Liquid chemical container, washing and disinfecting device, and opening method

Abstract

A liquid chemical container 11 according to the present invention comprises: a container body 12 storing a first liquid chemical and a second liquid chemical; an opening 13 provided in the container body and through which the first liquid chemical and the second liquid chemical are discharged; a partition wall part 14 provided in the container body and partitioning the container body into a first chemical storage part 18 for storing the first liquid chemical and a second chemical storage part 19 for storing the second liquid chemical; and a closing part 17 in close contact with the partition wall part and sealing the first chemical storage part and the second chemical storage part.

Description

Chemical container, cleaning and disinfection device, and opening method

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical solution container for a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus that mainly cleans and disinfects used endoscopes, a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus, and an opening method.

[0002] Endoscopes are widely used for internal examinations, treatments, etc. Medical endoscopes in particular are inserted into the body and therefore need to be cleaned and disinfected after use. For this reason, washer-disinfectors (endoscope washer-disinfectors) that clean used endoscopes have become widely used in recent years.

[0003] The cleaning and disinfecting device has two chemical bottles containing the agent or buffer solution attached to a tray. When the tray is closed, the internal lids of the two chemical bottles are opened and the agent and buffer solution are discharged from the injection port into the chemical solution tank.

[0004] For example, International Publication WO 2010 / 044442 discloses a fluid container unit for use in an endoscope washer-disinfector, which integrates a first container and a second container arranged in parallel, each container storing a different type of fluid. Conventional fluid container units are known to include a container connector that connects the supply and discharge ports of the two containers, and are connected by wrapping a strip, shrink film, or the like around the side walls of the two containers.

[0005] Conventional fluid container units are composed of two chemical solution bottles. Therefore, when a user installs the fluid container unit on the tray of a cleaning and disinfecting device, the left and right sides may be mistakenly installed in the wrong direction. If the fluid container unit is installed on the tray in the wrong direction, the blade that opens the lid provided in the device will not be aligned, and the chemical solution cannot be discharged into the chemical solution tank.

[0006] Furthermore, when the tray of the fluid container unit is closed, the blade inside the device may break the container body, causing the chemical liquid inside to leak out of the cleaning / disinfecting device.

[0007] Furthermore, if the strip or shrink film that unites the two chemical bottles comes off, there is a risk that the user may accidentally attach two chemical bottles containing the same chemical to the tray of the cleaning and disinfecting device.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a chemical container, a cleaning and disinfecting device, and an opening method that can be attached to a tray without making a mistake in the left-right orientation and that can reliably discharge different chemical solutions into a chemical tank without making a mistake.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, a drug solution container includes a container body for storing a first drug solution and a second drug solution, an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first drug solution and the second drug solution, a partition provided in the container body to separate the container body into a first drug solution storage section in which the first drug solution is stored and a second drug solution storage section in which the second drug solution is stored, and a closing section that fits tightly against the partition section to seal the first drug solution storage section and the second drug solution storage section.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, a cleaning and disinfecting apparatus comprises: a container body for storing a first chemical liquid and a second chemical liquid; an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid; a partition portion disposed in the container body and separating the container body into a first chemical storage portion in which the first chemical liquid is stored and a second chemical storage portion in which the second chemical liquid is stored; a chemical liquid container installation portion for installing a chemical liquid container having a sealing portion that fits tightly against the partition portion and seals the first chemical storage portion and the second chemical storage portion; and an opening member that contacts the sealing portion of the chemical liquid container installed in the chemical liquid container installation portion and opens the sealing portion, and the opening member opens two points of the sealing portion to discharge the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid from the opening.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, a method for unplugging includes placing a liquid medicine container comprising a container body for storing a first liquid medicine and a second liquid medicine, an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first liquid medicine and the second liquid medicine, a partition wall disposed at the opening of the container body and separating the container body into a first liquid medicine storage section in which the first liquid medicine is stored and a second liquid medicine storage section in which the second liquid medicine is stored, and a closure wall that fits tightly against the partition wall and seals the first liquid medicine storage section and the second liquid medicine storage section, on a tray that guides the liquid medicine container to an unplugging member that presses against the closure wall of the liquid medicine container to open the closure wall, and then pushing the tray in to unplug the closure wall of the liquid medicine container.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chemical container, a cleaning and disinfecting device, and an opening method that can be attached to a tray without making a mistake in the left-right direction and that can reliably discharge different chemical solutions into a chemical tank without making a mistake.

[0013]

[0014] The present invention will be described below. In the following description, the drawings based on the respective embodiments are schematic, and it should be noted that the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the thickness ratio of each part, etc. may differ from the actual ones, and the drawings may also include parts whose dimensional relationships and ratios differ from each other.

[0015] In the following description, the downward direction refers to the direction of gravity (vertically downward), the upward direction refers to the direction opposite to the direction of gravity (vertically upward), and the left-right direction refers to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0016] 1 and 2, an endoscope reprocessor (Automatic Endoscope Reprocessor / AER) is exemplified as an endoscope washer-disinfector 1. Note that the present embodiment described below is not limited to endoscopes, and is applicable to various types of washer-disinfectors.

[0017] The endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1 is an apparatus for regenerating contaminated used endoscopes, endoscope parts, accessories, etc. (none of which are shown).

[0018] The regeneration process here is not particularly limited, and may refer to, for example, a rinsing process with water, a cleaning process to remove organic matter and other contaminants, a disinfection process to neutralize specific microorganisms, or a sterilization process to eliminate or kill all microorganisms. Note that the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 may perform a combination of the above processes.

[0019] The accessories are not particularly limited, and examples include a suction button that is attached to the endoscope during use and removed from the endoscope during recycling, an air and water supply button, or a tip cover that covers the tip of the endoscope.

[0020] First, we will explain the configuration of the endoscope washer-disinfector 1. The endoscope washer-disinfector 1 has an apparatus main body 2. The apparatus main body 2 has an operation panel 3, an ID input unit 4, and a top cover 5.

[0021] The device main body 2 has a detergent / alcohol tray 7 disposed on the upper left side of the front panel 6 so as to be freely pulled out toward the front of the device main body 2. In addition, the device main body 2 has a chemical liquid bottle tray 8 disposed on the upper right side of the front panel 6 so as to be freely pulled out.

[0022] The liquid medicine bottle tray 8 can be inserted into and removed from the liquid medicine container setting unit 10 by pushing and pulling. Liquid medicine bottles 11, which are liquid medicine containers, are attached to and detached from the liquid medicine bottle tray 8. That is, the liquid medicine container setting unit 10 is a storage unit that stores the liquid medicine bottles 11.

[0023] A water supply hose connection port 9 is provided in one corner at the rear of the device body 2. This water supply hose connection port 9 is connected to a water faucet via a water supply hose (not shown).

[0024] The operation panel 3 can display various information and can input various instructions. The form of the operation panel 3 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1, and may be formed of, for example, an LED panel and a keyboard that allows key input.

[0025] The ID input unit 4 can input a user ID. The ID input unit 4 is configured, for example, by an RFID reader that can read the user ID from an RFID tag. When the user ID is input, the ID input unit 4 outputs the user ID to a control unit (not shown) inside the device.

[0026] The ID input unit 4 is not limited to an RFID reader, but may be, for example, a barcode reader that reads barcodes or a keyboard that allows key input.

[0027] The top cover 5 is provided on the top of the device main body 2 so as to be able to be opened and closed freely. When the top cover 5 is opened, a treatment tank (not shown here) is exposed at the top of the device main body 2. The treatment tank is a cleaning and disinfecting tank that accommodates endoscopes, endoscope parts, accessories, etc. that are to be regenerated, and that stores liquids such as cleaning liquid, disinfectant liquid, and rinse liquid.

