Endoscope anti-pollution method and endoscope storage and / or transportation device

Abstract

The invention relates to an endoscope anti-pollution method and an endoscope storage and / or transportation device. The endoscope anti-contamination method comprises the use of blue light, in particular having a wavelength of between 400 nm and 470 nm (in particular 405 nm), to prevent contamination of a surface of a compartment of an endoscope storage and / or transport device that may or will be in contact with an inserted endoscope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to endoscope anti-contamination methods and endoscope storage and / or transportation devices. Background Art

[0002] The latest standards and local guidelines emphasize that safe drying and storage of flexible endoscopes is critical.

[0003] The most common way to reprocess flexible endoscopes is to subject them to a high-level disinfection (HLD) process. After this, the flexible endoscope is either used immediately or needs to be dried and stored. The endoscope is dried and stored in special devices (so-called drying and storage cabinets). Flexible endoscopes can be kept in drying and storage cabinets for longer periods of time, typically from 1 week to 4 weeks.

[0004] Often, several endoscopes are stored in the same compartment of a drying and storage cabinet, which carries the risk of cross-contamination or re-contamination of the co-stored endoscopes. The main sources of re-contamination germs are usage errors (where, for example, a dirty endoscope is placed in a drying and storage cabinet), technical defects or bacterial regrowth (due to the endoscopes being reprocessed with the HLD method without sterilization, which results in a certain residual bioburden). The risk of re-contamination may also exist in the transport systems used to bring flexible endoscopes from the reprocessing area to the drying and storage cabinet or to the patient, such as mobile endoscope carts with compartments for transporting endoscopes from the drying and storage cabinet to the operating room (OR) and back or to and from the reprocessing or sterilization station.

[0005] The main method to avoid contamination of endoscopes during transport, drying and storage is to manually clean and disinfect the relevant products at regular intervals. However, manual cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in contact with flexible endoscopes is a time-consuming process that has at least the following disadvantages. Due to the labor intensity of manual cleaning and disinfection, it incurs significant labor costs, the use of chemicals poses health risks to personnel, these chemicals may be aggressive and degrade the materials of the relevant products, and usage errors that lead to insufficient cleaning and disinfection may occur, that is, the chemicals are not used correctly or are not distributed over the entire surface that may come into contact with the endoscope. Summary of the invention

[0006] One object is to provide means for preventing cross-contamination or re-contamination of endoscopes after they have been cleaned and sterilized and before they are used again.

[0007] This object can be achieved by an endoscope anti-contamination method, the method comprising: inserting at least one endoscope into a compartment of an endoscope storage and / or transport device, the compartment having one or more inner surfaces that can or will be in contact with the inserted endoscope; closing the compartment and at least one of the endoscope storage and / or transport device to store and / or transport at least one inserted endoscope; starting to apply blue light to the inner surface that can or is in contact with at least one inserted endoscope; opening at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device to remove at least one inserted endoscope; when opening at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device to remove at least one inserted endoscope, stopping applying blue light to the inner surface that can or is in contact with at least one inserted endoscope; and removing at least one inserted endoscope from the compartment.

[0008] Endoscope anticontamination methods are based on the recognition that surfaces of products that come into contact with a clean flexible endoscope should be exposed to light of a wavelength that inactivates and destroys microorganisms, thereby making manual disinfection unnecessary.

[0009] Flexible endoscopes themselves have been sterilized using UV light. However, a disadvantage of UV light (particularly UVA or UVB light) is that it leads to severe material degradation over time, in particular embrittlement due to induced crosslinking of the plastic. Furthermore, UV light is dangerous for the user, which means that special precautions need to be taken in order to prevent the emission of UV radiation.

[0010] In contrast, this paper proposes to use blue light in the visible spectrum (specifically, with a wavelength of 400nm to 470nm) to disinfect surfaces that may come into contact with endoscopes. This wavelength is much less harmful and can be applied continuously in drying and storage cabinets or endoscope transport systems.

