Pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pneumatic tube system

Abstract

Pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pipeline system of a pneumatic tube system, which has a sleeve head (21, 22) with a sliding ring (5, 5') at each of its two ends, wherein UVC light sources (8, 8') are located between the sliding rings (5, 5'), characterized in that a coarse brush (3) is provided on one sleeve head (21) in addition to the sliding ring (5), which is located on the side of the sliding ring (5) facing away from the other sleeve head (22), and that a scraper lip (4) is provided between the coarse brush (3) and the sliding ring (5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pipeline system of a pneumatic tube system, which has a sleeve head with a sliding ring at each of its two ends, wherein UVC light sources are located between the sliding rings. It further relates to a pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pipeline system of a pneumatic tube system, which has a sleeve head with a sliding ring at each of its two ends, wherein a nozzle for spraying disinfectant is provided in one sleeve head, and a pump for pumping the disinfectant from a reservoir to the nozzle is provided.

[0002] These two pneumatic tube systems have in common that they have means for disinfecting a pipeline system, i.e., they can disinfect the inside of a tube during a journey.

[0003] A pneumatic tube of the first type is made of US 2015 / 0246152 A1, Fig. 7. The pneumatic tube is guided through a tube while the UVC light sources are switched on, so that the surface of the tube is disinfected by the UVC radiation. A disadvantage of this method is that with heavier contamination, such as that caused by dried blood, only the surface of the contamination is disinfected. This can occur if a tube in a pneumatic tube containing blood samples breaks and the blood leaks out. If the pneumatic tube system is subsequently put back into operation, the normal pneumatic tubes slowly but surely scrape off the surface of the dried blood, revealing deeper layers that were not disinfected.

[0004] A pneumatic tube of the second type is known from DE 102016215447 B3. This pneumatic tube can spray a disinfectant to disinfect a pipeline system. According to Fig. 3. The disinfectant is sprayed from the front sleeve head in the direction of travel, and the sliding ring at the rear sleeve head is designed as a coarse brush that is mechanically driven. This solution has the disadvantage that the disinfectant is wiped away by the front sliding ring, so it only has a very short contact time, and that contaminants loosened from the inner wall of the tube by the coarse brush at the rear end of the pneumatic tube sleeve remain in the tube and probably do not come into contact with the disinfectant at all, because the disinfectant has already been wiped away by the front sliding ring.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to create a pneumatic tube sleeve of the types mentioned above which enables reliable disinfection in just one pass.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by a pneumatic tube sleeve of the type mentioned above in that a coarse brush is provided on a sleeve head in addition to the sliding ring, which is located on the side of the sliding ring facing away from the other sleeve head, and that a scraper lip is provided between the coarse brush and the sliding ring.

[0007] This problem is further solved according to the invention by a pneumatic tube sleeve of the second type mentioned at the outset, in that a coarse brush is provided on the sleeve head opposite the nozzle in addition to the sliding ring, which is located on the side of the sliding ring facing away from the sleeve head with the nozzle, and that a scraper lip is provided between the coarse brush and the sliding ring.

[0008] These two solutions share the feature of a coarse brush at the front of the pneumatic tube sleeve in the direction of travel, behind which a scraper lip is located. In contrast to the aforementioned DE 102016215447 B3, the coarse brush is thus positioned at the very front in the direction of travel, and behind it is a scraper lip that pushes the removed contaminants ahead. This allows the UVC light sources to shine onto the mechanically cleaned inner wall of the tube, or the nozzle to spray onto the mechanically cleaned inner wall, where no loose material remains, thus ensuring reliable disinfection. Additionally, the scraper lip seals the sleeve (at least almost) airtight against the tube, certainly better than the sliding rings, thus guaranteeing the safe transport of the relatively heavy sleeve. The nozzle sprays rearward in the direction of travel, unlike the aforementioned DE 102016215447 B3.Thus, the disinfectant remains in the pipe until it evaporates; there is no sliding ring that could wipe it away after application, and the contact time is considerably longer, which increases the effectiveness.

[0009] It is particularly preferred that the two solutions are combined in a pneumatic tube, meaning that the pneumatic tube has both UVC light sources and a nozzle for spraying disinfectant.

[0010] Preferably, at least the sliding ring located next to the coarse brush has bristles made of plastic fibers. This enables thorough fine cleaning of the pipe's inner wall, with the removed material becoming trapped in the plastic fibers and thus being carried away. The sliding ring also serves, of course, to glide within the pipe.

