Sterile protective cover for endoscope

Abstract

The present invention relates to an endoscope sterile protective cover, which includes a main body, a connecting portion, and a sealing cover. The main body includes a chamber, in which an antibacterial medium is contained; the connecting portion includes a sealing structure, which enables the endoscope tip to maintain a seal with the endoscope tip after insertion. The endoscope sterile protective cover also includes a pressing structure, which is a pressing portion provided on the chamber wall and / or at least a portion of the chamber wall is elastic. By repeatedly pressing the pressing structure, the antibacterial medium can enter the endoscope channel. The present invention not only protects the endoscope, but also further cleans and disinfects the endoscope, reducing the occurrence of cross infection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of endoscopes, in particular to a sterile protective cover for endoscopes. Background Art

[0002] With the development of medical technology and the popularization of endoscopes, the application of endoscopes is becoming more and more extensive, and endoscopic treatment has become an indispensable treatment method in clinical practice. However, in the use of endoscopes, the following problems exist:

[0003] On the one hand, endoscopes are currently mainly imported, expensive, and non-disposable. They are usually cleaned and disinfected after use before being reused. Endoscopes are often bumped during transportation from the operating room to the cleaning room and from the cleaning room to the storage room, causing damage to the tip of the endoscope, resulting in high repair costs and wasteful scrapping.

[0004] On the other hand, the endoscope needs to enter the human body and come into contact with tissues, mucous membranes and blood. In particular, these tissues will enter the endoscope channel. If they are not thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, cross infection may occur.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, Olympus (Beijing) Sales Service Co., Ltd. applied for invention patent CN204765536U, which proposed a protective cover for the tip of the endoscope. It is only used to protect the tip of the endoscope, but has no antibacterial effect and cannot solve the problem of thorough cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope, especially the channel.

[0006] Furthermore, international patent WO2014 / 041369A1, filed by MEDISAFE UK LIMITED, relates to a method for pre-treating medical devices. It proposes a method for cleaning contaminated medical devices and also mentions the use of disinfectants. While this patent can simultaneously protect and cleanse and disinfect medical devices, it does not address the need for thorough cleaning and disinfection of endoscope channels.

[0007] The protection, cleaning and disinfection of the tip of the endoscope are particularly important. Although the existing technology discloses the technology for protecting, cleaning and disinfecting the tip of the endoscope, there is still the problem that the endoscope channel cannot be thoroughly disinfected, and further the problem of leakage of disinfectant in the protective cover cannot be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sterile protective cover for an endoscope, comprising a protective cover body, a connecting part and a sealing cover, wherein the protective cover body includes a chamber, and the chamber contains an antibacterial medium; the connecting part includes a sealing structure, and the sealing structure enables the endoscope tip to maintain a seal with the endoscope tip after insertion, and is characterized in that the endoscope sterile protective cover also includes a pressing structure, and the pressing structure is a pressing part arranged on the chamber wall and / or at least a part of the chamber wall is elastic, and by pressing the pressing structure, the antibacterial medium is fully infiltrated and contacted with the endoscope tip and enters the endoscope channel.

[0009] Since the present invention provides a pressing structure on the protective cover, the protective cover protects the endoscope. At the same time, by repeatedly pressing the pressing structure, the antibacterial medium will be pressed into the endoscope channel, and the endoscope channel will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, thereby making the cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope more thorough and reducing the risk of cross infection.

[0010] Preferably, the pressing portion is an elastic pressing wall or an elastic pressing cavity protruding from the cavity wall.

[0011] The sealing structure is a self-sealing structure.

[0012] Another embodiment of the sealing structure includes an annular groove and an O-ring located in the groove.

[0013] The sterile protective cover of the endoscope of the present invention further comprises an anti-reflux flap, which is arranged at different positions and can separate the chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber.

[0014] Preferably, the sealing cover can be a flip-top sealing cover or a membrane sealing cover.

[0015] The protective cover can be of any shape suitable for inserting the endoscope tip. For example, the bottom of the protective cover can be designed to be concave inwards to form a stable upright protective cover. The bottom of the protective cover can also be designed to be flat and tapered to fit in the hand and facilitate the insertion of the endoscope tip into the protective cover.

[0016] The antimicrobial medium can be directly filled into the chamber or absorbed by an absorbent material, such as a sponge, and then placed into the chamber.