[0028] 3 and 4, the liquid medicine bottle 11 has a container body 12, which is the bottle body, and a cap 16. The liquid medicine bottle 11 is a so-called cassette type in which the cap 16 is provided and sealed at a mouth portion 13, which is the opening of a substantially cylindrical fluid discharge portion of the container body 12.

[0029] The container body 12 is generally box-shaped and stores liquid. The container body 12 has a partition wall 14 that divides the internal space into approximately two halves. The partition wall 14 provided inside the container body 12 divides the container body 12 into two internal spaces in the left-right direction. That is, the partition wall 14 is vertically disposed from the mouth 13 of the container body 12 to the internal bottom surface to separate the two internal spaces.

[0030] Container body 12 has first drug storage section 18, which is one internal space for storing a first drug, separated by partition 14. Container body 12 also has second drug storage section 19, which is the other internal space for storing a second drug, separated by partition 14. Each of drug storage sections 18, 19 is also referred to as a drug solution storage section.

[0031] The first chemical reservoir 18 of the container body 12 stores a disinfectant solution, for example, a first chemical solution containing peracetic acid as an active ingredient, called the present agent. The second chemical reservoir 19 of the container body 12 stores a second chemical solution containing a buffer agent as an additive containing multiple components such as stabilizers. In other words, the chemical bottle 11 is a single chemical container that stores two different chemicals, the first chemical solution called the present agent and the second chemical solution called the buffer agent.

[0032] The cap 16 is a sealing member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The cap 16 is attached to the opening 13 through which the liquid stored in the container body 12 is discharged. The cap 16 is attached to the opening 13 of the container body 12 by screwing or the like.

[0033] The cap 16 has a closing portion 17, which is a lid portion that functions as a sealing body. The closing portion 17 is provided so as to close the inner hole of the cap 16. When the cap 16 is fastened to the mouth portion 13, the closing portion 17 comes into close contact with the end surface of the opening side of the partition portion 14. In other words, the partition portion 14 comes into close contact with the closing portion 17 and is disposed perpendicular to the closing portion 17.

[0034] The blocking portion 17 is preferably made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber that has high adhesion to the partition wall portion 14 .

[0035] As a result, both first drug storage section 18 and second drug storage section 19 of container body 12 are kept airtight and liquidtight. That is, both first drug storage section 18 and second drug storage section 19 of drug solution bottle 11 become sealed spaces.

[0036] Therefore, in the liquid medicine bottle 11, the drug in the first drug storage section 18 and the buffer in the second drug storage section 19 are stored in an unmixed state. That is, when the closure section 17 of the cap 16 is closed, the two liquids, the drug and the buffer, are prevented from mixing in advance.

[0037] The liquid medicine bottle 11 configured in this manner is placed in a position where the cap 16 is positioned downward, and is placed on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 that has been pulled out by the user, as shown in Figure 5. The liquid medicine bottle 11 is then attached by the user pushing the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 into the liquid medicine container setting portion 10 of the device main body 2.

[0038] The liquid medicine bottle tray 8 moves back and forth while being guided by rails 27 provided on both side walls 26 of the liquid medicine container setting section 10. At this time, the liquid medicine bottles 11 are set on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 lying down so that the caps 16 are positioned downward.

[0039] That is, the cap 16 is attached to the container body 12 at a position eccentric to the central axis X (see FIG. 3 ). Therefore, the opening 13 of the container body 12 to which the cap 16 is screwed is also formed at a position eccentric to the central axis X.

[0040] Then, when the liquid medicine bottle 11 is attached to the liquid medicine container installation section 10 and the closing section 17 of the cap 16 is broken by the blade section 21 described below and opened, the liquid (liquid medicine) of the drug and buffer inside the container body 12 is discharged from the mouth section 13 through the cap 16 due to its own weight to the outside, with almost no residue remaining inside the container body 12.

[0041] The liquid medicine container setting unit 10 has a cap placement unit 23, which is a liquid medicine injecting unit, below a deep wall 25 that closes the device body 2 from the top to the bottom. The cap placement unit 23 also forms a fluid path inlet that guides the liquid in the liquid medicine bottle 11 to a liquid medicine tank (not shown).

[0042] 6 , the cap placement portion 23 has a cup shape into which the caps 16 of the liquid medicine bottles 11 are inserted when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container installation portion 10 and closed. At this time, the ends of the caps 16 abut against the cap placement portion 23.

[0043] A fluid conduit 24 (see FIG. 7 ), which is a fluid path formed in a predetermined curved shape and communicates with a chemical tank (not shown), is connected to the cap placement portion 23. The blade portion 21, which is an opening member, is integrally joined to the cap placement portion 23.

[0044] The blade portion 21 is a sharp tubular member made of a metal such as stainless steel. This blade portion 21 pierces the closing portion 17 of the cap 16 inserted into the cap placement portion 23 and breaks the partition portion 14 inside the container body 12. The blade portion 21 has a V-shaped notch 22 formed in the center of its tip to make it easier to break the partition portion 14 and the closing portion 17.

[0045] As a result, the drug in first drug storage section 18 of drug solution bottle 11 and the buffering agent in second drug storage section 19 are discharged from cap 16, which has been opened by rupturing partition section 14 and closure section 17, toward cap placement section 23 and flow into blade section 21. The drug and buffering agent then flow, while mixed, from blade section 21 and cap placement section 23 through fluid conduit 45 into a drug solution tank (not shown).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7, the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 has a first limit switch 36 and a second limit switch 37 in the liquid medicine container installation section 10, which are sensors for detecting the position of the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0047] The liquid medicine bottle 11 has a recessed step 15 in a portion of the side surface of the container body 12, which becomes the upper surface when the bottle is attached to the liquid medicine container installation part 10. The step 15 is formed in a portion of the side surface of the container body 12 that faces the first limit switch 36 and the second limit switch 37.

[0048] The first limit switch 36 and the second limit switch 37 detect two attachment positions of the liquid medicine bottle 11 by the rollers 38, 39 of each actuator fitting into the step portion 15 of the liquid medicine bottle 11. In other words, the step portion 15 constitutes a detection unit that detects the attachment position of the liquid medicine bottle 11 in the endoscope washer-disinfector 1.

[0049] This allows the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1 to correctly detect the attachment position of the liquid medicine bottle 11 in the liquid medicine container installation section 10.

[0050] Liquid medicine bottle 11 is not a conventional two-bottle type, but has a configuration in which the interior of one bottle is divided by partition 14 into two spaces, first liquid medicine storage section 18 and second liquid medicine storage section 19. Therefore, liquid medicine bottle 11 does not require a strip, shrink film, or the like to integrate the two bottles as in the conventional configuration.

[0051] Incidentally, in the endoscope washer-disinfector 1, when two conventional bottles are placed on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8, there is a possibility that the strip, shrink film, etc. may bend. The reason for this is that the width between the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 and the outer surfaces of the two bottles that are separated in the left-right direction is very small.

[0052] If the strip, shrink film, etc. that unites the two bottles bends in this way, there is a risk that the bent strip, shrink film, etc. will get caught on the rollers 38, 39 of each limit switch 36, 37 when the chemical solution bottle tray 8 is pushed into the chemical solution container installation section 10 and closed, making it impossible to perform accurate position detection. Furthermore, in the endoscope washer-disinfector 1, if the rollers 38, 39 of each limit switch 36, 37 interfere with the strip, shrink film, etc., a position detection error will occur.

