A vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedical use

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of medical sterilization equipment technology, and discloses a vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine, comprising: a pot body, a pot lid, a support body vertically adjustable along the inner wall of the pot body, and a height adjustment system; the height adjustment system includes: a lifting drive unit, a sensing and measuring unit, and a control unit; the lifting drive unit is connected to the support body and is used to drive the support body to move vertically up and down along the inner wall of the pot body; the sensing and measuring unit is located inside the pot lid and is used to measure the distance between the top of the items loaded on the support body and the pot lid under normal temperature and pressure conditions before sterilization begins. The support body lifting system of this invention automatically senses the height distribution of the loaded items and adjusts the support body to the optimal position in one go, ensuring that the geometric center of the items is in the ideal area for steam flow, improving sterilization uniformity, reducing local overheating or insufficient sterilization, and lowering the wet package rate and the risk of sterilization failure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical sterilization equipment technology, and more specifically, to a vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedical use. Background Technology

[0002] Vertical pressure steam sterilizers are widely used sterilization equipment in biomedical laboratories, hospital disinfection supply centers, and other similar locations. Their working principle involves using high-temperature, high-pressure saturated steam to sterilize items placed on a support structure within the sterilizer.

[0003] Currently, the basket support structure of existing vertical sterilizers is typically installed at a fixed height on the inner wall of the sterilizer, making it impossible to adjust according to the actual height of the loaded items. This fixed support structure has the following drawbacks: Firstly, when the load is small and the overall height is low, the distance between the items and the steam inlet at the bottom of the pot is too large, resulting in a large number of ineffective sterilization spaces inside the pot, leading to slow heating and increased energy consumption. Secondly, when the load is uneven, the fixed support cannot adequately accommodate the steam penetration needs of all items, easily causing localized overheating or insufficient sterilization, thus affecting the sterilization effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solutions: This invention provides a vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine, comprising: a pot body, a pot lid, a support body that can be raised and lowered along the inner wall of the pot body, and a height adjustment system; The height adjustment system includes: A lifting drive unit, connected to the support body, is used to drive the support body to move up and down vertically along the inner wall of the pot. A sensing and measurement unit is located inside the pot lid and is used to measure the distance between the top of the item loaded on the support and the pot lid under normal temperature and pressure conditions before sterilization begins. The control unit, electrically connected to the sensing and measuring unit and the lifting drive unit, is configured as follows: The height parameters of the loaded items are calculated based on the distance information. The target height of the support body is determined based on the height parameters of the loaded items, the total internal height of the pot, and the minimum safety clearance. Then, the lifting drive unit is controlled to adjust the support body to the target height.

[0006] Furthermore, symmetrically distributed vertical guide rails are fixed on both sides of the inner wall of the pot, and the two sides of the support body slide in cooperation with the two guide rails respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting drive unit includes two sets of rope traction devices arranged symmetrically. The connecting ends of the two sets of rope traction devices are fixedly connected to both sides of the support body, and the driving end of each set of rope traction devices is installed above the inner wall of the pot.

[0008] Furthermore, each set of the rope traction device includes a fixed pulley, a traction rope, a winding wheel, and a drive motor. The fixed pulley is fixed to the upper part of the inner wall of the pot by a bracket. The drive motor is installed in the normal temperature zone outside the pot, and its rotating end is fixed to the winding wheel. One end of the traction rope is fixed to the side of the support body, and the other end passes around the fixed pulley and is wound around the winding wheel.

[0009] Furthermore, the sensing and measurement unit includes at least three distance sensors fixedly installed on the inner side plane of the pot lid, with each distance sensor pointing downwards to obtain the distance to the surface of the object below.

[0010] Furthermore, the ranging sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, and there are four of them, which are evenly distributed around the center of the pot lid.

[0011] Furthermore, the control unit is configured to calculate the maximum height h of the highest protruding point of the loaded item based on the distance information. max and the average height h of the item avg , .

[0012] Furthermore, the preset rules include the following calculation formula: Initial target altitude: ; Among them, H total R is the total usable height inside the pot body, and R is the preset ideal position ratio coefficient, which ranges from 0.5 to 0.6.

[0013] Final target altitude: ; Among them, G min This is the preset minimum safety clearance.

[0014] Furthermore, the ideal proportionality coefficient R is set to 0.55, and the minimum safety clearance G... min The value is 50mm.

