brush forward and backward in one of the plurality of channels in the vicinity of the operation unit 103 of the endoscope 101 that is positioned and accommodated. Yes. The brush cassette unit 5 is connected to one channel opened at the operation unit 103 by a brush connection tube 5 a extending from the wall surface of the cleaning tank 4.

  Further, the liquid circulating in the apparatus main body 2 is provided on the wall surface of the cleaning tank 4 through three connection tubes 16 to 18 (see FIG. 2) individually connected to the remaining channels opened in the operation unit 103. A plurality of, in this case, three first liquid supply ports 11 to 3, a discharge port 15 for discharging the liquid remaining in the apparatus main body 2 into the cleaning tank 4, etc. Is provided.

Next, based on FIG. 2, the internal structure of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 2, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 has a water supply hose connection portion 22 disposed in the apparatus main body 2 connected to one end of a water supply hose 21, and the other end of the water supply hose 21 is connected to the outside. Connected to a water tap 6. As a result, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 is supplied with tap water for cleaning / disinfecting the endoscope 101.

  The water supply hose connection portion 22 communicates with one end of the water supply conduit 24. The other end of the water supply pipe 24 is connected to a water supply port 26 provided in the cleaning tank 4. In addition, a water supply electromagnetic valve 23 and a water supply filter 25 are interposed in the water supply conduit 24 in that order from the water supply hose connection portion 22 side. The water supply filter 25 is a cartridge-type filtration filter so that it can be periodically replaced. The tap water supplied to the cleaning tank 4 is filtered by passing through the water supply filter 25.

  A drain port 31 is provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 4. A switching valve 32 for discharging the liquid in the cleaning tank 4 to the outside or circulating it in the apparatus main body 2 by a valve switching operation is disposed below the drain port 31.

  One end of a circulation drain line 33 is connected to the switching valve 32. A three-way switching electromagnetic valve 34 and a circulation drainage pump 35 are interposed in the middle of the circulation drainage pipe 33 from the switching valve 32 side. In addition, a three-way switching electromagnetic valve 29 is connected to the other end of the circulation drainage pipe 33.

  The three-way switching solenoid valve 29 is connected to one end of a circulation pipe 27 and a drain pipe 36. As a result, the three-way switching solenoid valve 29 connected to the other end of the circulation drainage pipe 33 is selectively connected to the circulation drainage line 27 or the drainage pipe 36 by the switching operation of the internal valve. It is for communicating with.

  The other end of the circulation line 27 is connected to a circulation nozzle 28 provided in the cleaning tank 4. That is, the liquid sent to the circulation line 27 flows again into the cleaning tank 4 and circulates in the apparatus main body 2. On the other hand, the other end of the drain pipe 36 is connected to an external drain through a drain hose or the like. That is, the liquid sent into the drain pipe 36 is discharged to an external drain outlet outside the apparatus main body 2.

  One end of the connecting pipe 37 is connected to the above-described three-way switching solenoid valve 34 provided in the middle of the circulating drain pipe 33. A three-way switching electromagnetic valve 38 is connected to the other end of the communication pipe 37. The three-way switching solenoid valve 38 is connected to one end of each of the liquid supply pipe 43 constituting the chemical liquid pipe 39 and the liquid feed path. Thereby, the three-way switching electromagnetic valve 38 is for selectively communicating the communication pipe line 37, the chemical liquid pipe line 39, or the liquid supply pipe line 43 by the switching operation of the internal valve.

  The other end of the chemical liquid conduit 39 is connected to the chemical liquid tank 41. In the chemical tank 41, a disinfectant diluted to a predetermined concentration is stored. This disinfectant is a liquid for disinfecting the endoscope 101 by being sent from the apparatus main body 2 to the cleaning tank 4 during the disinfection process. Note that the disinfecting liquid according to the present embodiment is replaced when the disinfection process of the endoscope 101 reaches a predetermined number of times. Except for replacement, the disinfecting liquid is returned to the chemical tank 41 again after the disinfection process is completed. Returned.