[0053] In contrast, the liquid medicine bottle 11 of this embodiment has a single bottle configuration that does not require a strip, shrink film, etc. to unite the two bottles as in the conventional configuration. Therefore, in the endoscope washer-disinfector 1, the rollers 38, 39 of the limit switches 36, 37 can appropriately detect the position of the liquid medicine bottle 11 without interference from a strip, shrink film, etc. as in the conventional configuration.

[0054] Furthermore, because the liquid medicine bottle 11 is configured as a single bottle, the user will not accidentally place two bottles containing the same chemical in the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 of the endoscope washer-disinfector 1. Furthermore, when the user places the liquid medicine bottle 11 in the liquid medicine bottle tray 8, as long as the cap 16 is positioned downward, the user will not accidentally place the bottle upside down.

[0055] At this time, the user visually checks that the step portion 15 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 faces upward, and then attaches the liquid medicine bottle 11 to the liquid medicine bottle tray 8. In other words, the step portion 15 also serves as an indicator when attaching the liquid medicine bottle 11 to the liquid medicine bottle tray 8.

[0056] Furthermore, because the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 has only one blade 21 that breaks the closure 17 and partition 14 of the chemical solution bottle 11, it is possible to improve the accuracy of aligning the attachment position of the blade 21 to the chemical solution container installation part 10. As a result, the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 can reduce the workload.

[0057] Furthermore, chemical solution bottle 11 is a single bottle configuration, and has a partition 14 that divides the internal space of container body 12 into left and right spaces when attached to chemical solution bottle tray 8 of endoscope washer-disinfector 1. Chemical solution bottle 11 stores different chemical solutions, i.e., the main agent or buffer, in first chemical storage section 18, which is a first internal space, and second chemical storage section 19, which is a second internal space, which are separated by partition 14.

[0058] Therefore, by placing the single-bottle chemical bottle 11 on the chemical bottle tray 8 of the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1, the user can reliably inject different chemicals, the main agent and buffer, into the chemical tank without making any mistakes.

[0059] As described above, the liquid medicine bottle 11 can be attached to the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 of the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1 without making a mistake in the left-right direction, and the liquid of the agent and buffer can be reliably injected into the liquid medicine tank without making a mistake.

[0060] Modifications of the configuration of the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 or the chemical solution bottle 11 will be described below.

[0061] 8 , the endoscope cleaning and disinfecting apparatus 1 of this modification has two blade portions 31, 32 serving as opener members in the chemical solution container installation portion 10. The blade portions 31, 32 are arranged side by side and integrally joined to one cap placement portion 23.

[0062] 9 , when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container setting section 10 and closed, the first blade portion 31 breaks the closure portion 17 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 and inserts the liquid medicine bottle 11 into the first medicine storage section 18. When the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container setting section 10 and closed, the other second blade portion 32 breaks the closure portion 17 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 and inserts the liquid medicine bottle 11 into the second medicine storage section 19. Note that the partition portion 14 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 is not broken by the blade portions 31, 32.

[0063] The agent in the first agent storage section 18 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 is discharged from the cap 16, which has been opened by breaking the closure section 17, toward the cap placement section 23 and flows into the first blade section 31. The buffer agent in the second agent storage section 19 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 is discharged from the cap 16, which has been opened by breaking the closure section 17, toward the cap placement section 23 and flows into the second blade section 32.

[0064] The agent and buffer are mixed in the fluid conduit 45 from the blades 31 and 32 and flow into a chemical tank (not shown).

[0065] (Second Modification) The blade portions 31, 32 of the first modification must have a smaller diameter than the blade portion 21 described in the above embodiment. For this reason, this modification exemplifies an air supply member 40, which is an air supply member for improving the discharge speed of the liquid in the liquid medicine bottle 11, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. This air supply member 40 is attached to the center of the tip of each of the blade portions 31, 32 to form a passage for air into the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0066] Air supply member 40 has a generally trapezoidal plate-like portion 41 formed to match the shape of the tip of each blade portion 31, 32, and a conduit 42 in the center of this plate-like portion 41 for flowing air into liquid medicine bottle 11. This allows air to enter liquid medicine bottle 11 from conduit 42 of air supply member 40, increasing the flow rate of liquid discharged from liquid medicine bottle 11 to each blade portion 31, 32.

[0067] Alternatively, a tube may be connected to conduit 42, and an air pump may be used to send air into liquid medicine bottle 11, thereby forcibly discharging the liquid from liquid medicine bottle 11. Here, the configuration in which air supply member 40 is attached to each of blade portions 31, 32 of the first modified example has been exemplified, but air supply member 40 may also be attached to blade portion 21 described in the above embodiment.

[0068] (Third Modification) Because liquid medicine bottle 11 in the above-described embodiment and each modification has a single bottle configuration, the discharge flow rate of the liquid, which is the agent and buffering agent, is reduced if the opening diameters of mouth 13 of container body 12 and cap 16 are small. That is, it takes longer for liquid medicine bottle 11 to discharge the liquid inside than a conventional two-bottle configuration.

[0069] Therefore, the liquid medicine bottle 11 of this modification has an inner diameter D1 of the mouth 13 of the container body 12 and an inner diameter D2 of the cap 16 that are larger than conventional ones. In addition, the inner diameter D3 of the blade portion 21 is set large in accordance with the diameters of the mouth 13 and the cap 16 of the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0070] In this way, the mouth portion 13, the cap 16 and the blade portion 21 have inner diameters D1, D2 and D3 larger than conventional ones, and therefore the cross-sectional area is increased, thereby increasing the flow rate of the liquid, which is the main agent and the buffer agent.

[0071] This reduces the time required to drain the liquid from the liquid bottle 11. Note that by doubling the inner diameters D1, D2, and D3 of the mouth 13, cap 16, and blade 21, for example, it is possible to achieve approximately the same flow rate as that of a conventional two-bottle configuration.

[0072] (Fourth Modification) In order to reduce the time required to discharge the liquid, the liquid medicine bottle 11 may be provided with a mechanism for generating a vortex in the liquid in the first medicine storage section 18 and the second medicine storage section 19, as shown in FIG. 13 .

[0073] 14 , liquid medicine bottle 11 of this modification has bottomed tubular portion 51, which is part of the partition wall that communicates with mouth 13 of container body 12. Bottomed tubular portion 51 has a plurality of, here two, inlet ports 52 and 53, which are holes drilled in the outer periphery near mouth 13.

[0074] The bottomed tubular portion 51 has the partition wall portion 14 joined to the center of the bottom 51a. A coil spring 54, which is a biasing member, and a blocking plug 55, which is a plug member, are provided inside the bottomed tubular portion 51. The blocking plug 55 is made of resin, rubber, or the like, and has an outer surface shape similar to the inner surface shape of the bottomed tubular portion 51.

[0075] Coil spring 54 biases closure plug 55 toward opening 13. Closure plug 55 is moved to a first position on the opening 13 side by the bias of coil spring 54. In the first position, closure plug 55 comes into contact with step 20 formed on cap 16 and comes to rest.

[0076] The blocking plug 55 in the first position blocks the inlets 52, 53 of the bottomed tubular portion 51. As a result, the first drug storage portion 18 and the second drug storage portion 19 of the drug solution bottle 11 are both sealed.

[0077] Unlike the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the chemical solution container installation section 10 of the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 is provided with an uncapper tube 56, which is an uncapper member with a closed tip, in the cap placement section 23. The uncapper tube 56 has multiple openings (two in this case) 57, 58 on the side of the tip portion.