[0011] As has been found in clinical studies (such as Cabral, J. and Rodrigues AG, "Blue light Disinfection in Hospital Infection Control: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Pitfalls", Antibiotics (2019), 8, 58), blue light is very efficient in killing pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites), biofilms and even multi-drug resistant organisms. For this solution, no exogenous photosensitizer is required, since the endogenous photosensitizers of the microorganisms are used. The effect of blue light can be increased when additional photosensitizers (such as tetrapyrrole derivatives or synthetic analogs, such as meso-tetraarylporphyrins, phthalocyanines, porphyrins, texaporphyrins and sapholrins) are added to the surface. However, in contrast to other types of photodynamic disinfection methods, blue light does not require additional photosensitizers to be effective.

[0012] Light sources emitting blue light can be easily integrated into chambers of drying and storage cabinets. Thus, all parts of the device can be subjected to disinfection. Furthermore, integration into door handles, touch displays and other parts of the device that come into contact with the user is possible and beneficial, since contamination will be transferred to and from these surfaces, which increases the risk of contamination of the flexible endoscope. Furthermore, blue light prevents re-contamination of flexible endoscopes that are dried, stored or transported.

[0013] Compared to other light disinfection methods, the application of blue light for disinfection according to the above method does not incur additional costs or manufacturing steps for material coating, has low maintenance requirements, low material stress, is harmless to the user, is effective against a wide range of pathogens and microorganisms do not develop resistance, and is useful for continuous disinfection of air and surfaces. This improves safety against recontamination of reprocessed flexible endoscopes, benefits personnel safety and reduces overall costs.

[0014] In an embodiment, the blue light has a wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm, in particular, 405 nm. Blue light in this wavelength range has been shown to be effective in disinfecting endoscopes without the harmful effects of ultraviolet light on materials and the human body.

[0015] In an embodiment, at least one of inserting the at least one endoscope into the compartment and removing the at least one endoscope from the compartment is accomplished by one of manual and automated means, the automated means specifically comprising at least one of a robotic arm and an automated sled.

[0016] In an embodiment, the start and stop of the application of blue light can be manually actuated, or automatically actuated upon sensor signals from one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors that sense the closing and opening of the compartment and / or the endoscope storage and / or transport device, and / or the presence of at least one inserted endoscope. In addition, illumination with blue light can also be performed when the compartment is open. However, illuminating the compartment in the closed state will prevent the user from having to see the bright blue light.

[0017] In an embodiment, closing at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device comprises at least one of closing a door or sliding the compartment tray into the endoscope storage and / or transport device.

[0018] The blue light may be applied continuously or intermittently, wherein, in the case of intermittent application of the blue light, the duration of alternating application and non-application of the blue light is set to a predetermined value that has been shown to satisfactorily disinfect the relevant surfaces to prevent contamination of the disinfected and cleaned endoscope.

[0019] The object is also achieved by an endoscope anti-contamination method, which comprises using blue light to prevent contamination of surfaces of a compartment of an endoscope storage and / or transport device that can or will come into contact with an inserted endoscope, the blue light having a wavelength between 400nm and 470nm (in particular, 405nm).

[0020] Furthermore, the object is achieved by an endoscope storage and / or transport device having at least one compartment for inserting at least one endoscope, the at least one compartment having one or more inner surfaces that can or will come into contact with the inserted endoscope, characterized in that the endoscope storage and / or transport device has one or more blue light illumination sources positioned and oriented to emit blue light onto one or more inner surfaces of the at least one compartment that can or will come into contact with the inserted endoscope. By being equipped with a blue light illumination source directed toward the inner surface to be disinfected or protected from infection, the endoscope storage and / or transport device achieves the same objects as the above method and implements the same features and advantages as the above method.

[0021] In embodiments, the device may be one of a drying and storage cabinet and a mobile endoscope cart. Other devices for storing or transporting endoscopes or for cleaning and disinfecting endoscopes may be equipped in the same manner with a blue light illumination source directed toward surfaces that may come into contact with the endoscope.

[0022] In an embodiment, the blue light emitting source is configured to emit light having a wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm, in particular 405 nm, thus providing good disinfection properties while avoiding the disadvantages of UV lighting.