[0011] It is advantageous if the plastic fibers and / or the coarse brush are made of an antimicrobial material. This reduces the risk of material removed from one pipe, which has become trapped in the coarse brush or the sliding ring, contaminating another pipe during a subsequent run.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferred that the UVC light sources are provided in a recess of one or both sleeve heads or in their immediate vicinity. This serves to mechanically protect the UVC light sources. Some pneumatic tube systems have a belt drive that could damage the UVC light sources. This risk does not exist if they are arranged in a recess of the sleeve head. The same applies if the UVC light sources are provided directly next to the sleeve head, because the sleeve head has a larger diameter than the sleeve tube provided between the sleeve heads, so that in this case, too, the UVC light sources are recessed.

[0013] It is advantageous for the UVC light sources to consist of flexible strips with LEDs attached, arranged circumferentially around the pneumatic tube sleeve. Such strips can easily be installed in recesses of the sleeve heads or directly next to them around the tube.

[0014] Preferably, the reservoir is a bag. A bag reduces its volume as fluid is withdrawn, as is known from infusion bags, so it is always full. Therefore, there is no risk of the pump drawing in air if the sleeve changes its position, for example, if the tubing changes direction from horizontal to vertical due to a bend.

[0015] Finally, it is advantageous to provide two concentrically arranged tubes between the sleeve heads, namely a sleeve tube and a sealing tube, both of which have an opening and are rotatable relative to each other about the longitudinal axis of the sleeve tube. In one rotational position, the two openings are aligned, thus providing access to the interior of the sleeve tube, while in another rotational position, the opening of the sleeve tube is covered by the sealing tube. The sleeve according to the invention must necessarily include at least one power source (a battery) and corresponding electronics, components that should be easily accessible from the outside, not just from one or both ends of the pneumatic tube sleeve. The proposed solution ensures this in a simple manner.

[0016] The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. Fig.Figure 1 shows a pneumatic tube sleeve according to the invention in a transport tube in cross-section.

[0017] A pneumatic tube sleeve is located in a guide tube 1. Its supporting components are, as usual, two sleeve heads 21 and 22, connected to each other by a sleeve tube 9. This pneumatic tube sleeve is designed to move in the direction of arrow 2. Arrow 2 thus indicates the direction of travel. "Front" and "back" in the following always refer to the direction of travel.

[0018] The sleeve head 21, located at the front in the direction of travel, has a coarse brush 3 at its front, behind which a scraper lip 4 is situated. As the pneumatic tube sleeve moves through the guide tube 1, contaminants are removed from the inside of the guide tube by the coarse brush 3 and carried away by the scraper lip 4. The scraper lip is made of flexible plastic or elastomer.

[0019] Behind the wiper lip 4 is a sliding ring 5, which is made of fine, flexible bristles and thus acts as a fine brush. This fine brush provides a more thorough mechanical cleaning of the inside of the tube 1. At the same time, the sliding ring 5 allows the pneumatic tube sleeve to slide easily within the tube 1. Any dust that accumulates is carried away by the fine brush. If the bristles are made of antimicrobial material, the risk of contamination being transferred from one tube to the next is reduced. The same applies to the coarse brush 3, which can also be made of antimicrobial material. At the rear sleeve head 22 is a sliding ring 5', which can be designed in the same way as the sliding ring 5 or in a conventional design.

[0020] Immediately behind the front sleeve head 21, a flexible strip with LEDs, forming UVC light sources 8, is located in a recess. Another flexible strip with LEDs, forming further UVC light sources 8', is located in a recess of the rear sleeve head 22. The arrangement on or near the sleeve heads 21, 22 has the advantage that the UVC light sources 8, 8' can be located close to the guide tube 1 without the risk of collision with it in bends of the guide tube, as would be the case with an arrangement in the center of the pneumatic tube sleeve. The recessed arrangement provides mechanical protection. The recesses should be relatively shallow so that the UVC light sources 8, 8' are not too far from the guide tube 1.

[0021] Since UVC radiation is considered harmful to health (it can cause conjunctivitis in particular), a light sensor 6 is provided which switches off the UVC light sources as soon as it detects light. Only when it does not detect any light, which is the case in the tube 1, can the UVC light sources emit radiation.

[0022] The pneumatic tube also contains a reservoir 14, which holds disinfectant. This is a stand-up pouch with a spout. The use of a flexible pouch prevents a vacuum from forming when the disinfectant is pumped out, ensuring that the liquid can be completely emptied regardless of the pouch's position, as the air pressure compresses it. A rigid container would require an opening for pressure equalization, but if the opening were to end up at the bottom during transport, disinfectant could leak out through this opening.