  A liquid feed pump 42 is interposed in the middle of the above-described liquid supply conduit 43 that constitutes a liquid feed path that circulates in the apparatus main body 2. Further, the other end of the liquid supply pipe 43 is connected to a liquid supply side check valve 56 provided in the flow path switching block 51 constituting the flow path switching unit. The liquid supply pipe 43 is disposed so as to be inclined vertically downward toward the flow path switching block 51.

  In addition to the liquid supply side check valve 56, the flow path switching block 51 includes a plurality of, here, four electromagnetic valves, the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55, and the air supply side check valve 57. And a relief valve 58 constituting a drain valve.

  The first channel valve 52 is connected to one end of a first liquid supply pipe 44 that is a first flow path. The other end of the first liquid feeding pipe 44 is connected to the first liquid feeding port 11 provided in the cleaning tank 4. That is, the first liquid supply conduit 44 is connected to one of a plurality of channels provided in the endoscope 101 installed in the cleaning tank 4 via the first liquid supply port 11 and the connection tube 16. , A conduit for feeding cleaning liquid, disinfecting liquid, or rinsing water.

  The second channel valve 53 is connected to one end of a second liquid supply pipe 45 that is a second flow path. The other end of the second liquid feeding pipe 45 is connected to the second liquid feeding port 12 provided in the cleaning tank 4. That is, the second liquid supply conduit 45 is also connected to one of a plurality of channels provided in the endoscope 101 installed in the cleaning tank 4 via the second liquid supply port 12 and the connection tube 17. , A conduit for feeding cleaning liquid, disinfecting liquid, or rinsing water.

  Furthermore, the third channel valve 54 is connected to one end of a third liquid feeding pipe 46 that is a third flow path. The other end of the third liquid feeding conduit 46 is connected to the third liquid feeding port 13 provided in the cleaning tank 4. That is, the third liquid supply conduit 46 is also connected to one of a plurality of channels provided in the endoscope 101 installed in the cleaning tank 4 via the third liquid supply port 13 and the connection tube 18. , A conduit for feeding cleaning liquid, disinfecting liquid, or rinsing water.

  The fourth channel valve 55 is connected to one end of a fourth liquid supply pipe 47 that is a fourth flow path. The other end of the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 is connected to the bottom surface of the brush cassette unit 5 provided in the cleaning tank 4. In other words, the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 is a conduit for supplying the cleaning liquid, the disinfecting liquid, or the rinsing water to the brush cassette unit 5 installed on the wall portion of the cleaning tank 4.

  The first liquid supply pipe 44 to the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 have ports 11 to 13 provided in the cleaning tank 4 and the other ends connected to the brush cassette unit 5 upward. Positioned and extended vertically downward, one end of each is connected to the flow path switching block 51. That is, the flow path switching block 51 is provided vertically below the cleaning tank 4.

  Further, the first liquid feeding pipe 44 to the third liquid feeding pipe 46 are set to have a narrower pipe diameter than the fourth liquid feeding pipe 47. This is because the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 is provided with the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the third liquid supply in order to ensure a sufficient amount of liquid supplied to the brush cassette container in which the cleaning brush of the brush cassette unit 5 is accommodated. This is because a predetermined pipe diameter that is thicker than the liquid pipe 46 is required. Since the brush cassette unit 5 has been conventionally used, a detailed description of its configuration is omitted.

  One end of an air supply pipe line 49 constituting an air supply path is connected to the air supply side check valve 57 provided in the flow path switching block 51 described above. An air filter 66 and a compressor 65 are installed in the air supply pipe line 49 in order from the air supply side check valve 57. Note that the other end of the air supply conduit 49 is open to the atmosphere on the wall surface of the apparatus body 2.