[0015] Furthermore, the height adjustment system also includes a displacement sensor for real-time detection of the current height of the support, the displacement sensor being electrically connected to the control unit.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The support lifting system of this invention automatically senses the height distribution of the loaded items and adjusts the support to the optimal position in one go, so that the geometric center of the items is in the ideal area for steam circulation, which improves the uniformity of sterilization, reduces the problem of local overheating or insufficient sterilization, and reduces the wet package rate and the risk of sterilization failure.

[0017] In addition, the support lifting system provided in this invention allows operators to automatically raise the support to a high position close to the pot opening via the control panel or preset program after sterilization, facilitating the removal of items. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the vertical pressure steam sterilizer of the present invention for use in biomedicine; Figure 4 This is the present invention. Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 5 This is the present invention. Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the support structure in the vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a control logic block diagram of the height adjustment system in the vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of the vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to the present invention.

[0019] In the diagram: 10. Pot body; 101. Vertical guide rail; 20. Pot lid; 30. Support body; 40. Rope traction device; 401. Fixed pulley; 402. Traction rope; 403. Winding reel; 404. Drive motor; 50. Ultrasonic sensor; 60. Displacement sensor; 70. Loading basket; 80. Electric heating device. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the subject matter described herein, and changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this specification. Various processes or components may be omitted, substituted, or added as needed in the examples. Furthermore, features described in some examples may be combined in other examples.

[0021] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 8 The present invention provides a vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine, which mainly includes: a pot body 10, a pot lid 20, a support body 30, and a height adjustment system. An electric heating device 80 is provided at the bottom of the pot body 10 to heat the water inside the pot body 10 to generate high-temperature steam. The support body 30 is a horizontal bracket for carrying items to be sterilized; its side is connected to a lifting drive unit via a connector, allowing it to move vertically along the inner wall of the pot body 10. A loading basket 70 is installed on the support body 30 for placing the items to be sterilized.

[0022] Vertical guide rails 101 are symmetrically fixed on the left and right sides of the inner wall of the pot body 10, and the two sides of the support body 30 are respectively slidably engaged with the corresponding vertical guide rails 101. As a result, the support body 30 can only move in the vertical direction, ensuring the stability and guiding accuracy of the lifting process.

[0023] The lifting drive unit includes two symmetrically arranged sets of rope traction devices 40. The two sets of rope traction devices 40 are connected to the left and right sides of the support body 30 respectively, ensuring that the support body 30 remains horizontal during lifting. Each set of rope traction devices 40 consists of a fixed pulley 401, a traction rope 402, a winding reel 403, and a drive motor 404. The fixed pulley 401 is fixedly installed on the upper part of the inner wall of the pot body 10 near the pot opening via a bracket; the drive motor 404 is installed in a normal temperature area outside the pot body 10, for example, fixed to a mounting base on the outer wall of the pot body 10; its power output end is connected to the winding reel 403. The traction rope 402 is made of high-temperature resistant stainless steel wire rope, one end of which is fixed to a lifting lug on the side of the support body 30, and the other end is wound upwards around the fixed pulley 401 and then wound around the winding reel 403. The rotating end of the drive motor 404 is driven by the gear set and the winding wheel 403. When the drive motor 404 drives the winding wheel 403 to rotate, the traction rope 402 can be wound up or down, which will drive the support body 30 to rise or fall.

[0024] The sensing and measurement unit includes multiple ultrasonic sensors 50 located inside the lid 20. In this embodiment, there are four ultrasonic sensors 50, evenly distributed around the center of the lid 20, with their detection direction vertically downwards. Before sterilization begins, when the lid 20 is closed and the inside of the pot is at normal temperature and pressure, each ultrasonic sensor 50 simultaneously emits ultrasonic waves and receives echoes to obtain its distance to the surface of the item below. A fixed distance from the sensor's emitting surface to the lower edge of the lid 20 has been pre-calibrated, and the net height of each measuring point on the item relative to the plane of the support 30 can be calculated based on this. In addition, the height adjustment system also includes a displacement sensor 60 for real-time detection of the current height of the support 30. The displacement sensor 60 is preferably an encoder mounted on the tail of the drive motor 404 or the shaft of the winding wheel 403. It measures the motor's rotation speed and converts it into the vertical displacement of the support, providing precise position feedback to the control unit to achieve closed-loop positioning control.

[0025] The control unit receives distance data from four ultrasonic sensors 50 and position signals from displacement sensors 60, calculates the target height according to a preset algorithm, and drives the motor 404 to perform a one-time position adjustment of the support 30.

[0026] The specific working process of this invention is as follows: After the sterilization operator loads the items to be sterilized onto the support 30, closes the pot lid 20, and then activates the intelligent loading mode on the control panel.