[0078] In the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 configured in this manner, when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container setting section 10 and closed, the uncapper tube 56 of the liquid medicine container setting section 10 enters the cap 16 of the liquid medicine bottle 11. At this time, the tip of the uncapper tube 56 abuts against the block plug 55 of the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0079] 15 , the closure tube 56 moves to the second position by pushing the closure plug 55 toward the bottom 51 a of the bottomed tubular portion 51 against the biasing force of the coil spring 54. With the closure plug 55 thus moved to the second position, the openings 57 and 58 of the closure tube 56 face the inlets 52 and 53 of the bottomed tubular portion 51.

[0080] That is, when the unplugging tube 56 is inserted into the bottomed cylindrical portion 51 , the openings 57 , 58 are formed at positions opposite the inlets 52 , 53 of the bottomed cylindrical portion 51 .

[0081] As a result, the agent in the first drug storage section 18 of the drug solution bottle 11 flows into the uncapped tube 56 from one opening 57 opposite one inlet 52 of the bottomed cylindrical section 51. The buffer in the second drug storage section 19 of the drug solution bottle 11 flows into the uncapped tube 56 from the other opening 57 opposite the other inlet 53 of the bottomed cylindrical section 51.

[0082] As explained above, the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 of this modified example does not have the blade portion 21 of the above-described embodiment, and therefore there is no need to adjust the angle of the V-shaped notch 22 to match the partition 14 before assembling it to the chemical solution container installation part 10. Therefore, the endoscope washer-disinfector 1 is configured such that angle adjustment of the blade portion 21 is not necessary, which improves assembly ease.

[0083] (Sixth Modification) As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , each of the blade portions 21 , 31 , 32 may have a saw blade 65 at the tip so as to easily break the closure portion 17 provided on the cap 16 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 .

[0084] (Seventh Modification) As shown in FIG. 18 , each of the blade portions 21 , 31 , 32 may have a spiral grooved blade 66 on the outer periphery to facilitate breaking the closure portion 17 provided on the cap 16 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 .

[0085] 19, the liquid medicine bottle 11 of this modification is a two-bottle configuration including a first liquid medicine bottle 11a and a second liquid medicine bottle 11b. The first liquid medicine bottle 11a and the second liquid medicine bottle 11b are both fitted with caps 16a and 16b having closures 17a and 17b on the mouths 13a and 13b of the container bodies 12a and 12b. The first liquid medicine bottle 11a has a recess 43 with a closure 44 on the bottom 12c of the container body 12a, opposite the mouth 13a.

[0086] The first chemical bottle 11a stores a disinfectant, for example, a disinfectant containing peracetic acid as an active ingredient, in a first chemical storage section 18a of the container body 12a, while the second chemical bottle 11b stores a buffer, which is an additive containing multiple components such as stabilizers, in a second chemical storage section 19b of the container body 12b.

[0087] 20, the liquid medicine bottle 11 is formed by connecting the first liquid medicine bottle 11a and the second liquid medicine bottle 11b together. At this time, the cap 16b of the second liquid medicine bottle 11b is fitted into the recess 43 of the first liquid medicine bottle 11a. That is, the liquid medicine bottle 11 is formed by connecting the first liquid medicine bottle 11a and the second liquid medicine bottle 11b in series.

[0088] The liquid medicine bottle 11, in which the first liquid medicine bottle 11a and the second liquid medicine bottle 11b are connected, is placed on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 as shown in Fig. 21. Then, as shown in Fig. 22, when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container setting section 10 to close the liquid medicine bottle 11, the blade section 21 of the liquid medicine container setting section 10 breaks the closure section 17a provided on the cap 16a of the first liquid medicine bottle 11a, thereby opening only the first liquid medicine bottle 11a.

[0089] At this time, the pushing of the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is stopped, and the liquid medicine stored in the first medicine storage section 18a of the first liquid medicine bottle 11a is discharged into the blade section 21. The liquid medicine flows into the blade section 21, passes through the fluid conduit 45, and flows into a liquid medicine tank (not shown).

[0090] When all of the agent has been dispensed from first liquid medicine bottle 11a, liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into liquid medicine container installation section 10 and closed. Then, as shown in Figure 23, closure portion 44 provided in recess 43 of first liquid medicine bottle 11a and closure portion 17b provided on cap 16b of second liquid medicine bottle 11b are broken by blade portion 21. This opens second liquid medicine bottle 11b.

[0091] As a result, the buffer stored in the second medicine storage portion 19b of the second medicine bottle 11b is discharged into the blade portion 21. The buffer flows into the blade portion 21, passes through the fluid conduit 45, and flows into a medicine tank (not shown).

[0092] The blade portion 21 has a length that allows it to be inserted into the second medicine storage portion 19b of the second medicine bottle 11b when the medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the medicine container installation portion 10 and closed.

[0093] Also, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, the first and second liquid medicine bottles 11a and 11b may be connected together when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is pushed into the liquid medicine container setting section 10 and closed.

[0094] 26 , the drug solution bottle 11 may have a partition 46 that separates the first drug storage section 18, in which the drug is stored, in the container body 12 on the side of the opening 13 from the second drug storage section 19b, in which the buffer is stored, in the serial direction. The partition 46 has a closure section 47 in the center that can be broken by the blade section 21.

[0095] 27 , the liquid medicine bottle 11 of this modification has a two-bottle configuration in which a first liquid medicine bottle 71 and a second liquid medicine bottle 72 are arranged side by side. The liquid medicine bottle 11 has one connecting cap 75 attached to each of the openings 73, 74 of the first liquid medicine bottle 71 and the second liquid medicine bottle 72. The connecting cap 75 has a closing portion 76 and a partition portion 77.

[0096] The liquid medicine bottle 11 may be configured as a two-bottle configuration of a first liquid medicine bottle 71 and a second liquid medicine bottle 72 integrated with a connecting cap 75 provided with a closing portion 76 and a partition portion 77 .

[0097] Generally, chemical solutions such as disinfectants for cleaning and disinfecting endoscopes and the like are supplied to the market in a sealed state in a chemical solution bottle. Here, the chemical solution bottle may be formed with multiple (e.g., at least two) chemical solution storage sections each storing a different chemical solution, or may be formed by integrating multiple (e.g., at least two) chemical solution bottles.

[0098] In conventional reprocessors that use chemical solution bottles of this type, various configurations for supplying the chemical solution in the chemical solution bottle to the reprocessor have been proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 4823537 and Japanese Patent No. 5106557.

[0099] The reprocessors disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos. 4,823,537 and 5,106,557, for example, are configured such that, for example, simply by sliding a tray on which a chemical bottle is placed, the lid of the chemical bottle can be opened and each chemical liquid in the chemical bottle can be injected into the reprocessor.

[0100] In this case, the tray on which the liquid medicine bottle is placed is composed of an inclined surface (facing downward in the direction of gravity) inside the device from the base end (front side of the device) to the tip end (rear side of the device), and the liquid medicine bottle is configured to be positioned with the end face on the side where the opening that serves as the liquid medicine outlet is formed facing the tip end of the tray.

[0101] With this configuration, when the liquid medicine bottle is placed inside the device, the opening of the liquid medicine bottle is positioned at a low position, and when the opening is opened, the liquid medicine inside the liquid medicine bottle is reliably discharged from the opening to the outside of the bottle and injected into a specified flow path inside the reprocessor.