  One end of a relief pipe 48 constituting a drainage channel is connected to the relief valve 58 provided in the above-described channel switching block 51. The other end of the relief pipe 48 is connected to the discharge port 15 provided in the cleaning tank 4. The relief pipe 48 has the narrowest pipe diameter among the pipes connected to the flow path switching block 51. That is, the relief pipe 48 is narrower than the liquid supply pipe 43, the first liquid feed pipe 44 to the fourth liquid feed pipe 47, and the air feed pipe 49, for example, a pipe diameter of 6 mm or less. have. Accordingly, the relief pipes 48 are the narrowest pipe diameters of the plurality of pipes through which the liquid connected to the flow path switching block 51 passes, and then the first liquid feed pipe 44 to the third liquid feed pipe 46. The fourth liquid supply line 47 is thin, and the liquid supply line 43 is set to be the thickest.

  Further, inside the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1, a power source 67 to which power is supplied from an external AC outlet and a control unit 68 electrically connected to the power source 67 are provided. The control unit 68 is supplied with various signals from the operation panel 8 and controls driving of the above-described pumps, compressors, electromagnetic valves, and the like. Note that the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above includes an ultrasonic vibrator, a heater, and the like on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 4 in order to improve the cleaning / disinfecting efficiency of the endoscope 101. It is good also as a structure.

Next, based on FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the structure of the flow-path switching block 51 which is a flow-path switching part is demonstrated in more detail.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flow path switching block 51 includes a container body 61 into which the liquid supplied from the liquid supply conduit 43 flows. The first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 are arranged in parallel on one side surface of the container body 61. Note that the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 are provided on the vertically lower side of the container body 61.

  In addition, the liquid supply side check valve 56 and the air supply side check valve 57 described above are provided on the other side surface portion of the container body 61. The air supply side check valve 57 is provided so as to be located on the most vertically upper side of the container body 61. The relief valve 58 is provided on the bottom surface of the container body 61. In addition, this relief valve 58 is provided in the approximate center of the bottom face part of the container body 61, and becomes a structure which opens a valve above predetermined pressure.

  The container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 is formed with an inclined portion 62 in which the bottom surface of the internal space is inclined toward the relief valve 58. In the present embodiment, the inclined portion 62 is formed by four inclined surfaces having a shape in which a quadrangular pyramid is inverted. The inclined portion 62 is not limited to the shape in which the quadrangular pyramid is inverted as described above, and may be, for example, a shape in which a cone inclined toward the relief valve 58 is inverted.

  In addition, the flow path switching block 51 includes a liquid feed side check valve 56 configured so that the inside of the container body 61 communicates with the inside only from the outside in the state where the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 are closed, Since it is the air side check valve 57, the space inside the container body 61 will be in the sealed state.

  The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above has a programmed cleaning / disinfecting process, a cleaning liquid during the cleaning process, a disinfecting liquid during the disinfection process, and a rinsing process. Occasionally, rinsing water is circulated in the apparatus main body 2 to clean and disinfect the endoscope 101 installed in the cleaning tank 4. In addition, since the operation | movement in the washing | cleaning process of the endoscope 101, the disinfection process, and the rinsing process which the above-mentioned endoscope washing | cleaning disinfection apparatus 1 performs is performed similarly to the past, detailed description of these each process is abbreviate | omitted. Further, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 performs a draining process of discharging various liquids of the cleaning liquid, the disinfecting liquid, and the rinsing water from the cleaning tank 4 and the apparatus main body 2 after the completion of each process.

  In the drainage process of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1, the circulation drainage pump 35 shown in FIG. 2 is driven from the drainage port 31 provided in the cleaning tank 4 through the circulation drainage line 33 and the drainage line 36. Then, various liquids in the cleaning tank 4 and the apparatus main body 2 are discharged to the external drainage port. At this time, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 drives and controls the circulating drainage pump 35, and also drives and controls the liquid feed pump 42 and the three-way switching electromagnetic valves 29 and 34 in a predetermined manner. Various liquids in the pipe line in the main body 2 are fed into the washing tank 4 so as to flow from the drain port 31 to the external drain port via the circulation drain pipe 33 and the drain pipe 36.

