Storage hooks, cabinet and system for flexible endoscopes

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a storage hook, cabinet, and system for flexible endoscopes. The storage hook for flexible endoscopes includes a receptacle for a flexible endoscope, an endoscope presence sensor designed to detect the placement or removal of a flexible endoscope in the receptacle, and a control unit.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a storage hook for a flexible endoscope.

[0002] Reprocessing flexible endoscopes requires proper drying and storage after high-level disinfection. Customers can choose from a variety of product offerings, such as drying and / or storage cabinets. Some customers forgo purchasing such fully equipped drying and / or storage cabinets and instead build their own storage cabinets, for example, from standard furniture or within a dedicated room. These DIY solutions can meet the latest standards and are cost-effective.

[0003] However, these DIY solutions lack several special features compared to drying and storage cabinets.

[0004] In particular, individual tracking of a single endoscope is not possible or only possible with additional manual steps. Control parameters such as storage time, user identification, or documentation of environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity, which are commonly used in commercially available drying and / or storage cabinets, cannot be processed automatically. Therefore, handling a reprocessing workflow with self-built storage solutions entails significant disadvantages in terms of documentation and process control. This will have negative effects on overall infection prevention and control.

[0005] One task is to provide a means to avoid the problems described above even in self-built storage solutions.

[0006] Such a problem can be solved by a storage hook for flexible endoscopes, comprising a receptacle for a flexible endoscope, an endoscope presence sensor configured to detect a placement or removal of a flexible endoscope in the receptacle, and a controller.

[0007] In embodiments, the controller is designed and equipped for process control and / or documentation. Such process control and / or documentation may include tracking and / or tracing of one or more individual flexible endoscopes, control parameters such as storage time, user identification, or documentation of environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity.

[0008] Such a hook with its own sensor and control system can also be installed in commercially available, simple storage cabinets and perform the aforementioned tasks for process control and / or documentation.

[0009] The storage hook is equipped with storage and process control features typically found in commercially available drying and storage cabinets. To implement this functionality, the controller in some embodiments includes a CPU, a display, and a wireless connection unit. Wireless connectivity, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, can be used to integrate one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes into a system comprising a centralized endoscope storage control.

[0010] In various embodiments, the controller may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an internal clock, and / or an RFID reader configured to read RFID-equipped endoscopes and / or users, all of which are useful for documentation and process control.

[0011] In further embodiments, the controller may have an independent power supply, in particular a battery, or a connection part to an external power supply.

[0012] In embodiments, the endoscope presence sensor can be an optical sensor, a contact sensor, in particular a switch, a weight sensor, and / or a deformation sensor located on or near the holder. An optical sensor can be a light barrier that is blocked by a flexible endoscope held by the holder, or a photodiode or other photosensor that can be covered by an endoscope when it is held by the holder. A contact sensor can react upon physical contact with an endoscope in the holder. While a weight sensor can be arranged to measure the weight of an endoscope held by the holder, a deformation sensor can be integrated into the holder to measure the deformation of the holder under the weight of an endoscope held by the holder.The types of sensors to be used to detect the presence or absence of an endoscope are not limited to this list of sensors.

[0013] In embodiments, the storage hook for flexible endoscopes comprises fastening means, in particular prefabricated screw holes or a clamp, which are designed to support fastening of the hook to a counterpart in or to a storage device or space.

[0014] The object can also be achieved by a storage cabinet for flexible endoscopes with one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes according to the preceding disclosure and by a storage system for flexible endoscopes with a main computer and one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes according to the preceding disclosure, wherein the main computer is designed and configured to connect or be connected to the one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes in order to receive data from the one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes and to centrally process the received data for documenting the storage of one or more flexible endoscopes.

[0015] Further features will become apparent from the description of embodiments together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments may fulfill individual features or a combination of several features.

[0016] The embodiments are described below without limiting the general inventive concept, whereby express reference is made to the drawings for the disclosure of all details not explained in detail in the text.

[0017] In the drawings: Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a storage hook for flexible endoscopes, Fig. 2 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a control of a storage hook for flexible endoscopes, Fig. Figure 3 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a storage cabinet for flexible endoscopes and Fig. 4 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a storage system for flexible endoscopes.

[0018] In the drawings, identical or similar elements or corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numbers, so that a corresponding repetition is omitted.

[0019] Fig. Figure 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a storage hook 10 for flexible endoscopes with a receptacle 12 configured to receive a flexible endoscope (not shown) for storing the endoscope until further use. The storage hook 10 has a back plate 15 with screw holes 14 for attaching the storage hook 10 to a wall of a cabinet or storage space.

[0020] A sensor 18 is designed and configured to detect whether a flexible endoscope is present in or on the receptacle 12 or not.