[0027] The control unit first uses four ultrasonic sensors 50 to simultaneously measure distances, obtaining four distance values, and then calculates the heights h1 to h4 of four points on the surface of the object. It then calculates the height h of the highest protruding point of the object. max =max(h1,h2,h3,h4) and the average height of the items h avg =(h1+h2+h3+h4) / 4.

[0028] Then, the target height is calculated using the following formula: Initial target altitude: ; Among them, H total In this embodiment, H represents the total usable height inside the pot (i.e., the distance from the bottom of the movable range of the support to the bottom edge of the pot lid). total =400mm; R is the ideal position ratio coefficient, which refers to the ideal flow area that usually corresponds to the area in the middle of the pot body 10 where the steam flow is most active. It is preferably 0.55 times the total height through experiments.

[0029] Final target altitude: ; Among them, G minFor the minimum safety clearance, this embodiment uses 50mm.

[0030] The control unit reads the current height of the support body 30 provided by the displacement sensor 60, compares it with the target height, and controls the two drive motors 404 to rotate forward or reverse synchronously. The support body 30 is raised or lowered to the target height position via the winding wheel 403 and the traction rope 402. After the position is reached, the motor self-locks, and the support body 30 remains in the optimized position.

[0031] The sterilizer then automatically enters the heating, cold air exhaust, pressurization sterilization, exhaust drying and other procedures. During the entire sterilization process, the support body 30 no longer moves.

[0032] After the sterilization and drying processes are completed, the control unit can automatically execute the lifting sequence, and drive the motor 404 to further lift the support 30 to the physical stop point (i.e., the highest point), so that the support 30 is close to the upper edge of the pot opening. At this time, the pot lid 20 is opened, and the items are lifted to the height of the most convenient removal. The operator can easily take away the items without having to lean out or put their arms deep into the pot, which greatly improves the convenience and safety of operation.

[0033] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedical use, characterized in that, include: The pot body, the pot lid, the support body that can be raised and lowered along the inner wall of the pot, and the height adjustment system; The height adjustment system includes: A lifting drive unit, connected to the support body, is used to drive the support body to move up and down vertically along the inner wall of the pot. A sensing and measurement unit is located inside the pot lid and is used to measure the distance between the top of the item loaded on the support and the pot lid under normal temperature and pressure conditions before sterilization begins. The control unit, electrically connected to the sensing and measuring unit and the lifting drive unit, is configured as follows: The height parameters of the loaded items are calculated based on the distance information. The target height of the support body is determined based on the height parameters of the loaded items, the total internal height of the pot, and the minimum safety clearance. Then, the lifting drive unit is controlled to adjust the support body to the target height.

2. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the pot is fixed with symmetrically distributed vertical guide rails on both sides, and the support body slides with the two guide rails on both sides respectively.

3. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting drive unit includes two sets of rope traction devices arranged symmetrically. The connecting ends of the two sets of rope traction devices are fixedly connected to both sides of the support body, and the driving end of each set of rope traction devices is installed above the inner wall of the pot.

4. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each set of rope traction devices includes a fixed pulley, a traction rope, a winding wheel, and a drive motor. The fixed pulley is fixed to the upper part of the inner wall of the pot by a bracket. The drive motor is installed in the normal temperature zone outside the pot, and its rotating end is fixed to the winding wheel. One end of the traction rope is fixed to the side of the support body, and the other end passes around the fixed pulley and is wound around the winding wheel.

5. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing and measurement unit includes at least three distance sensors fixedly installed on the inner side plane of the pot lid. The detection direction of each distance sensor is downward, and it is used to obtain the distance from the sensor to the surface of the object below.

6. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ranging sensors are ultrasonic sensors, and there are four of them, which are evenly distributed around the center of the pot lid.

7. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is configured to calculate the maximum height h of the highest protruding point of the loaded item based on distance information. max and the average height h of the item avg .

8. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset rules include the following calculation formulas: Initial target altitude: ; Among them, H total R is the total usable height inside the pot body, and R is the preset ideal position ratio coefficient, which ranges from 0.5 to 0.

6. Final target altitude: ； Among them, G min This is the preset minimum safety clearance.

9. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The ideal proportionality coefficient R is set to 0.55, and the minimum safety clearance G min The value is 50mm.

10. The vertical pressure steam sterilizer for biomedicine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height adjustment system also includes a displacement sensor for real-time detection of the current height of the support, and the displacement sensor is electrically connected to the control unit.

Images