[0023] In an embodiment, the endoscope storage and / or transport device may further include at least one of a door and a slidable compartment tray. In this case, the endoscope storage and / or transport device may further include a switch that connects a power source to a blue light illumination source, the switch being switchably connected to the door or the slidable compartment tray so as to turn on the blue light illumination source when the door is closed or the compartment tray is slid into the endoscope storage and / or transport device. The purpose of the switch is to apply blue light only when the device is closed, so as to keep the user's glasses from being irritated by strong blue light.

[0024] In an embodiment, the endoscope storage and / or transport device further comprises an automated device for inserting at least one endoscope into a compartment and / or removing at least one endoscope from a compartment, in particular, the automated device comprises at least one of a robotic arm and an automated sled.

[0025] In an embodiment, the endoscope storage and / or transport device may further include one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors adapted and configured to sense the closing and opening of the compartments and / or the endoscope storage and / or transport device, and / or the presence of at least one inserted endoscope. In this case, the endoscope storage and / or transport device may further include a controller adapted and configured to activate and deactivate the blue light illumination of at least one cabinet in response to sensor signals of the one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors.

[0026] In other embodiments, the endoscope storage and / or transport device further comprises a controller adapted and configured to control the application of blue light to be performed continuously or intermittently, wherein in the case of intermittent application of blue light, the duration of alternating application and non-application of blue light is set to a predetermined value. Intermittent application of light can reduce the power requirements of blue light disinfection. The controller can be the same controller adapted and configured to activate and deactivate blue light illumination in response to a sensor signal in the previously described embodiments, or a separate controller.

[0027] In an embodiment, the endoscope storage and / or transport device may further include an additional photosensitizer incorporated into at least one inner surface that may or will come into contact with an inserted endoscope, in particular, at least one of tetrapyrrole derivatives and synthetic analogs, in particular, at least one of meso-tetraarylporphyrins, phthalocyanines, porphyrins, texaporphyrins, and saphryl porphyrins.

[0028] Other features will be apparent from the claims and appended claims. Figure 1 The embodiments may be realized by a single feature or a combination of several features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Embodiments are described below on the basis of exemplary embodiments without limiting the overall intent of the invention, wherein explicit reference is made to the drawings for the disclosure of all details that are not explained in greater detail in the text.

[0030] In the attached picture:

[0031] Figure 1 Schematic illustration of a typical endoscope use and care cycle,

[0032] Figure 2 Schematically illustrates an embodiment of a drying and storage cabinet, and

[0033] Figure 3 An embodiment of an endoscope anti-contamination method is schematically illustrated.

[0034] In the drawings, elements of the same or similar type or respectively corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in order to avoid the need for reintroduction of the item.

[0035] List of reference symbols

[0036] 2 Endoscope

[0037] 4 Pallets

[0038] 6 Cables

[0039] 10 Drying and storage cabinets

[0040] 12 Mobile Endoscope Cart

[0041] 14 Pre-cleaning station

[0042] 16 Reprocessor

[0043] 20 Blue Light Source

[0044] 21 Compartments

[0045] 22 Inner surface

[0046] 24 Mechanical and optical sensors

[0047] 26 Controller

[0048] 28 Switch

[0049] 30 Pollution DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Figure 1 The typical endoscope use and care cycle is schematically illustrated. Figure 1In the center of the care cycle, the endoscope 2 is placed in a tray 4 which is usually used for sterilizing and reprocessing endoscopes. Furthermore, a cable 6 is illustrated in the center of the care cycle. The care cycle itself is a closed cycle which is divided by a dotted line into a reprocessing section and an operating room (OR) section. From the OR section, the endoscope 2 can be transported to the operating room by means of a mobile endoscope cart 12 with one or several trays or compartments to be used in an operation OP, which can be a surgical operation or a diagnostic operation.

[0051] After completion of the procedure OP, the used endoscope is placed back into the compartment of the mobile endoscope cart 12 to be transported outside the operating room OR and sent to a first reprocessing station, in this case a pre-cleaning station 14, such as Steelco's EPW100S model system, where the flexible endoscope is semi-automatically pre-cleaned prior to automated reprocessing in a washer-disinfector.

[0052] With the aid of the mobile endoscope trolley 12, the used endoscope is then transported to the reprocessing unit 16, where it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, in order to be transported again to the drying and storage cabinet 10 with the aid of the mobile endoscope trolley 12. Therein, the endoscope is dried and stored until its next use, in order to be taken out and transported again to the operating room.

