Endoscope Reprocessor Lid Bubble Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional endoscope reprocessors face difficulties in effectively cleaning, disinfecting, and rinsing the flat portion of the lid portion due to air bubbles adhering to its surface, which impedes the cleaning process.

Innovation Solution

The endoscope reprocessor incorporates a liquid supply section with a discharge port positioned to oppose the flat portion's side surface, allowing liquid to be discharged directly onto the flat portion and side surface, generating additional air bubbles that collide with and detach the adherent air bubbles, facilitated by a water-supply circulation nozzle and circulation pump to ensure efficient bubble removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If liquid is supplied to immerse the flat portion of the lid portion, then cleaning, disinfecting, and rinsing of the flat portion is achieved, but air bubbles adhere to the flat portion making cleaning difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidair bubble adhesion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes the harmful air bubbles by generating additional air bubbles through the discharge port that collide with and detach the adherent air bubbles from the flat portion, converting the harmful effect of air bubble adhesion into a beneficial cleaning mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs hydraulic principles by using liquid flow from the discharge port to generate air bubbles that interact with adherent air bubbles through collision and buoyancy forces, enabling removal of the harmful air bubbles from the flat portion surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If liquid circulation is used to remove air bubbles, then air bubbles can be detached from the flat portion, but the system requires additional liquid circulation ports and supply sections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair bubble removalVSAvoidliquid circulation system

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid supply section is designed to serve multiple functions: it supplies liquid for cleaning, disinfecting, and rinsing the endoscope, and simultaneously removes air bubbles from the flat portion through its discharge port, eliminating the need for separate air bubble removal systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the air bubble removal function with the existing liquid supply section by positioning the discharge port to oppose the flat portion, combining multiple functions into a single component and simplifying the overall system structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If the discharge port is positioned to oppose the side surface, then liquid can be discharged directly onto the flat portion and side surface, but the discharge port positioning becomes more specific and constrained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning efficiencyVSAvoiddischarge port positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge port is positioned at a specific location on the liquid supply section to discharge liquid locally onto the flat portion and side surface, creating a targeted cleaning action that improves efficiency while the positioning constraints are managed through precise manufacturing of the liquid supply section

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This configuration enables easy removal of air bubbles from the flat portion, ensuring thorough cleaning, disinfecting, and rinsing by utilizing the generated air bubbles to dislodge and separate adherent bubbles, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

move air bubbles from the flat portion toward the convex-shaped groove side with the liquid sent from the liquid supply section by means of a space formed with a plurality of protrusions, the inclined surface, and buoyant force of the air bubbles

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyant force: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS9770164B2Endoscope reprocessor

Publication Date: 2017.09.26 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)

AI summary

An endoscope reprocessor includes an immersion tank, a convex-shaped groove, a lid portion, a liquid supply section, a discharge port as an opening from which the liquid is discharged and which is provided at the liquid supply section, the discharge port being arranged such that a part of the opening is opposed to a side surface of the convex-shaped groove, and a control section that drives the liquid supply section to allow the liquid to be introduced into the immersion tank up to a first water level at which a flat portion of the lid portion is immersed in the liquid, and to allow the liquid to be discharged toward the flat portion and the side surface through the discharge port at the first water level.