[0023] A pump 13 draws disinfectant from the reservoir 14 through a suction line 16 and pumps it via a spray line 17 to a spray nozzle 18, which is centrally located in the rear sleeve head 22. The spray nozzle 18 can be an axial hollow cone nozzle with fine atomization and a spray angle of 80°. It produces a spray mist 19 behind the pneumatic tube sleeve, which wets the inner tube 1.

[0024] Power is supplied by a battery pack 11, which is connected to a circuit board 12. This circuit board 12 contains the electronics for supplying power to all components, in particular the UVC light sources 8, 8' and the pump 13. It also contains the logic for controlling these components, especially depending on the signal from the light sensor 6. It is also advisable to switch off the pump 13 whenever the light sensor 6 detects light, because then the pneumatic tube is outside the guide tube 1. A radio module (e.g., Bluetooth) can also be provided so that the functions of the pneumatic tube can be switched on and off remotely.

[0025] Each sleeve head 21, 22 contains an RFID transponder 7 which uniquely identifies the pneumatic tube sleeve via a sleeve ID and in which the sending and receiving stations as well as the direction of travel can also be stored.

[0026] The sleeve tube 9 is made of transparent, antimicrobial material and has an opening 15. It is concentrically surrounded by a sealing tube 10, which has a matching opening. The sealing tube 10 is also made of transparent, antimicrobial material, so that the interior of the pneumatic tube is visible from the outside, while germs cannot survive for long. The sealing tube 10 can be rotated relative to the sleeve tube 9 about the longitudinal axis of the pneumatic tube. When the openings 15 in the sleeve tube 9 and the sealing tube 10 are aligned, the interior of the pneumatic tube is accessible. In this state, disinfectant can be added to the reservoir 14, the battery pack 11 can be charged, or other maintenance work can be carried out. If the two tubes are rotated against each other until the sealing tube 10 completely covers the opening 15 in the sleeve tube 9, the pneumatic tube is closed and can be used as intended.

Claims

[1] Pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pipeline system of a pneumatic tube system, which has a sleeve head (21, 22) with a sliding ring (5, 5') at each of its two ends, with UVC light sources (8, 8') being located between the sliding rings (5, 5'), characterized by that on a sleeve head (21) in addition to the sliding ring (5) a coarse brush (3) is provided, which is located on the side of the sliding ring (5) facing away from the other sleeve head (22), and that a wiper lip (4) is provided between the coarse brush (3) and the sliding ring (5). [2] Pneumatic tube sleeve for disinfecting a pipeline system of a pneumatic tube system, which has a sleeve head (21, 22) with a sliding ring (5, 5') at each of its two ends, wherein a nozzle (18) for spraying disinfectant is provided in a sleeve head (22), wherein a pump (13) is provided for pumping the disinfectant from a storage container (14) to the nozzle (18), characterized by that on the sleeve head (21) opposite the nozzle (18) there is provided, in addition to the sliding ring (5), a coarse brush (3) which is located on the side of the sliding ring (5) facing away from the sleeve head (22) with the nozzle (18), and that a wiper lip (4) is provided between the coarse brush (3) and the sliding ring (5). [3] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to claim 1 and claim 2. [4] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that at least the sliding ring (5) located next to the coarse brush (3) has bristles made of plastic fibers. [5] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to claim 4, characterized by that the plastic fibers are made of an antimicrobial material. [6] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the coarse brush (3) is made of antimicrobial material. [7] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to claim 1 or 3 and optionally 4 to 6, characterized bythat the UVC light sources (8, 8') are provided in a recess of one or both sleeve heads (21, 22) or in the immediate vicinity thereof. [8] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to claim 1 or 3 and optionally 4 to 7, characterized by that the UVC light sources (8, 8') are formed by flexible strips with LEDs mounted thereon, which strips are arranged in the circumferential direction around the pneumatic tube sleeve. [9] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to claim 2 or 3 and optionally 4 to 8, characterized by that the storage container (14) is a bag. [10] Pneumatic tube sleeve according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized bythat between the sleeve heads (21, 22) two concentrically arranged tubes are provided, namely a sleeve tube (9) and a closure tube (10), both of which have an opening (15) and can be rotated relative to one another about the longitudinal axis of the sleeve tube, so that in one rotational position the two openings (15) lie one above the other and thus the interior of the sleeve tube is accessible and in another rotational position the opening (15) of the sleeve tube (9) is covered by the closure tube (10).

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