[0053] Figure 2 Schematically illustrated is an embodiment of a drying and storage cabinet 10 according to the present disclosure. The drying and storage cabinet 10 includes a compartment 21 for storing reprocessed endoscopes 2. The compartment 21 has an inner surface 22, and the endoscopes 2 stored inside the compartment 21 may come into contact with the inner surface 22. In order to prevent contamination of the endoscope 2 (the contamination may be contamination 30 introduced by the user), a blue light illumination source 20 is located inside the compartment 21, thereby illuminating the inner surface 22 with strong blue light having a wavelength between 400nm and 470nm. The wavelength may be a narrower range, for example centered at or located at 405nm. As an alternative to multiple blue light illumination sources 20, one or two blue light illumination sources 20 may be used to illuminate the most important parts of the surface 22.

[0054] The blue light illumination source 20 may be selected from available light sources configured to emit high intensity blue light with or without a blue filter, such as a blue LED, a laser source, or an incandescent light source (e.g., a halogen lamp). For example, such a blue light source may be selected from the Heraeus Noblelight 3000 series. product series or other light sources.

[0055] The compartment 21 of the drying and storage cabinet 10 may be a housing in which an endoscope is suspended or a housing such as a Figure 1The tray 4 shown, or the tray of the mobile endoscope cart 12. The inner surface 22 can be the inner surface of such a tray or shell, or it can be the surface of the hook inside the shell on which the endoscope 2 can be hung.

[0056] The drying and storage cabinet may have mechanical and optical sensors 24 and / or switches 28 that can detect the opening and closing of the compartment 21, thereby controlling the activation and deactivation of the blue light illumination of the blue light illumination source 20. The simplest device would be a switch 28 that can open and close the electrical path for the power supply to the blue light illumination source 20. The switch 28 and / or sensor 24 may also generate an electrical signal that is fed to a controller 26 that controls the blue light illumination source 20 and activates the illumination when the signal from the switch 28 or sensor 24 indicates that the compartment 21 is closed and an endoscope may be present in the compartment 21.

[0057] The compartment can be opened and closed by means of a door. Alternatively, in the case of a slidable tray, the opening and closing of the compartment can consist of sliding the tray into an open position or a closed position, for example in a mobile endoscope cart 12, which can be equipped with its own blue light illumination source 20 and its own power supply and switch or controller.

[0058] The controller 26 may also be configured to intermittently activate the blue light illumination to conserve power, which may be particularly advantageous where the mobile endoscopy carts 12 have their own power source.

[0059] Figure 3 An embodiment of an endoscope anti-contamination method comprising steps S100 to S105 is schematically illustrated. In step S100, the endoscope 2 is inserted into the compartment 21 of the mobile endoscope cart 12 or the drying and storage cabinet 10. In step S101, the compartment 21 and / or the mobile endoscope cart 12 or the drying and storage cabinet 10 is closed. In step S102, blue light illumination of the inner surface 22 of the compartment 21 is activated in order to eliminate possible contamination on the surface that may come into contact with the endoscope 2. The blue light illumination can be applied continuously or intermittently according to the requirements of each case, as long as it is ensured that the contamination of the endoscope 2 is effectively prevented in the compartment 21.

[0060] Before diagnosis or surgery, the compartment 21 or the device 10, 12 is opened in step S103, the blue light irradiation is stopped (step S104), and the endoscope 2 required for surgery is taken out from the compartment 21 (step S105). After the endoscope 2 is used in the operating room and reprocessed and sterilized after use, the process is repeated.

[0061] Furthermore, blue light illumination may also be applied to the inner surface 22 of the compartment 21 in the absence of the endoscope 2 as another means of preventing future contamination. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the blue light illumination may be active even if the compartment 21 is open. However, in this case, either the intensity of the blue light illumination should be reduced in order to prevent the user's vision from being affected by the high intensity blue light illumination, or a physical device should be installed to block the blue light from reaching the user.

[0062] The most common use will be to apply the blue light in order to keep the sterilized endoscope in that state, ie, the blue light is turned on when the endoscope is present. The chamber is then usually closed in order to maintain the overpressure in the chamber.