  The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is after the cleaning / disinfecting step of supplying the cleaning liquid, the disinfecting liquid, or the rinsing water (hereinafter simply referred to as liquid) to the outer surface of the endoscope 101 and the channel. Immediately before the end of the draining step for discharging the liquid to the outside, the control unit 68 performs the first channel valve 52 to the second channel switching block 51 of the flow path switching block 51 based on an example of control as shown in the time chart shown in FIG. A water removal process for driving the opening and closing of the four-channel valve 55, the liquid feed pump 42, and the compressor 65 is executed. This water removal step is performed immediately before the end of the drainage step, and is a step for removing water from the flow path switching block 51 and the pipes connected to the flow path switching block 51.

  Below, in the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the inside of the channel switching block 51, the liquid supply pipeline 43 connected to the channel switching block 51, and the first liquid feeding pipelines 44˜ The operation of the water removal step of discharging the liquid from the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 will be described based on the time chart of FIG. 5 and FIGS.

  First, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 fills the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 by controlling the driving of the liquid feeding pump 42 by the control unit 68 during the draining process before the water removal process. The liquid that has been drained can be drained to some extent.

  Specifically, the liquid that has filled the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 is sequentially supplied from the liquid supply line 43 through the liquid supply side check valve 56 by driving the liquid supply pump 42. The liquid is supplied to the first liquid supply line 44 to the fourth liquid supply line 47 via the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 whose internal valves are controlled to be opened by the control unit 68. (See FIG. 6). Thereafter, the liquid sent to the first liquid feeding pipe 44 to the fourth liquid feeding pipe 47 flows out into the cleaning tank 4.

  Then, as the liquid in the cleaning tank 4 is discharged to the external drain port, the water level of the liquid in the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 decreases. Thereafter, the liquid feed pump 42 continues to be driven and sends air to the liquid supply conduit 43. The air sent to the liquid supply conduit 43 is supplied into the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 via the liquid supply side check valve 56. At this time, since the fluid supply line 43 is inclined toward the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51, the liquid fed by the liquid feed pump 42 does not remain, and the flow path switching block 51 It is supplied into the container body 61.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the liquid in the container body 61 is lower than the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 in the first liquid supply conduit 44 to the fourth liquid supply conduit 47. When the water level is reached, the air in the container body 61 is supplied.

  From this state, the liquid is discharged from the flow path switching block 51, the liquid supply pipe 43 connected to the flow path switching block 51, and the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the fourth liquid supply pipe 47. The dewatering process is started. In addition, about the start of a water removal process, it is performed after the predetermined time progress by which the liquid in the container body 61 becomes the water level below the 1st channel valve 52-the 4th channel valve 55 preset in the drainage process. Is.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 opens (ON) only the first channel valve 52 and controls the internal valve for a predetermined time t1, and also feeds the liquid. 42 is also continuously driven (ON). Then, the air supplied into the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 is supplied to the first liquid supply pipe 44 connected to the first channel valve 52 at a predetermined time t1 (see FIG. 8). Arrow 1).

  At the predetermined time t1, the liquid remaining in the first liquid supply line 44 is pushed away to the first liquid supply port 11 by the air supply pressure, so that the inside of the first liquid supply line 44 is removed. Watered.

  Then, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 controls the first channel valve 52 to be closed (OFF) as shown in FIG. 5 after a predetermined time t1, and only for the predetermined time t2. Only the second channel valve 53 opens (ON) the internal valve. At this time, the liquid feed pump 42 is continuously driven (ON). As a result, the air supplied into the container body 61 is fed only to the second liquid feeding conduit 45 connected to the second channel valve 53 at a predetermined time t2 (arrow 2 in FIG. 8).