[0017] Through the description of the above technical solutions, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0018] A pressing structure is provided on the sterile protective cover. The pressing structure is a pressing portion arranged on the chamber wall or at least a portion of the chamber wall is elastic. Repeated pressing of the pressing structure can provide protection and thorough cleaning and disinfection for the endoscope at the same time. The structure of the present invention has a good cleaning and disinfection effect on the endoscope and avoids the occurrence of cross infection.

[0019] The sealing structure adopts a self-sealing structure. Preferably, the self-sealing structure includes an annular groove and an O-ring located in the groove, so that after the tip of the endoscope is inserted into the protective cover, the self-sealing structure is always in close contact with the outer wall of the endoscope to prevent the antibacterial medium from leaking out.

[0020] The protective cover also includes an anti-reflux flap. When the anti-reflux flap is positioned immediately inside the connection portion, the chamber becomes a single chamber. When the endoscope's tip is inserted into the protective cover, the endoscope is protected and cleaned and disinfected simultaneously. When the anti-reflux flap divides the chamber into two chambers, the endoscope only protects when inserted into the first chamber; optionally, when inserted into the second chamber, the endoscope is protected and cleaned and disinfected simultaneously.

[0021] The shape of the protective cover can be any shape suitable for the insertion of the distal end of the endoscope, and can be upright or flat with a tapered bottom suitable for holding and pushing the endoscope with force.

[0022] In order to better prevent the antibacterial medium from flowing out and reduce the amount of antibacterial medium used, the antibacterial medium can be absorbed into an absorbent material such as a sponge, and the sponge that has absorbed the antibacterial medium is placed into the chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figures 1a-1c The endoscope protective cover is filled with different antibacterial media.

[0024] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the endoscope connection structure.

[0025] Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of an anti-reflux valve installed in the protective sleeve chamber.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a self-sealing structure provided with an O-ring.

[0027] Figure 5 A protective cover for the flip-top sealing lid.

[0028] Figure 6 It is a protective cover for the membrane sealing cover.

[0029] Figure 7 The endoscope protective cover is an endoscope protective cover with an inwardly concave bottom of the cavity.

[0030] Figure 8 It is an endoscope protective cover with a gradually flattened bottom of the cavity.

[0031] Figure 9 The endoscope protective cover is provided in the cavity with a sponge soaked in antibacterial medium.

[0032] Figure 10The utility model relates to an endoscope protective cover with two chambers.

[0033] Markings in the figure:

[0034] 1. Protective cover; 2. Sealing cover; 3. Antibacterial medium; 4. Connecting part; 5. Cavity; 6. Pressing structure;

[0035] 71. Anti-reflux valve; 72. Anti-reflux valve; 8. O-ring; 9. Sponge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0037] like Figures 1a-1c As shown, the endoscope sterile protective cover includes a protective cover body 1, a connecting portion 4 and a sealing cover 2. The connecting portion 4 is provided at the end of the protective cover body, and the other end thereof is the bottom of the protective cover body. The protective cover body includes a chamber 5, which is filled with an antibacterial medium 3. Figures 1a-1c The schematic diagram shows that different antimicrobial media can be filled. The connection portion 4 is provided with a self-sealing sealing structure. When the endoscope tip is inserted into the main body cavity 5 through the connection portion 4, the sealing structure tightly adheres to the outer wall of the endoscope, preventing the antimicrobial medium 3 from leaking out of the insertion port. Furthermore, the cavity 5 includes a pressing structure. Repeated pressing of the pressing structure allows the antimicrobial medium 3 to fully penetrate and contact the endoscope tip. Furthermore, the antimicrobial medium 3 can enter the channel through the channel outlet at the endoscope tip, thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the endoscope channel, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection when the endoscope is reused. One embodiment of the pressing structure is a pressing portion 6 protruding from the wall of the cavity 5. This pressing portion 6 can be an elastic wall or an elastic pressing cavity. Another embodiment of the pressing structure is that at least a portion of the cavity wall is elastic. Furthermore, the pressing structure can include both a pressing portion and at least a portion of the cavity wall being elastic. By repeatedly pressing the pressing structure, the distal end of the endoscope can be cleaned and disinfected, especially the endoscope channel can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

[0038] Preferably, the main body of the endoscope protective cover can be made of, but not limited to, silicone material.

[0039] Depend on Figure 2 As shown, the sealing structure is a self-sealing structure. Another embodiment of the sealing structure includes an annular groove, in which an O-ring is arranged (see attached Figure 4When the endoscope tip is inserted from the connecting portion 4, the sealing structure is in close contact with the outer wall of the endoscope, and the antibacterial medium 3 in the cavity will not leak out, so that the endoscope tip is always sterile during the storage process.