[0063] Although what is considered to be an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will of course be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail may be easily made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the exact form described and illustrated, but should be interpreted as covering all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An endoscope anti-contamination method, the endoscope anti-contamination method comprising the following steps: inserting at least one endoscope into a compartment of an endoscope storage and / or transport device, the compartment having one or more interior surfaces that can or will come into contact with the inserted endoscope, closing at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device to store and / or transport at least one inserted endoscope, Beginning to apply blue light to an inner surface that can or is in contact with the at least one inserted endoscope, opening at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device to remove the at least one inserted endoscope, upon opening at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device to remove the at least one inserted endoscope, ceasing to apply the blue light to the inner surface that can be or is in contact with the at least one inserted endoscope, and The at least one inserted endoscope is removed from the compartment.

2. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 1, wherein: The blue light has a wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm, and in particular, has a wavelength of 405 nm.

3. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the steps of inserting the at least one endoscope into the compartment and removing the at least one endoscope from the compartment is performed by one of manual and automated means, the automated means particularly comprising at least one of a robotic arm and an automated sled.

4. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 1, wherein: The start and stop of the application of the blue light is manually actuated or automatically actuated based on sensor signals from one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors sensing the closing and opening of the compartment and / or the endoscope storage and / or transport device, and / or the presence of the at least one inserted endoscope.

5. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of closing at least one of the compartment and the endoscope storage and / or transport device includes at least one of closing a door or sliding a compartment tray into the endoscope storage and / or transport device.

6. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 1, wherein: The application of the blue light is performed continuously or intermittently, wherein, in the case of intermittent application of the blue light, the duration of alternate application and non-application of the blue light is set to a predetermined value.

7. An endoscope anti-contamination method comprising using blue light to prevent contamination of surfaces of a compartment of an endoscope storage and / or transport device that can or will come into contact with an inserted endoscope.

8. The endoscope anti-contamination method according to claim 7, wherein: The blue light has a wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm, and in particular, has a wavelength of 405 nm.

9. An endoscope storage and / or transport device having at least one compartment for inserting at least one endoscope, the at least one compartment having one or more inner surfaces that can or will come into contact with the inserted endoscope, characterized in that The endoscope storage and / or transport device has one or more blue light illumination sources positioned and oriented to emit blue light onto one or more interior surfaces of the at least one compartment that can or will come into contact with an inserted endoscope.

10. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9, which is one of a drying and storage cabinet and a mobile endoscope cart.

11. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9, wherein: The blue light illumination source is configured to emit light having a wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm, in particular a wavelength of 405 nm.

12. The endoscope storage and / or transport device of claim 9, further comprising at least one of a door and a slidable compartment tray.

13. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 12 further comprises a switch for connecting a power source to the blue light illumination source, wherein the switch is switchably connected to the door or the slidable compartment tray so as to turn on the blue light illumination source when the door is closed or the compartment tray is slid into the endoscope storage and / or transport device.

14. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9 further comprises an automated device for inserting the at least one endoscope into the compartment and / or removing the at least one endoscope from the compartment, in particular, the automated device comprises at least one of a robotic arm and an automated sled.

15. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9, further comprising one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors adapted and configured to sense the closing and opening of the compartment and / or the endoscope storage and / or transport device, and / or the presence of at least one inserted endoscope.

16. An endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 15, which also includes a controller, which is adapted and configured to activate and deactivate the blue light lighting of at least one cabinet in response to the sensor signal of the one or more mechanical and / or optical sensors.

17. The endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9, further comprising a controller adapted and configured to control the application of the blue light to be performed continuously or intermittently, wherein: In the case of intermittently applying the blue light, the duration of alternately applying and not applying the blue light is set to a predetermined value.

18. An endoscope storage and / or transport device according to claim 9, further comprising an additional photosensitizer added to at least one inner surface that can or will come into contact with an inserted endoscope, the additional photosensitizer being in particular at least one of a tetrapyrrole derivative and a synthetic analogue, in particular at least one of a meso-tetraarylporphyrin, a phthalocyanine, a porphyrin, a texaporphyrin and a saphryl porphyrin.

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