Film thermocouple sensor for measuring temperature of medical instrument sterilization automatic control system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of a medical instrument sterilization automatic control system, which comprises a sterilization box, and a sterilization box is arranged at the top end of the inner wall of the sterilization box. After the film thermocouple is subjected to annealing heat treatment, the stability of an electrode film can be improved, and defects in the film can be reduced, so that the performance of the metal alloy film thermocouple is improved; according to the invention, a polyimide material is selected as a substrate material, and the polyimide material has high insulation performance and thermal stability and is used for preventing thermoelectric signal loss and bearing high temperature of a thin film hot contact; under the temperature measurement condition of the thin film thermocouple, the electromagnetic control valve can be used for controlling the ethylene oxide steam pipeline, the usage amount of ethylene oxide is accurately controlled according to the sterilization grade requirement and the temperature of the sterilization chamber, and consumed ethylene oxide resources and consumed time are less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of thin film thermocouple temperature sensors, in particular to a thin film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of an automatic control system for sterilization of medical equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the large-scale use of modern medical devices, how to better sterilize them and invent a reliable medical device sterilization automatic control system has become more urgent. The biggest problem with the sterilization automatic control system is how to measure the real-time temperature of the sterilization device during the sterilization process. With the development of modern thin film deposition technology, combined with traditional thermocouples, thin film thermocouple temperature measurement technology is currently one of the main temperature measurement methods in the field of temperature measurement of medical device sterilization automatic control systems. Thin film sensor temperature measurement technology uses vacuum sputtering and other methods to directly deposit the thermocouple functional layer metal on the surface of the object to be measured. It will not destroy the original structure of the sterilization system and will not affect the performance of high-precision medical devices. It has little disturbance to the sterilization steam airflow, higher test accuracy, faster response speed, and high sensitivity. It can achieve temperature measurement with extremely small space occupancy and micron-level thickness, thereby real-time regulation of the sterilization device temperature and steam on and off to achieve the purpose of sterilization.

[0003] However, the traditional thin film thermocouple temperature measurement technology has the following disadvantages:

[0004] In the existing technology, some use infrared thermometers, but they are easily affected by environmental factors, such as dust in the air, which has a greater impact on the temperature measurement data of polished metal surfaces. At the same time, they are limited to measuring the external temperature of objects and are not convenient for measuring the temperature inside objects and when there are obstacles. Some use thermocouples for temperature measurement, but their large size easily disturbs ethylene oxide steam and is difficult to adapt to the sterilization of precision instruments. The temperature measurement of the sterilization process has a great impact on the steam temperature distribution, the consumed ethylene oxide resources and time, and the degree of sterilization. Therefore, accurately measuring the real-time surface temperature of the medical device sterilization automatic control system is very necessary for the overall sterilization effect. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a thin-film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of the automatic control system for sterilizing medical devices, so as to solve the problems in the prior art mentioned in the above background technology. Some use infrared thermometers, but they are easily affected by environmental factors, such as dust in the air, and have a greater impact on the temperature measurement of polished metal surfaces. At the same time, they are only limited to measuring the external temperature of objects and are not convenient for measuring the internal temperature of objects and the temperature when there are obstacles. Some use thermocouples for temperature measurement, but they are too large in volume and easily disturb ethylene oxide steam, making it difficult to adapt to the sterilization of precision instruments. The temperature measurement during the sterilization process has a great impact on the steam temperature distribution, the consumed ethylene oxide resources and time, and the sterilization degree. Therefore, accurately measuring the real-time surface temperature of the automatic control system for sterilizing medical devices is a very necessary issue for the entire sterilization effect.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present utility model provides the following technical solutions: A thin-film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of the automatic control system for sterilizing medical devices, including a sterilization chamber. At the top of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber, a sterilization box is installed. At the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber, an ethylene oxide gas absorption box is installed. At the top of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber, an ethylene oxide steam pipeline is fixedly installed. In the middle of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber, an exhaust pipe is fixedly installed. Silicone soft interfaces are provided at the tops of the sterilization box and the ethylene oxide gas absorption box. On both sides of the sterilization box, first thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors are fixedly installed. On both sides of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box, second thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors are fixedly installed. After annealing treatment, the thin-film thermocouple can improve the stability of the electrode film and reduce the defects in the film, thereby improving the performance of metal alloy thin-film thermocouples. The polyimide material is used as the base material, which has high insulation performance and thermal stability, is used to prevent the loss of thermoelectric signals, and bears the high temperature of the thin-film thermal contact points.

[0007] Preferably, a sterilization cavity is provided at the top of the inner wall of the sterilization box, and a gas collection cavity is provided at the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization box. The ethylene oxide gas absorption box is communicated with the sterilization box through this independent ethylene oxide steam pipeline. At the same time, an isolation net is provided inside the box to form the upper sterilization cavity and the lower gas collection cavity. An exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the gas collection cavity and is communicated with the exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe is arranged in the middle partition layer of the sterilization chamber and is connected to the silicone soft interface above the lid of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box, and can discharge ethylene oxide gas into the absorption box. An inner heat preservation cover is provided at the inner side of the lid of the sterilization chamber corresponding to the position of the sterilization box to ensure that the effective temperature is maintained throughout the sterilization process.