[0102] However, in the configurations of conventional reprocessors disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos. 4823537 and 5106557, the openings of the chemical solution bottles placed on the trays are always open after being opened by a predetermined means, which means that when the used chemical solution bottles are removed from the inside of the reprocessor for replacement or the like after cleaning and disinfecting the reprocessor, there is a possibility that the residual liquid in the chemical solution bottles will leak out from the openings.

[0103] Therefore, in conventional reprocessors, various devices have been disclosed, for example in Japanese Patent No. 5767424, to prevent residual liquid from leaking when replacing the chemical bottle after using the reprocessor.

[0104] In the reprocessor disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5767424 and the like, when a liquid medicine bottle is in a predetermined position for removal, a sloped portion is provided on the bottle placement surface of the tray so that the opening of the liquid medicine bottle faces upward in the direction of gravity.

[0105] However, the configuration disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 5767424, etc., has the problem that the bottle-mounting surface of the tray is movable, which means that the chemical bottles placed on the tray are in an unstable state.

[0106] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chemical solution container, a cleaning and disinfecting device, and an opening method that have a configuration that can stably hold a chemical solution bottle placed inside a reprocessor device and that can prevent residual liquid in the bottle from leaking when the chemical solution bottle is replaced.

[0107] (Eleventh Modification) Before describing the configuration of the liquid medicine bottle according to the eleventh modification of this embodiment, the configuration of the reprocessor to which this liquid medicine bottle is applied will be briefly described below. Note that the configuration of this reprocessor is basically the same as the reprocessor illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 above. Therefore, the same components will be assigned the same reference numerals and will only be briefly described.

[0108] Fig. 28 is an external perspective view of a reprocessor to which a liquid medicine bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Fig. 29 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a liquid medicine bottle tray with a liquid medicine bottle attached thereto is pulled out in the reprocessor of Fig. 28. Fig. 30 is an external perspective view showing a liquid medicine bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 31 is an exploded perspective view showing the liquid medicine bottle of Fig. 30 disassembled. Fig. 32 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid medicine bottle along the plane indicated by arrow

[32] in Fig. 30. Fig. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the liquid medicine bottle tray with the liquid medicine bottle of Fig. 30 attached thereto is pulled out from a liquid medicine container setting section. Fig. 34 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the liquid medicine bottle tray with the liquid medicine bottle of Fig. 30 attached thereto is stored in a liquid medicine container setting section. Fig. 35 is a schematic diagram showing the state of Fig. 34 as viewed from the side.

[0109] 28 and 29, the reprocessor 1 of this embodiment is mainly composed of a device main body 2. The device main body 2 has an operation panel 3, an ID input unit 4, a top cover 5, and a water supply hose connection port 9.

[0110] The device main body 2 has a detergent alcohol tray 7 disposed on the upper left side of the front panel 6 so as to be freely pulled out toward the front of the device main body 2. In addition, the device main body 2 has a chemical liquid bottle tray 8 disposed on the upper right side of the front panel 6 so as to be freely pulled out.

[0111] The liquid medicine bottle tray 8 can be inserted into or removed from the liquid medicine container setting unit 10 by pushing or pulling it. Liquid medicine bottles 11, which are liquid medicine containers, are attached to or detached from the liquid medicine bottle tray 8. That is, the liquid medicine container setting unit 10 is a bottle storage unit that stores the liquid medicine bottles 11.

[0112] A water supply hose connection port 9 is provided in one corner at the rear (deep side) of the device body 2. This water supply hose connection port 9 is connected to a regular water faucet through a water supply hose (not shown).

[0113] The operation panel 3 can display various types of information and can input various instructions. The form of the operation panel 3 is not limited to the form shown in Fig. 28, and may be formed, for example, by an LED panel and a keyboard that allows key input.

[0114] The ID input unit 4 can input a user ID. The ID input unit 4 is configured, for example, by an RFID reader that can read the user ID from an RFID tag. When the user ID is input, the ID input unit 4 outputs the user ID to a control unit (not shown) inside the device.

[0115] The ID input unit 4 is not limited to an RFID reader, but may be, for example, a barcode reader that reads barcodes or a keyboard that allows key input.

[0116] The top cover 5 is provided on the top of the device main body 2 so as to be able to be opened and closed freely. When the top cover 5 is opened, a processing tank (not shown) is exposed at the top of the device main body 2. The processing tank is a cleaning and disinfecting tank that accommodates endoscopes, endoscope parts, accessories, etc. that are to be regenerated, and that stores liquids such as cleaning liquid, disinfectant liquid, and rinse liquid.

[0117] Next, we will explain the configuration of the liquid medicine bottle 11, which is a liquid medicine container of this modified example. As shown in Figures 30 to 32, the liquid medicine bottle 11 has a container body 12, which is the bottle body, a mouth portion 13, a cap 16, a bottomed tubular portion 51, a coil spring 54 (see Figure 32), and a blocking plug 55.

[0118] The liquid medicine bottle 11 is a so-called cassette-type bottle container in which a cap 16 is provided on a mouth portion 13 of a container body 12 and the container body 12 is sealed.

[0119] The container body 12 is generally box-shaped and stores liquid. A body opening 12e, which serves as a fluid discharge port, is formed on one end surface 12a of the container body 12 (see FIG. 31). A generally cylindrical mouth portion 13 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the body opening 12e and protrudes outward. A cap 16 is provided on the mouth portion 13. This seals the interior of the container body 12.

[0120] The internal space of the container body 12 is divided into approximately two halves by the partition wall 14 and the bottomed tubular portion 51. Here, the partition wall 14 and the outer wall surface forming the bottomed tubular portion 51 function as a partition plate that divides the internal space of the container body 12 into two. In other words, the container body 12 has two internal spaces (first region 18 and second region 19) formed by the partition wall 14 as a partition plate and the bottomed tubular portion 51. Here, the first region 18 is an internal space region in which a first chemical liquid is stored. The second region 19 is an internal space region in which a second chemical liquid is stored.

[0121] The partition portion 14 is arranged vertically, separating the internal space of the container body 12 between the inner bottom surface and the bottom 51a of the bottomed cylindrical portion 51, and along the side of the bottomed cylindrical portion 51 to the inner surface of one end face 12a, into two spaces (a first region 18 and a second region 19).

[0122] The bottomed tubular portion 51 is a part of the partition wall portion that communicates with the mouth portion 13. The partition wall portion 14 is joined to the bottom portion 51 at approximately the center of the bottom portion 51a of the bottomed tubular portion 51. The bottomed tubular portion 51 has a plurality of holes 52, 53 (two in this embodiment) drilled in the outer periphery near the mouth portion 13. These holes 52, 53 communicate with the internal space of the container body 12 and function as chemical solution outflow openings that allow the chemical solution inside the container body 12 to flow out at predetermined times. In other words, the two holes 52, 53 are openings provided in the container body 12 (main body).

[0123] The container body 12 is a body that stores the chemical liquid. The container body 12 is divided by the partition wall 14 and the bottomed cylindrical portion 51 to form a first chemical liquid storage portion (first region) 18 that stores the first chemical liquid and a second chemical liquid storage portion (second region) 19 that stores the second chemical liquid.

[0124] The first chemical liquid reservoir 18 stores a disinfectant, for example, a first chemical liquid containing peracetic acid as an active ingredient. The second chemical liquid reservoir 19 stores a second chemical liquid containing a buffer agent as an additive containing multiple components such as stabilizers. In this way, the chemical liquid bottle 11 constitutes a single chemical liquid container that stores two different chemical liquids, i.e., the first chemical liquid (the agent) and the second chemical liquid (the buffer agent).