[0021] The storage hook 10 also includes a controller 16 receiving the signal from sensor 18, with components that enable the controller 16 to perform various functions built into commercially available drying and storage cabinets, such as tracking and tracing individual endoscopes, controlling parameters such as storage time, user identification, or documenting environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity. This essentially allows the user to perform a reprocessing workflow similar to that possible with commercially available drying and storage cabinets, thereby eliminating the significant disadvantages of home-built storage cabinets with regard to documentation and process control and their negative impact on overall infection prevention and control.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 illustrates components of the controller 16 that enable the controller 16, and by extension, the storage hook 10, to perform various of the functions described above. A central processing unit of the controller 16 is a CPU 20 that is connected to a number of peripheral units, some or all of which may be included in the controller 16. The controller 16 may include a display 22 configured to display endoscope, storage-related, or other information to a user, either continuously or on demand. Such a display 22 may be a touchscreen device, obviating the need for a separate manual input unit that may alternatively be included if the display 22 does not operate as a touchscreen device.

[0023] The controller 16 may also include a wireless connection unit 24, for example a WLAN or Bluetooth unit, designed to integrate the controller 16 into a wireless local area network to which a central control unit, for example a computer, may be connected, which performs a coordination function across various similar storage hooks for flexible endoscopes 10.

[0024] The controller 16 can also be equipped with a temperature and / or time sensor 26, which can be a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, an internal clock 28, an RFID reader 30, and / or a power supply 32, which can be a standalone power supply, such as a battery, or a connection to an external power supply. The RFID reader 30 can be configured to read RFID tags from endoscopes to identify individual endoscopes and / or RFID tags worn by users to document which user used the storage hook 10 at which times and possibly with which endoscope.

[0025] Fig. Fig. 3 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a storage cabinet 40 for flexible endoscopes. The storage cabinet 40 for flexible endoscopes is essentially a cabinet with a plurality of storage hooks 10 for flexible endoscopes attached to its rear wall, which according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The cabinet 40 itself does not have its own control system. Instead, process control and documentation are provided by the flexible endoscope storage hooks 10, which are equipped with their own controls 16 with built-in process control and documentation functionality.

[0026] Fig. Fig. 4 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a flexible endoscope storage system 50 having a host computer 52 and various flexible endoscope storage hooks 10 according to the present disclosure, for example, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3. A data connection between the hooks 10 and the main computer 52 can be provided by wireless connection units 24 included in the respective controllers 16 of the respective flexible endoscope storage hooks 10 of the system 50. The main computer 52 can be configured to provide centralized documentation and process control required in connection with clinical endoscopy with multiple endoscopes.

[0027] Alternatively, a flexible endoscope storage system may be designed without a main computer 52. In that case, the various flexible endoscope storage hooks 10 may connect to one another via their wireless connection units 24 and either provide dedicated process control and documentation or, in connection with the establishment of a connection, negotiate a specific one of the flexible endoscope storage hooks 10 to act as a central process control and documentation unit that receives and processes data from all other connected flexible endoscope storage hooks 10, thereby providing the same functionality as the main computer 52 of the embodiment of Fig. 4 is provided.

[0028] While there have been shown and described what are considered to be embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail may readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited to the precise forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications which may come within the scope of the appended claims. List of reference symbols 10 storage hooks for flexible endoscopes 12 recordings 14 screw holes 15 Back plate 16 Control 18 Sensor 20 CPU 22 Advertisement 24 wireless connection unit 26 Temperature sensor 28 internal clock 30 RFID reader unit 32 Power supply 40 storage cabinet 50 storage system 52 computers

Claims

[1] Storage hook for flexible endoscopes, comprising a receptacle for a flexible endoscope, an endoscope presence sensor configured to detect placement or removal of a flexible endoscope in the receptacle, and a controller. [2] Storage hook for flexible endoscopes according to claim 1, wherein the control is designed and configured for process control and / or documentation. [3] The flexible endoscope storage hook according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a CPU, a display, and a wireless connection unit. [4] The flexible endoscope storage hook according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. [5] A flexible endoscope storage hook according to claim 1, wherein the controller is equipped with an internal clock. [6] The flexible endoscope storage hook according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an RFID reader configured for RFID-equipped endoscopes and / or users. [7] Storage hook for flexible endoscopes according to claim 1, wherein the control has an independent power supply, in particular a battery, or a connection part to an external power supply. [8] Storage hook for flexible endoscopes according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope presence sensor is an optical sensor, contact sensor, in particular switch, weight sensor and / or deformation sensor located on or near the receptacle. [9] Storage hook for flexible endoscopes according to claim 1, further comprising fastening means, in particular prefabricated screw holes or a clamp, which are designed to assist in fastening the hook to a counterpart in or to a storage device or space. [10] A storage cabinet for flexible endoscopes comprising one or more storage hooks for flexible endoscopes according to claim 1. [11] A flexible endoscope storage system comprising a host computer and one or more flexible endoscope storage hooks according to claim 1, wherein the host computer is configured and adapted to connect or be connected to the one or more flexible endoscope storage hooks, to receive data from the one or more flexible endoscope storage hooks, and to centrally process the received data to document the storage of one or more flexible endoscopes.

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