[0008] Preferably, the inside of the silicone soft interface on the sterilization box is fixedly communicated with the bottom end of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline. An electromagnetic control valve is fixedly installed in the middle of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline. The ethylene oxide steam pipeline includes a pipeline and an electromagnetic control valve, and the electromagnetic control valve controls the on-off of the steam in the pipeline to accurately control the amount of steam entering.

[0009] Preferably, an ethylene oxide concentration sensor is fixedly installed inside the ethylene oxide gas absorption box.

[0010] Preferably, the interior of the silicone soft interface located on the ethylene oxide gas absorption box is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the exhaust pipe.

[0011] Preferably, a third thin film thermocouple temperature sensor is fixedly installed on both sides of the sterilization box. The third thin film thermocouple temperature sensor is based on the Seebeck effect, that is, when two conductors of different metals or alloys are connected together and a temperature difference is generated at the junction, a voltage is generated. This voltage changes with temperature and can be used to measure temperature. The thin film thermocouple consists of two conductors with different components forming a closed loop. When there is a temperature gradient at both ends, current will pass through the loop, generating a thermoelectromotive force. By measuring this thermoelectromotive force, the temperature of the measured medium can be known.

[0012] Preferably, a box cover is hinged on the front of the sterilization box, and the user deflects the box cover relative to the sterilization box to complete opening of the sterilization box.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0014] 1. After annealing heat treatment, the stability of the electrode film can be improved and the defects in the film can be reduced, thereby improving the performance of metal alloy thin film thermocouples;

[0015] 2. The present invention uses polyimide material as the base material. The polyimide material has high insulation performance and thermal stability, which is used to prevent the loss of thermoelectric signals and withstand the high temperature of the film thermal junction;

[0016] 3. Under the condition of thin film thermocouple temperature measurement, the electromagnetic control valve can be used to control the ethylene oxide steam pipeline, and the amount of ethylene oxide used can be accurately controlled according to the sterilization level requirements and the temperature of the sterilization chamber, consuming less ethylene oxide resources and taking less time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 It is an expanded view of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the sterilization box of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the sterilization box of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box of the present invention.

[0022] In the figure: 1. Sterilization box; 2. Sterilization box; 3. Ethylene oxide gas absorption box; 4. Exhaust pipe; 5. Ethylene oxide steam pipeline; 6. Solenoid control valve; 7. Box cover; 8. Sterilization chamber; 9. Gas collecting chamber; 10. Ethylene oxide concentration sensor; 11. Silicone soft interface; 12. First thin film thermocouple temperature sensor; 13. Second thin film thermocouple temperature sensor; 14. Third thin film thermocouple temperature sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] See also Figures 1-5 The utility model provides a thin film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of a medical device sterilization automatic control system, comprising a sterilization box 1, a sterilization box 2 is installed at the top of the inner wall of the sterilization box 1, an ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3 is installed at the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization box 1, an ethylene oxide steam pipeline 5 is fixedly installed at the top of the inner wall of the sterilization box 1, an exhaust pipe 4 is fixedly installed in the middle of the inner wall of the sterilization box 1, a silicone soft interface 11 is opened at the top of the sterilization box 2 and the top of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3, a first thin film thermocouple temperature sensor 12 is fixedly installed on both sides of the sterilization box 2, and a second thin film thermocouple temperature sensor 13 is fixedly installed on both sides of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3. After annealing heat treatment, the thin film thermocouple can improve the stability of the electrode film and reduce defects in the film, thereby improving the performance of the metal alloy thin film thermocouple. Polyimide material is used as the base material. The polyimide material has high insulation performance and thermal stability, and is used to prevent thermoelectric signal loss and withstand the high temperature of the thin film hot junction.

[0025] A sterilization chamber 8 is provided at the top of the inner wall of the sterilization box 2, and a gas collecting chamber 9 is provided at the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization box 2. The ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3 is communicated with the sterilization box 2 through this independent ethylene oxide steam pipeline 5. At the same time, an isolation net is provided in the box body to form the upper sterilization chamber 8 and the lower gas collecting chamber 9. An exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the gas collecting chamber 9 and is communicated with the exhaust pipe 4. The exhaust pipe 4 is provided in the middle compartment of the sterilization box 1 and is connected to the silicone soft interface 11 above the box cover of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3, which can discharge ethylene oxide gas into the absorption box. An inner insulation cover is provided on the inner side of the box cover 7 of the sterilization box 1 at the position corresponding to the sterilization box 2 to ensure that the sterilization process always maintains an effective temperature.

[0026] The interior of the silicone soft interface 11 located on the sterilization box 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline 5. An electromagnetic control valve 6 is fixedly installed in the middle of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline 5. The ethylene oxide steam pipeline 5 includes a pipeline and an electromagnetic control valve 6. The electromagnetic control valve 6 controls the steam on and off in the pipeline to accurately control the amount of steam entering.