[0125] A coil spring 54 (see FIG. 32; not shown in FIGS. 30 and 31) which is a biasing member, and a blocking plug 55 which is a plug member and a lid are provided inside the bottomed tubular portion 51. The blocking plug 55 is made of resin, rubber, or the like, and has an outer surface shape similar to the inner surface shape of the bottomed tubular portion 51.

[0126] Coil spring 54 is a biasing member that biases occluding plug 55 toward opening 13. Blocking plug 55 is configured to be maintained in a state where it has been moved to a position closer to opening 13 by the bias of coil spring 54. For this purpose, coil spring 54 is formed, for example, from an extensible spring.

[0127] Blocking plug 55 abuts against inner step 20 formed on cap 16, thereby restricting movement in the biasing direction. The position of blocking plug 55 at this time is referred to as the first position. That is, when blocking plug 55 is in the first position, it blocks main body opening 12e of container main body 12. At the same time, blocking plug 55 blocks two holes 52, 53 in bottomed tubular portion 51. Coil spring 54 functions as a maintaining member that maintains blocking plug 55 in the first position. As a result, both first liquid medicine storage portion 18 and second liquid medicine storage portion 19 of liquid medicine bottle 11 are sealed.

[0128] Therefore, in the liquid medicine bottle 11, the agent in the first liquid medicine storage section 18 and the buffer agent in the second liquid medicine storage section 19 are stored in an unmixed state. Therefore, in the liquid medicine bottle 11, when the blocking plug 55 is blocking the two holes 52, 53, the two liquid medicines, the agent and the buffer agent, are not mixed and are stored in separate internal spaces (first region 18, second region 19).

[0129] The cap 16 is a tubular member having openings at both ends, with a conduit extending through both openings, and having a generally cylindrical overall shape. The cap 16 is formed with an internal step 20 therein. Therefore, the internal diameter of the proximal opening is larger than the internal diameter of the distal opening. A male thread, which will be described later, is formed on the inner surface of this proximal opening.

[0130] The cap 16 is attached to the mouth 13 through which the liquid stored in the container body 12 is discharged. In this case, the cap 16 is attached to the mouth 13 of the container body 12 by screwing or the like. For this purpose, the cap 16 has a female thread formed on the inner surface of the opening on the side where the inner step 20 is formed, which threads onto a male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 13.

[0131] The liquid medicine bottles 11 configured in this manner are positioned with their caps 16 facing downward and toward the back, and are placed in predetermined positions on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 when the tray 8 has been pulled out toward the front by the user from the device main body 2, as shown in Fig. 33. For this purpose, for example, the bottom surface (bottle placement surface) of the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 is formed with a downward slope. Note that Fig. 35 is a schematic diagram, and therefore the slope of the bottom surface of the tray 8 is omitted.

[0132] Then, the user pushes the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 toward the liquid medicine container installation section 10 of the device main body 2 (in the direction of arrow S in Figure 33), and the liquid medicine bottle 11 is attached inside the device main body 2.

[0133] The liquid medicine bottle tray 8 moves back and forth while being guided by rails 27 provided on both side walls 26 of the liquid medicine container setting section 10. At this time, the liquid medicine bottles 11 are set in a lying position on the bottom surface of the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 with the caps 16 positioned downward.

[0134] Here, the body opening 12e and the mouth 13 of the container body 12 are formed at a position eccentric toward one side surface 12c from the central region of one end surface 12a of the container body 12. Therefore, the cap 16 attached to the mouth 13 is also attached at a position eccentric toward one side surface 12c from the central region of one end surface 12a. In this case, the one side surface 12c is the surface that contacts the bottom of the tray 8 when the liquid medicine bottle 11 is placed on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8.

[0135] With this configuration, when the medicine bottle 11 is attached to the medicine bottle tray 8 and the main body opening 12e is in the open state, almost the entire amount of medicine stored inside the medicine bottle 11 can flow out.

[0136] 33 to 35, the liquid medicine container setting section 10 has a wall surface 25 disposed in a direction perpendicular to both side walls 26 provided along the direction of movement of the liquid medicine bottle tray 8. A liquid medicine injecting section 23 is formed in a portion of the wall surface 25 near the bottom surface in the approximate center region. This liquid medicine injecting section 23 constitutes the inlet of a liquid medicine flow path that guides the liquid medicine in the liquid medicine bottle 11 to a liquid medicine tank (2x) (not shown). The liquid medicine injecting section 23 is also a reprocessor opening provided on the side surface of the reprocessor 1.

[0137] Liquid medicine injecting section 23 is cup-shaped with an opening facing the inside of liquid medicine container setting section 10. Liquid medicine injecting section 23 is formed with an inner diameter that allows caps 16 of liquid medicine bottles 11 to be inserted when liquid medicine bottle tray 8 with liquid medicine bottles 11 attached thereto is pushed into liquid medicine container setting section 10 and placed in a predetermined position (the state shown in FIG. 34 ). When the state shown in FIG. 34 is reached, the tip surfaces of caps 16 abut against the bottom surface at the rear of liquid medicine injecting section 23. This defines the position of liquid medicine bottle tray 8 with liquid medicine bottles 11 attached within liquid medicine container setting section 10.

[0138] Furthermore, a fluid conduit 24 communicating with a chemical tank (2x) (not shown) is connected to chemical injector 23 (see FIG. 35). This fluid conduit 24 is formed in a predetermined curved shape so that the chemical liquid flowing out through chemical injector 23 can be guided to the chemical tank (2x) located below the device.

[0139] Furthermore, the drug solution injecting section 23 has an unplugging tube 56, which is an unplugging member. The unplugging tube 56 is a pressing convex portion that applies a pressing force from the outside to the occluding plug 55 at a predetermined timing. The unplugging tube 56 has a cylindrical shape with a closed tip, a tip occluding portion that is an abutting portion that abuts against the occluding plug 55 at a predetermined timing, and multiple (two in this embodiment) openings 57, 58 on the side portion near the tip occluding portion. These two openings 57, 58 are openings (second openings) that connect to the fluid pipeline 24.

[0140] The unplugging tube 56 is provided in the cup-shaped internal space of the liquid medicine injecting section 23, penetrates the bottom surface of the liquid medicine injecting section 23, and is integrally joined to the liquid medicine injecting section 23. The unplugging tube 56 is connected to the fluid conduit 24. With this configuration, the unplugging tube 56 forms a part of the liquid medicine flow path.

[0141] In the reprocessor 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, when the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 with the liquid medicine bottles 11 attached thereto is pushed into the liquid medicine container installation section 10, the uncapper tube 56 eventually enters the tip-side opening of the cap 16 of the liquid medicine bottle 11. Then, the tip closure portion of the uncapper tube 56 abuts against the front surface of the closure cap 55 of the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0142] When the drug solution bottle tray 8 is further pushed in, the opener tube 56 pushes the closure plug 55 toward the bottom 51 a of the bottomed tubular portion 51 against the biasing force of the coil spring 54. The closure plug 55 eventually moves to the second position. That is, the closure plug 55 (lid) moves from the first position to the second position in response to the external pressing force.

[0143] As a result, the closure plug 55 exposes the main body opening 12e. The position of the closure plug 55 at this time is referred to as the second position. In other words, when the closure plug 55 receives a predetermined external pressure and moves from the first position to the second position, the closure plug 55 exposes the two holes 52, 53 (openings) of the container main body 12.

[0144] When the blocking plug 55 is moved to the second position, the two openings 57 and 58 of the unblocking tube 56 are positioned opposite the two holes 52 and 53 of the bottomed cylindrical portion 51 .