  At the predetermined time t2, the liquid remaining in the second liquid supply line 45 is pushed away to the second liquid supply port 12 by the air supply pressure, so that the inside of the second liquid supply line 45 is removed. Watered.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 controls the second channel valve 53 to be closed (OFF) after a predetermined time t2, and only during the predetermined time t3. Only the third channel valve 54 opens (ON) the internal valve. Also at this time, the liquid feed pump 42 is continuously driven (ON). Then, the air supplied into the container body 61 is supplied at a predetermined time t3 only to the third liquid supply conduit 46 connected to the third channel valve 54 (arrow 3 in FIG. 8).

  At this predetermined time t3, the liquid remaining in the third liquid supply line 46 is pushed away to the third liquid supply port 13 by the air supply pressure, so that the inside of the third liquid supply line 46 is removed. Watered.

  That is, the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the third liquid supply pipe 46 feed the air supplied from the liquid supply pipe 43 into the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 by driving the liquid feed pump 42. Due to the air pressure, the liquid remaining inside is pushed away toward each of the first liquid supply port 11 to the third liquid supply port 13 to remove water. The air supplied to each of the first liquid supply line 44 to the third liquid supply line 46 has a diameter of the liquid supply line 43 from the first liquid supply line 44 to the third liquid supply line 46. Since it is thick, it becomes compressed air in a state where a predetermined pressure is applied, and is supplied to each of the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the third liquid supply pipe 46. Therefore, each of the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the third liquid supply pipe 46 is only supplied with air pressure by the liquid supply pump 42, and the liquid remaining inside is sufficiently washed away and flows into the cleaning tank 4, and reliably. To be drained.

  The predetermined times t1 to t3 described above are set to the same time (t1 = t3) here because the pipe diameters of the first liquid feeding pipe 44 to the third liquid feeding pipe 46 are the same. However, if the pipe diameters of the first liquid feed pipe 44 to the third liquid feed pipe 46 are different, the time for supplying the air by the liquid feed pump 42 may be changed according to these pipe diameters. good. That is, as the pipe diameter becomes thicker, the time for supplying air by the liquid feed pump 42 may be set longer in order to reliably remove the liquid inside.

  When the water removal of the third liquid supply conduit 46 is completed, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 next performs water removal of the fourth liquid supply conduit 47. Specifically, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 controls the third channel valve 54 to be closed (OFF), and at a predetermined time t4, only the fourth channel valve 55 is turned on. Open (ON) control. At this time, the liquid feed pump 42 is continuously driven (ON) and is stopped (OFF) before reaching a predetermined time t4. At this time, the air supplied into the container body 61 is supplied to the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 connected to the fourth channel valve 55 for the time during which the liquid supply pump 42 is driven (see FIG. 8 arrow 4).

  The liquid remaining in the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 to which the air has been supplied is pushed away to the brush cassette unit 5 by the air supply pressure to be dehydrated. At this time, since the fourth liquid feeding pipe 47 has a larger pipe diameter than the first liquid feeding pipe 44 to the third liquid feeding pipe 46, only the air pressure of the liquid feeding pump 42 is provided inside. In some cases, the remaining liquid is not sufficiently washed away and the water is not reliably removed. Furthermore, the brush cassette unit 5 may have liquid remaining in the brush cassette containing the cleaning brush.

  Therefore, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 removes the liquid remaining in the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 by only the air supply pressure of the liquid supply pump 42, then stops the liquid supply pump 42, Even if the liquid remains in the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 and in the brush cassette unit 5 to which the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 is connected, the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 is caused by the weight of the liquid. The control unit 68 continues to open (ON) the valve of the fourth channel valve 55 until a predetermined time t4 elapses, and closes (OFF) after the predetermined time t4 elapses.

  That is, even if liquid remains in the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 and the brush cassette unit 5, the liquid flows in the direction of arrow W in FIG. The water flows into the container body 61 and is reliably drained. The fourth liquid feeding pipe 47 has a pipe diameter of a certain thickness so that the liquid in the pipe and the brush cassette unit 5 can easily flow into the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 by its own weight. Is set. That is, in the fourth liquid supply conduit 47, the liquid is easy to flow due to its own weight, and as described above, the liquid supply amount to the brush cassette container of the brush cassette unit 5 can be sufficiently ensured here. A predetermined pipe diameter larger than that of the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the third liquid supply pipe 46 is set.

