Method of cleaning and sterilizing endoscopic camera equipment, etc. and apparatus therefor

Abstract

A cleaning and sterilizing apparatus which provides alkaline-water-cleaning removing organic matter adhered to the surface of an endoscopic camera instrument, and effectively exhibiting bacteria-killing and virus-killing effects of acidic water, is provided. The apparatus uses as cleaning bath an alkaline-water-producing bath 2 of an electrolysis bath 1 partitioned by a separating membrane 6 and having electrodes 7 and 8 on both sides, and the apparatus is configured to conduct preliminary cleaning of an endoscopic camera instrument 4 inserted in the cleaning bath by ultrasonic cleaning with city water, subsequently provides saline solution to the electrolysis bath to conduct electrolysis, conduct ultrasonic cleaning with alkaline water obtained by the electrolysis, introduce acidic water in the acidic water generation bath 3 and conduct sterilization-cleaning, and further, conduct ultrasonic cleaning with city water. Then, the apparatus dries the endoscopic camera instrument 4 with warm air as the case requires.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing endoscopic camera, etc., such as an endoscope, a camera attached to this endoscope or other peripheral devices used for observing and taking a picture of an affected part of patient or for extraction of cells. BACKGROUND ART [0002] In general, an endoscope is to be used for inspection or medical treatment by being inserted into the body of a patient, and thus inner walls of conduits or external surfaces of the endoscope and peripheral devices attached to the endoscope are polluted, and these devices are to be cleaned and sterilized in an endoscope cleaning apparatus after use. As such a cleaning and sterilizing method, sterilization with e.g. glutaraldehyde or peracetic acid which are harmful for human body, has been commonly used. [0003] Recently, acidic electrolytic water obtained by electrolyzing saline solution has been attentioned, which has a property that it has a hi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] Further the present invention is characterized by comprising an alkaline-water-producing-cleaning bath, and an acidic-water-producing bath, which are formed by partitioning an electrolysis bath having electrodes on both sides by a membrane; the electrolysis bath being provided with a first water-feeding pipe for supplying water and a second water-feeding pipe for supplying saline solution; the alkaline-water-producing-cleaning bath being provided with draining means and an ultrasonic generator; and the alkaline-water-producing-cleaning bath and the acidic-water-producing bath communicating with each other via a control valve and a pump; wherein the apparatus is configured to conduct ultrasonic cleaning of the endoscopic camera instrument etc. with alkaline water obtained by electrolyzing saline solution supplied to the electrolysis bath, and subsequently conduct sterilization of the endoscopic camera installment etc. with acidic water transferred from the acidic-water-producing bath into the alkaline-water-producing-cleaning bath; followed by conducting cleaning with water.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, there has been the following problems caused by the construction that the electrolysis apparatus and the cleaning and sterilizing apparatus are separately provided.

Accordingly, entire cleaning and sterilizing apparatus including the electrolysis apparatus becomes large sized or complicated to cause an increase of production cost, and such an apparatus requires a large space for installation.

Further, due to such a large size, most of conventional cleaning and sterilizing apparatuses are ones to be installed at a predetermined place for use, and there has been a limitation that it is necessary to bring an endoscope to the place where the cleaning and sterilizing apparatus is installed, to clean and sterilize the endoscope.

Therefore, such an apparatus does not have such a convenience that it is movable to the site where an endoscope is used or in the vicinity of the site, so that an endoscope can be cleaned and sterilized immediately after use, to be ready for reuse.

However, there has been a problem that cleaning with alkaline water only by immersion or swing movement can not achieve sufficient cleaning and takes a long time, and accordingly, satisfactory sterilizing effect can not be obtained in a subsequent cleaning step with acidic water.

However, if a large amount of organic matter is present with a product to be subjected to a sterilization treatment, these radicals produced tend to be consumed to oxidize the organic matter, and radicals to be used for oxidation and sterilization of bacteria, virus or the like are reduced, whereby acidic water of unnecessarily high density becomes required.

Further, if e.g. protein is present, some type of such protein is solidified under certain oxidation conditions, and the oxidation effect may become less effective to e.g. a bacteria contained in such a solidified cluster.

Further, a chemical solution having unnecessarily high concentration of chlorine not only accelerates corrosion of e.g. a device to be cleaned and sterilized or a cleaning and sterilizing apparatus, but also deteriorates safety of utilization environment, and its waste water may cause environmental pollution.

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