Antimicrobial Surgical Instrument Container with Plasma-Activated Copper Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments, such as flexible endoscopes, face the risk of recontamination during transport and storage due to exposure to dirt and microorganisms, posing a health risk to patients, and current manual disinfection methods are time-consuming, prone to errors, and can damage equipment.
Innovation Solution
A container with antimicrobial surfaces, treated with plasma activation and coated with copper or silver, which prevents contamination by creating a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface that inhibits microbial adherence, eliminating the need for manual disinfection and reducing recontamination risks during transport and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cleaning and disinfection of storage cabinets and transport containers is performed, then recontamination of surgical instruments is prevented, but the process is time-consuming, prone to errors, and requires aggressive chemicals that pose health risks and may damage equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-equipped with an antimicrobial surface coating during manufacturing, so the protective function is already in place before use. This eliminates the need for repeated manual disinfection actions, saving time while maintaining reliable prevention of recontamination throughout the container's service life
Solution Approach 2:
The antimicrobial coating enables the container surface to protect itself against microbial contamination without requiring external intervention. The surface actively prevents microbial adhesion and growth through its inherent properties, making the container self-protecting and eliminating the need for manual disinfection services
2Reliability
If aggressive chemicals are used for manual disinfection, then proper disinfection of storage cabinets and transport containers is achieved, but health risks to medical personnel and damage to equipment occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical-based manual disinfection system with a physical/chemical coating system applied during manufacturing. The antimicrobial coating provides disinfection functionality through its material properties rather than requiring aggressive chemical agents, thereby eliminating health risks and equipment damage while maintaining disinfection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The container surface is modified by applying an antimicrobial coating that changes the surface properties to be inherently resistant to microbial contamination. This parameter change in surface characteristics provides continuous protection without requiring aggressive chemicals, thus maintaining disinfection reliability while eliminating harmful effects
3Reliability
If manual cleaning and disinfection tasks are performed regularly, then storage cabinets and transport containers are disinfected, but the task is time-consuming and prone to mistakes that may lead to recontamination
Solution Approach 1:
The antimicrobial coating is applied during container manufacturing, preparing the surface in advance to provide continuous protection. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated manual disinfection tasks, improving productivity while ensuring consistent disinfection quality without human error
Solution Approach 2:
The container with antimicrobial coating performs its own disinfection function through the inherent properties of the coating. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual intervention, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining reliable disinfection quality without the risk of human mistakes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The antimicrobial surfaces effectively prevent recontamination of surgical instruments, ensuring their sterility throughout the reprocessing cycle, reducing health risks and operational challenges associated with manual disinfection, while being cost-effective and easy to maintain.
Implementation Method 1
The antimicrobial surface can be a hydrophilic surface or a hydrophobic surface. A hydrophobic surface can prevent the adherence of dirt.
Implementation Method 2
A hydrophilic surface does not prevent the adherence of dirt directly. However, such a surface can still be useful in hygienic applications as the cleaning can be facilitated by the hydrophilic character of the surfaces.
Implementation Method 3
The antimicrobial surface can be a plasma activated surface. For example, by treating the inner surface with plasma activation, a hydrophilic surface or a hydrophobic surface can be achieved.
Implementation Method 4
The antimicrobial coating can comprise copper and/or silver, wherein the antimicrobial coating can be applied by chemical vapor deposition and/or physical vapor deposition.
Data Source
AI summary
A container for one or more of storing and transporting a disinfected surgical instrument. The container including at least one wall having an inner surface defining a storage space for accommodating the surgical instrument. At least a portion of the inner surface is an antimicrobial surface.