[0145] As a result, the agent in first liquid medicine storage portion 18 of liquid medicine bottle 11 flows into uncapped tube 56 from one opening 57 facing one hole 52 of bottomed cylindrical portion 51. Also, the buffer in second liquid medicine storage portion 19 of liquid medicine bottle 11 flows into uncapped tube 56 from the other opening 57 facing the other hole 53 of bottomed cylindrical portion 51.

[0146] On the other hand, when removing the liquid medicine bottle 11 from inside the device after a cleaning process or the like using the reprocessor 1, the user pulls out the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 on which the liquid medicine bottle 11 is attached from the liquid medicine container installation section 10.

[0147] Then, as the drug solution bottle tray 8 is pulled out, the abutting state between the tip closure of the cap removal tube 56 and the front surface of the closure stopper 55 of the drug solution bottle 11 is maintained by the biasing force of the coil spring 54, while the closure stopper 55, which is in the second position, is pushed back toward the first position. As a result, the closure stopper 55 moves in a direction away from the bottom 51 a of the bottomed tubular portion 51. In other words, when the external pressing force on the closure stopper 55 (lid) is released, the coil spring 54 (maintenance member) moves the closure stopper 55 (lid) from the second position to the first position. Then, when the closure stopper 55 moves to the first position, the two holes 52, 53 of the bottomed tubular portion 51 are blocked by the closure stopper 55.

[0148] In this way, the blocking plug 55 blocks the liquid medicine flow path from the first liquid medicine storage portion 18 and the second liquid medicine storage portion 19 of the liquid medicine bottle 11 to the liquid medicine injector 23 and the opener tube 56. This therefore makes it possible to prevent leakage of residual liquid from the liquid medicine bottle 11.

[0149] 35, the reprocessor 1 has a first limit switch 36 and a second limit switch 37, which are sensors that detect the position of the liquid medicine bottle 11. These two limit switches (36, 37) are disposed in the liquid medicine container installation section 10.

[0150] The liquid medicine bottle 11 has a recessed step 15 in a portion of the side surface of the container body 12. Here, the side surface on which step 15 is formed is the side surface that becomes the upper surface when the liquid medicine bottle 11 is attached to the liquid medicine container installation part 10, and refers to the side surface opposite one side surface 12c. Hereinafter, this side surface will be referred to as the other side surface 12d (see FIG. 31 ).

[0151] In addition, the step portion 15 in the container body 12 is formed at a position opposite the first limit switch 36 and the second limit switch 37 on the device main body 2 side when the chemical solution bottle 11 is attached to the chemical solution container installation portion 10.

[0152] The first limit switch 36 and the second limit switch 37 detect two attachment positions of the liquid medicine bottle 11 by having the rollers 38, 39 fit into the stepped portion 15 of the liquid medicine bottle 11. In other words, the stepped portion 15 constitutes a detection unit that detects the attachment position of the liquid medicine bottle 11 in the reprocessor 1. This allows the reprocessor 1 to correctly detect the attachment position of the liquid medicine bottle 11 in the liquid medicine container installation unit 10.

[0153] As described above, according to the above embodiment, when the liquid medicine bottles 11 placed on the liquid medicine bottle tray 8 are placed in predetermined positions in the liquid medicine container installation section 10 inside the device main body 2 of the reprocessor 1, the liquid medicine bottles 11 are stably held. In this state, the two holes 52, 53 of the bottomed tubular section 51 are exposed by the closure plug 55, and the liquid medicine stored in the liquid medicine bottles 11 is reliably guided from the two holes 52, 53 and the two openings 57, 58 of the unplugging tube 56 through the liquid medicine flow path and the fluid conduit 24 to the liquid medicine tank (2x).

[0154] Furthermore, when replacing the liquid medicine bottle 11, the plug 55 is placed in the first position where it blocks the two holes 52 and 53, so that even if there is residual liquid in the liquid medicine bottle 11, it is reliably prevented from leaking.

[0155] The above-described embodiment illustrates a liquid medicine bottle 11 having at least two liquid medicine storage sections formed by providing a partition (partition section 14, bottomed cylindrical section 51) inside a single bottle. However, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the configuration example of the above-described embodiment. For example, the container body of the liquid medicine bottle may be formed from multiple bottles, including a first bottle for storing a first liquid medicine and a second bottle for storing a second liquid medicine. The twelfth modified example described below is an example of such a configuration.

[0156] (Twelfth Modification) Fig. 36 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid medicine bottle according to a twelfth modification of the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 36 corresponds to Fig. 32 in the above-described embodiment. Fig. 37 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the liquid medicine bottle of Fig. 36.

[0157] The basic configuration of the liquid medicine bottle 11A of this twelfth modified example is substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment. Whereas the liquid medicine bottle 11 of the above-described embodiment is configured with a single container body 12, the liquid medicine bottle 11A of this modified example differs in that, instead of this configuration, the container body 12A is configured with two containers (21, 22). Therefore, a description of the same configuration as the above-described embodiment will be omitted, and the following will describe the differences in detail.

[0158] The liquid medicine bottle 11A of the twelfth modification has a container body 12A, an end cover 28, and a cap 16.

[0159] Container body 12A is formed by two bottles (containers): a first bottle 21 and a second bottle 22. First bottle 21 has first chemical liquid storage section 18, which is a first region for storing a first chemical liquid. Second bottle 22 has second chemical liquid storage section 19, which is a second region for storing a second chemical liquid.

[0160] The first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 each have a first recess 51x and a second recess 51y that, when combined, form a bottomed tubular portion 51A. Here, the first recess 51x and the second recess 51y each have a shape of a cylinder split vertically, with each cross section being approximately semicircular. When combined, the first recess 51x and the second recess 51y each have a bottom 51Aa of the bottomed tubular portion 51A and a main body opening 12Ae. Here, the bottom 51Aa is made up of a first bottom 51aa and a second bottom 51ab. The main body opening 12Ae is made up of a first main body opening 12x and a second main body opening 12y.

[0161] The first recess 51x of the first bottle 21 has a first hole 52, which is a first opening, in the sidewall. The first hole 52 is formed near the first main body opening 12x. The second recess 51y of the second bottle 22 has a second hole 53, which is a second opening, in the sidewall. The second hole 53 is formed near the second main body opening 12y. The first hole 52 and the second hole 53 are positioned to face each other when the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 are combined.

[0162] The first end surface 21a of the first bottle 21 has a first engaging protrusion 21c. One or more first engaging protrusions 21c are formed near the outer periphery of the first end surface 21a. The first end surface 22a of the second bottle 22 has a second engaging protrusion 22c. One or more second engaging protrusions 22c are formed near the outer periphery of the first end surface 22a.

[0163] Among the side surfaces of the first bottle 21, the side surfaces 21x and 22x that face each other when the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 are combined function as partition plates. That is, the side surfaces 21x and 22x correspond to the partition wall 14 in the above-described embodiment.

[0164] When the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 are combined, the first recess 51x and the second recess 51y form a bottomed tubular portion 51A. The bottomed tubular portion 51A is provided with a coil spring 54 and a blocking plug 55. The configurations of the coil spring 54 and the blocking plug 55 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

[0165] That is, the coil spring 54 is a retaining member that retains the occlusion plug 55 in the first position. The coil spring 54 is made of an extensible spring.

[0166] Blocking plug 55 is disposed inside bottomed tubular portion 51A and is disposed so as to be freely movable in a direction along the longitudinal axis of bottomed tubular portion 51A. When blocking plug 55 is in the first position, blocking plug 55 simultaneously blocks first hole 52 and second hole 53. As a result, when blocking plug 55 is in the first position, it prevents the first chemical solution in first bottle 21 from being discharged to the outside through first hole 52. At the same time, when blocking plug 55 is in the first position, it prevents the second chemical solution in second bottle 22 from being discharged to the outside through the second opening.