  As described above, after the water removal of the first liquid supply pipe 44 to the fourth liquid supply pipe 47 is completed, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 dewaters the inside of the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51. Therefore, the control unit 68 drives (ON) the compressor 65 for a predetermined time t5.

  Then, the compressed air from the compressor 65 is supplied to the air supply line 49 and supplied into the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 via the air supply side check valve 57. At this time, the first channel valve 52 to the fourth channel valve 55 provided in the container body 61 are in a closed state. Therefore, the internal pressure of the container body 61 increases due to the compressed air from the compressor 65.

  When the internal pressure of the container body 61 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, the relief valve 58 provided on the bottom surface portion of the container body 61 opens, and the liquid remaining in the container body 61 causes the relief valve 58 to enter the relief valve 58 as shown in FIG. Then, the liquid is fed to the relief pipe 48. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the liquid sent to the relief pipe 48 is pushed away to the discharge port 15 provided in the cleaning tank 4 and discharged into the cleaning tank 4.

  Further, the liquid in the container body 61 is collected to the relief valve 58 by its own weight by the inclined portion 62 formed on the inner bottom surface of the container body 61. Therefore, the liquid is efficiently sent from the relief valve 58 to the relief conduit 48. To be liquidated. Furthermore, the relief pipe 48 has a small diameter, so that the liquid in the container body 61 can be pushed down to the discharge port 15 of the cleaning tank 4 located above by the compressed air pressure from the compressor 65. Thus, the liquid in the container body 61 is fed into the cleaning tank 4.

Then, the control unit 68 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 stops (OFF) the drive of the compressor 65 when a predetermined time t5 has elapsed. Thus, water remaining in the container body 61 of the flow path switching block 51 can be reliably removed.
In the water removal process described above, the liquid discharged into the cleaning tank 4 is discharged from the drain 31 to the external drain through the circulation drain 33 and the drain 36.

  From the above description, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a draining process for draining the liquid circulating inside the apparatus after the cleaning process, the disinfecting process, and the rinsing process of the endoscope 101. The flow path switching block 51 in which the liquid tends to remain, and the water supply pipe line 43 connected to the flow path block 51 and the first liquid feed pipe line 44 to the fourth liquid feed pipe line 47 are dewatered. It can be done reliably.

  Further, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 performs water removal by forcibly sending the liquid remaining in the flow path switching block 51 to the relief pipe 48 by the compressed air from the compressor 65. Therefore, it is possible to remove the liquid in the flow path switching block 51 in a short time compared to the conventional case.

  Further, the flow path switching block 51 is provided with a relief valve 58 on the bottom surface thereof, and an inclined portion 62 that is inclined toward the relief valve 58 is formed on the inner bottom surface of the container body 61, so that the liquid can be relieved. With the structure in which the liquid is collected, the liquid can be efficiently pushed to the relief pipe 48 by the compressed air from the compressor 65.

  The flow path block 51 includes a liquid supply line 43 and a first liquid supply line 44 to a fourth liquid supply line 47 so that the liquid in each line naturally flows into the container 61 by its own weight. , Connected so as to extend vertically upward. In particular, the liquid supply conduit 43 and the fourth liquid supply conduit 47 having a large conduit diameter are likely to naturally flow into the container body 61 due to their own weight. Therefore, each of the pipes 43 to 47 has a configuration in which a small amount of liquid remains in the interior and the water can be efficiently removed.

  As described above, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes the inside of the channel switching block 51 which is a channel switching unit for switching the liquid feeding channel after the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting process is completed, and the channel switching. In the liquid supply pipe 43 and the first liquid feed pipe 44 to the fourth liquid feed pipe 47, which are a plurality of pipes connected to the block 51, a structure in which the liquid hardly remains and the liquid is short. Water can be reliably removed in time.