[0027] An ethylene oxide concentration sensor 10 is fixedly installed inside the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3.

[0028] The inside of the silica gel soft interface 11 located on the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3 is fixedly communicated with the bottom end of the exhaust pipe 4.

[0029] Third thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors 14 are fixedly installed on both sides of the sterilization chamber 1. The third thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor 14 is based on the Seebeck effect, that is, when two conductors of different metals or alloys are connected together and a temperature difference is generated at the contact point, a voltage will be generated, and this voltage changes with the temperature, so it can be used to measure the temperature. The thin-film thermocouple consists of two conductors with different compositions to form a closed loop. When there is a temperature gradient at both ends, there will be a current passing through the loop, generating a thermal electromotive force. By measuring this thermal electromotive force, the temperature of the measured medium can be known.

[0030] A box cover 7 is hinged to the front of the sterilization chamber 1. The user deflects the box cover 7 relative to the sterilization chamber 1 to open the sterilization chamber 1.

[0031] In the use of the embodiment of the present application: Alumina and nickel-chromium nickel-silicon are selected as the thin-film materials, and at the same time, polyimide material is selected as the substrate material. Because the performance of the substrate material of the thin-film thermocouple sensor is directly related to the service life of the entire sensor, polyimide, as one of the organic polymer materials with the best comprehensive performance, has high insulation performance and good thermal stability. Therefore, it can not only prevent the loss of thermoelectric signals, but also bear the high temperature of the thin-film thermal contact point. A plurality of the above-mentioned thin-film thermocouples are deposited on the inner wall of the sterilization box 2, and at the same time, the above-mentioned thermocouples are also deposited inside the sterilization box 2 and inside the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3 respectively, ensuring that all temperatures in the sterilization environment can be accurately detected. The above-mentioned thin-film thermocouples will convert heat energy into electrical signals and output them. After calculation, the optimal temperature and the optimal ethylene oxide release amount are obtained. The opening and closing of the electromagnetic control valve 6 can be controlled through the output signal and the calculation result to quantify the ethylene oxide and the sterilization temperature. After the thin-film thermocouple is annealed, the stability of the electrode film can be improved and the defects in the film can be reduced, thereby improving the performance of the metal alloy type thin-film thermocouple. The polyimide material is used as the substrate material, and this polyimide material has high insulation performance and thermal stability, which is used to prevent the loss of thermoelectric signals and bear the high temperature of the thin-film thermal contact point. The ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3 communicates with the sterilization box 2 through this independent ethylene oxide vapor pipeline 5. At the same time, a partition net is arranged inside the box body to form a sterilization cavity 8 above and a gas collection cavity 9 below. An exhaust port is arranged at the bottom of the gas collection cavity 9 and communicates with the exhaust pipe 4. The exhaust pipe 4 is arranged in the middle partition layer of the sterilization chamber 1 and is connected to the silica gel soft interface 11 above the box cover of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box 3, and can discharge ethylene oxide gas into the absorption box. An inner heat preservation cover is arranged on the inner side of the box cover 7 of the sterilization chamber 1 corresponding to the position of the sterilization box 2 to ensure that the effective temperature is always maintained during the sterilization process.

[0032] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features therein. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. 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 thin-film thermocouple sensor for measuring the temperature of an automatic control system for sterilizing medical devices, comprising a sterilization chamber (1), characterized in that: At the top of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber (1), a sterilization box (2) is installed. At the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber (1), an ethylene oxide gas absorption box (3) is installed. At the top of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber (1), an ethylene oxide steam pipeline (5) is fixedly installed. In the middle of the inner wall of the sterilization chamber (1), an exhaust pipe (4) is fixedly installed. Silicone soft interfaces (11) are provided at the tops of both the sterilization box (2) and the ethylene oxide gas absorption box (3). On both sides of the sterilization box (2), first thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors (12) are fixedly installed. On both sides of the ethylene oxide gas absorption box (3), second thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors (13) are fixedly installed.

2. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, wherein: At the top of the inner wall of the sterilization box (2), a sterilization chamber (8) is provided. At the bottom of the inner wall of the sterilization box (2), a gas collection chamber (9) is provided.

3. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The inside of the silicone soft interface (11) on the sterilization box (2) is fixedly communicated with the bottom end of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline (5). An electromagnetic control valve (6) is fixedly installed in the middle of the ethylene oxide steam pipeline (5).

4. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: An ethylene oxide concentration sensor (10) is fixedly installed inside the ethylene oxide gas absorption box (3).

5. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inside of the silicone soft interface (11) on the ethylene oxide gas absorption box (3) is fixedly communicated with the bottom end of the exhaust pipe (4).

6. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, wherein: Third thin-film thermocouple temperature sensors (14) are fixedly installed on both sides of the sterilization chamber (1).

7. The thin-film thermocouple sensor according to claim 1, wherein: A box cover (7) is hinged to the front of the sterilization chamber (1).

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