[0040] When the endoscope sterile protective cover is in use, after the sealing cover 2 is opened, in order to prevent the antibacterial medium from leaking out from the connecting portion 4, an anti-reflux valve 71 may be provided inside the connecting portion 4. Figure 3 In this way, after the sealing cover 2 is opened, under the action of the anti-reflux flap 71, no matter whether the endoscope tip is inserted into the protective cover in time or not, the antibacterial medium will not leak from the protective cover.

[0041] The anti-reflux flap 71 can be arranged adjacent to the inner side of the connecting portion 4, such as Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the chamber 5 is a chamber at this time. When the endoscope tip is inserted into the chamber 5, the endoscope tip is protected and cleaned and disinfected at the same time. The anti-reflux valve can also separate the chamber into two chambers (see attached Figure 10 Mark 72), which will be described in detail later.

[0042] The sealing cover 2 of the present application can be in various forms, for example, a flip-top sealing cover that can be integrally formed with the connecting portion 4, such as Figure 5 As shown; it can also be a membrane sealing cover, such as a plastic film or other materials, which is sealed with the protective cover connection port by glue, hot melt, welding or other processes, such as Figure 6 shown.

[0043] In addition, the shape of the endoscope protective cover can be any shape suitable for the insertion of the endoscope tip, and the size of the cavity can accommodate only the endoscope tip or the entire endoscope. The shape of the endoscope is preferably upright, such as Figure 7 As shown, the bottom of the protective cover is now in an inwardly concave shape, which can be used for stable upright placement.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to facilitate holding the protective cover by hand and pushing the endoscope tip into the protective cover, the bottom of the protective cover is designed to be a tapered flat shape, such as Figure 8 shown.

[0045] Preferably, in order to better prevent the antibacterial medium from flowing out and reduce the amount of antibacterial medium used, a component capable of absorbing the antibacterial medium, such as a sponge, is provided in the chamber 5. The antibacterial medium can be pre-absorbed into the sponge, such as Figure 9 shown.

[0046] The antibacterial medium of this patent can be silver-based antibacterial agents, alcohol antibacterial agents, physiological saline, heparin solution, etc.

[0047] The anti-reflux valve can also be set at any position in the chamber 5 to separate the chamber 5 into the first chamber 51 and the second chamber 51. Figure 10 The first chamber 51 is not filled with an antimicrobial medium, while the second chamber 52 is filled with an antimicrobial medium. When the endoscope tip is inserted into the first chamber 51, it only protects the endoscope. When the endoscope tip is further inserted into the second chamber 52, it can simultaneously protect and cleanse the endoscope tip.

[0048] The process of using the sterile protective cover for endoscopes is as follows: after the endoscope has been disinfected and cleaned, open the protective cover packaging, open the sealing cover, insert the tip of the endoscope into the protective cover, gently squeeze the pressing structure of the protective cover to allow the antibacterial medium to fully infiltrate the tip of the endoscope, and then start transporting the endoscope or storing it in the mirror cabinet. During the entire transportation and storage process, the endoscope is always in a sterile state.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sterile protective cover for an endoscope, comprising an endoscope protective cover body, a connecting portion, and a sealing cover, wherein the endoscope protective cover body comprises a chamber for accommodating an antibacterial medium; the connecting portion comprises a sealing structure for maintaining a seal with the endoscope tip after insertion, characterized in that: The endoscope sterile protective cover also includes a pressing structure, which is a pressing part arranged on the chamber wall and / or at least a part of the chamber wall is elastic. By pressing the pressing structure, the antibacterial medium is fully infiltrated and contacted with the front end of the endoscope and enters the endoscope channel.

2. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The pressing portion is an elastic pressing wall or an elastic pressing cavity protruding from the cavity wall.

3. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing structure is a self-sealing structure.

4. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing structure includes an annular groove and an O-ring located in the groove.

5. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The endoscope sterile protective cover also includes an anti-reflux valve.

6. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 5, wherein: The anti-reflux flap can separate the chamber into two chambers.

7. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing cover is a flip-top sealing cover or a membrane sealing cover.

8. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the endoscope protective cover body is concave inward.

9. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the endoscope protective cover body is in a gradually shrinking flat shape.

10. The sterile protective cover for endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A sponge is disposed in the chamber and is impregnated with an antibacterial medium.

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