[0167] On the other hand, when the closure plug 55 is in the second position, it allows the first medicinal liquid in the first bottle 21 to be discharged to the outside through the first hole 52. At the same time, when the closure plug 55 is in the second position, it allows the second medicinal liquid in the second bottle 22 to be discharged to the outside through the second hole 53.

[0168] The end cover 28 is a connecting member provided to combine and integrate the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22. The end cover 28 has a mouth portion 13, an engaged recess 28c, and a cover opening 28d. Of these, the mouth portion 13 is the portion to which the cap 16 is attached. The mouth portion 13 is provided in a substantially central region on the first end surface 28a side of the end cover 28. The basic configuration of the mouth portion 13 is the same as in the above-described embodiment. The mouth portion 13 has a cover opening 28d formed therein.

[0169] The cover opening 28d is a through-hole through which the end cover 28 is inserted in the mouth 13. The cover opening 28d is positioned opposite the main body opening 12Ae when the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 are combined. As a result, when the end cover 28 is placed in a predetermined position with respect to the container main body 12A in which the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22 are combined, the main body opening 12Ae and the cover opening 28d form a single insertion hole. A blocking plug 55 is movably disposed in this insertion hole.

[0170] The end cover 28 is arranged to cover the first end faces 21 a, 22 a of the container body 12A, which is formed by combining the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22. In this case, the second end face 28 b of the end cover 28 faces the first end faces 21 a, 22 a of the first bottle 21 and the second bottle 22.

[0171] The second end surface 28b of the end cover 28 is formed with engaged recesses 28c. The first engaging protrusions 21c and the second engaging protrusions 22c engage with these engaged recesses 28c. This allows the two bottles (21, 22) to be integrally connected. Therefore, the same number (plurality) of engaged recesses 28c as the first engaging protrusions 21c and the second engaging protrusions 22c are provided.

[0172] In this state (the state in which the two bottles (21, 22) are integrally connected), a transparent thin film member 29 formed in a strip shape (hereinafter simply referred to as strip film 29) is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the container body 12A near the bottom (see FIG. 36). In this case, the strip film 29 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the side surfaces 21x, 22x. The other configurations and functions are substantially the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

[0173] In the twelfth modified example configured as described above, the container body 12A is configured with two bottles (21, 2). Even with this configuration, substantially the same effects as the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, compared to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the first region 18 storing the first medicinal liquid and the second region storing the second medicinal liquid can be clearly separated, so that the two medicinal liquids, the present agent and the buffer, can be stored without being mixed before use.

[0174] The inventions described in the above embodiments and modifications are not limited to these embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments and modifications include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed constituent elements.

[0175] For example, if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments and each variant example, and the stated problem can be solved and the stated effect can be obtained, then the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. A drug liquid container comprising: a container body for storing a first drug liquid and a second drug liquid; an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first drug liquid and the second drug liquid; a partition provided in the container body to separate a first drug storage section in which the first drug liquid is stored and a second drug storage section in which the second drug liquid is stored; and a closure portion that fits tightly against the partition to seal the first drug storage section and the second drug storage section.

2. A liquid medicine container as described in claim 1, characterized in that the closing portion is in close contact with the partition portion so as to prevent the first liquid medicine and the second liquid medicine from mixing within the container body.

3. The drug solution container according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing member for covering the opening.

4. A chemical liquid container as described in claim 1, characterized in that the container body has a recess on the side that connects to the surface of the body on which the opening is formed, and the recess engages with a sensor provided in the cleaning and disinfecting device to detect the insertion position in the cleaning and disinfecting device.

5. The drug solution container of claim 1, characterized in that the closure portion comprises an occlusion plug that blocks the opening at a first position and exposes the opening at a second position, and a retaining member that maintains the occlusion plug at the first position, wherein the occlusion plug moves from the first position to the second position when subjected to an external pressing force, and the retaining member moves the occlusion plug from the second position to the first position when the external pressing force on the occlusion plug is released.

6. The liquid medicine container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container body is formed of a first bottle for storing a first liquid medicine and a second bottle for storing a second liquid medicine.

7. The drug solution container described in claim 6, characterized in that the opening comprises a first opening formed in the first bottle and a second opening formed in the second bottle, and the blocking plug simultaneously blocks the first opening and the second opening.

8. The drug solution container according to claim 7, characterized in that the occluding plug is provided in a recess formed by the first bottle and the second bottle, and the occluding plug moves inside the recess.

9. The drug solution container according to claim 8, wherein the occluding plug moves along a direction perpendicular to the first end face of the body.

10. The liquid medicine container according to claim 6, further comprising a connecting member for connecting the first bottle and the second bottle.

11. A cleaning and disinfecting apparatus comprising: a container body for storing a first chemical liquid and a second chemical liquid; an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid; a partition portion disposed in the container body and separating the container body into a first chemical storage portion in which the first chemical liquid is stored and a second chemical storage portion in which the second chemical liquid is stored; and a chemical liquid container installation portion for installing a chemical liquid container, the chemical liquid container comprising: a partition portion that is disposed in the container body and separates the first chemical liquid from a second chemical storage portion in which the second chemical liquid is stored; and a capping member that comes into contact with the capping portion of the chemical liquid container installed in the chemical liquid container installation portion and opens the capping portion; wherein the capping member opens the capping portion at two points, thereby discharging the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid from the opening.

12. The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus described in claim 11, characterized in that the opening member is a blade portion that breaks the closure portion and the partition portion to open the chemical solution container when the tray on which the chemical solution container is placed is closed in the container placement portion, and the blade portion has a V-shaped notch in the center of the tip.

13. The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cap-opening member is provided at its tip with an air supply member for increasing the speed at which the liquid is discharged from the chemical container.

14. The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cap-opening member has a saw blade at its tip.

15. A cleaning and disinfecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cap-opening member has a spiral grooved blade on its outer periphery.

16. A method of opening a liquid medicine container comprising: a container body for storing a first liquid medicine and a second liquid medicine; an opening provided in the container body for discharging the first liquid medicine and the second liquid medicine; a partition wall disposed at the opening of the container body and separating the container body into a first liquid medicine storage section in which the first liquid medicine is stored and a second liquid medicine storage section in which the second liquid medicine is stored; and a closure section that fits tightly against the partition wall and seals the first liquid medicine storage section and the second liquid medicine storage section, the method comprising: placing the liquid medicine container on a tray that guides the container to an opening member that presses against the closure section of the liquid medicine container to open the closure section; and pushing the tray in to press the closure section of the liquid medicine container against the opening member to open the closure section.

17. The method for unplugging according to claim 16, wherein two locations of the closure are unplugged to allow the first chemical solution and the second chemical solution to be discharged from the opening.

18. A method for opening a cap as described in claim 16, characterized in that the blocking plug is moved from a first position to a second position by pressing, the opening is opened, the opening is connected to a pipeline leading to a chemical tank of a cleaning and disinfecting device, and the chemical liquid stored in the chemical container is caused to flow out from the opening of the chemical container into the chemical tank.

19. The method for removing a cap according to claim 16, wherein the opening of the liquid medicine container is sealed again as the pressure on the occluding plug is removed.

20. The method for removing a cap described in claim 18, characterized in that the opening of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus provided on the side of the cleaning and disinfecting apparatus and the opening of the chemical solution container are aligned and communicate with each other.

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