  Note that the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the drain valve provided at the bottom of the flow path switching block 51 is a relief valve 58. An electromagnetic valve that is controlled to be opened and closed by the unit 68 may be used. That is, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 1 raises the pressure in the flow path switching block 51 and opens the electromagnetic valve serving as a drain valve during the water removal process, and flows into the relief pipe 48. The liquid remaining in the path switching block 51 may be discharged.

  The invention described above is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention at the stage of implementation. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.

  For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above embodiment, the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and if the stated effect is obtained, this constituent element is The deleted configuration can be extracted as an invention.

The perspective view which shows the endoscope washing | cleaning disinfection apparatus of one embodiment of this invention Schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus Same as above, longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the flow path switching unit Cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the flow path switching unit The time chart which shows the water removal process of the flow path switching part and the pipe line connected to this flow path switching part Sectional drawing of the flow-path switching part which shows the state with which the liquid was filled Sectional drawing of the flow-path switching part which shows the state from which a part of liquid was discharged | emitted The figure for demonstrating the effect | action at the time of the water removal process of each liquid feeding pipe line connected to a flow-path switching part. The figure for demonstrating the effect | action at the time of the water removal process of the 4th liquid feeding pipe line connected to a brush cassette unit same as the above. Sectional drawing of the flow-path switching part which shows the state with which compressed air was supplied in the flow-path switching part similarly The figure for demonstrating the effect | action at the time of the water removal process in a flow-path switching part similarly

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope cleaning disinfection apparatus 2 ... Apparatus main body 4 ... Cleaning tank 5 ... Brush cassette unit 11 ... 1st liquid feeding port 12 ... 2nd liquid feeding port 13 ... 3rd liquid feeding port 15 ... Discharge port 31 ... Drain port 36 ... Drain line 42 ... Liquid feed pump 43 ... Liquid supply line 44 ... 1st liquid feed line 45 ... 2nd liquid feed line 46 ... 3rd liquid feed line 47 ... 4th liquid feed line 48 ... Relief line 49 ... Air supply line 51 ... Flow path switching block 52 ... First channel valve 53 ... Second channel valve 54 ... Third channel valve 55 ... Channel valve 56 ... Liquid supply side check valve 57 ... Air supply side reverse Stop valve 58 ... Relief valve 61 ... Container body 62 ... Inclined part 65 ... Compressor 66 ... Air filter 68 ... Control part 101 ... Endoscope 102 ... Insertion part 103 ... Operation part

Claims (7)

In the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting device for cleaning and disinfecting the endoscope placed in the cleaning tank,
A flow path including a container in which a plurality of electromagnetic valves to which a plurality of flow paths are individually connected is provided, and selectively switching liquid to the plurality of flow paths by opening and closing the plurality of electromagnetic valves A switching unit;
A liquid feed path connected to the flow path switching unit and provided with a liquid feed pump for supplying the liquid into the container;
An air supply path connected to the flow path switching unit and provided with a compressor for supplying compressed air into the container;
A drainage valve disposed on the bottom surface of the container and connected to a drainage channel for discharging the liquid in the flow path switching unit;
A controller for driving and controlling the plurality of solenoid valves, the liquid feed pump, and the compressor;
An endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus comprising:   The endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container has an inclined portion inclined toward the drainage valve on an inner bottom surface.   3. The inside according to claim 1, wherein the drainage channel has a pipe diameter smaller than that of the plurality of channels connected to the container, the liquid feeding channel, and the air feeding channel. Endoscopic cleaning disinfection device.   The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drain valve is a relief valve that opens at a predetermined pressure or more.   The said some flow path connected to the said flow-path switching part and the said liquid feeding path are extended in the vertically upward side, The any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Endoscope cleaning disinfection device. Furthermore, a brush unit that is provided vertically above the flow path switching unit and that brushes and cleans the duct of the endoscope,
The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one of the plurality of channels is connected to a bottom surface of the brush unit. apparatus.   The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the one channel has a pipe diameter larger than that of the other channel.

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