Endoscope Repressor Leak Test Conduit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscope cleaning/disinfecting apparatuses fail to accurately measure pressure inside an endoscope during leak tests due to varying cracking pressures of check valves in the air feeding passage.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope reprocessor design featuring a treatment tank, a connector with an on-off valve and a leak tester with a second conduit having higher resistance than the first conduit, preventing liquid from flowing into the gas pump and allowing precise pressure measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a check valve is provided in the air feeding passage to prevent liquid from flowing into the gas pump, then liquid flow prevention is achieved, but pressure measurement accuracy deteriorates due to varying cracking pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The check valve is removed from the air feeding passage and replaced with a high-resistance conduit body in the second conduit. This extraction eliminates the source of measurement error (varying cracking pressures) while maintaining liquid flow prevention through the resistance-based design.
Solution Approach 2:
A high-resistance conduit body is introduced as an intermediary element in the second conduit between the on-off valve and the leak tester. This intermediary prevents liquid flow into the gas pump through resistance rather than mechanical valve action, thereby avoiding interference with pressure measurements.
2Ease of operation
If a check valve is used in the air feeding passage, then liquid flow direction control is achieved, but device complexity increases due to individual valve variations
Solution Approach 1:
The check valve is extracted from the system and replaced with a passive high-resistance conduit body. This eliminates the mechanical complexity and variability associated with individual check valves while maintaining unidirectional flow control through resistance-based design.
Solution Approach 2:
The high-resistance conduit body passively prevents liquid flow without requiring active control or adjustment. The system self-regulates flow direction through the inherent resistance properties of the conduit, eliminating the need for check valve mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the conduit resistance is kept low for efficient air feeding, then air flow efficiency is improved, but liquid flow into the gas pump becomes more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The air feeding system is segmented into two separate conduits with different resistance characteristics. The first conduit maintains low resistance for efficient air feeding, while the second conduit introduces high resistance specifically to prevent liquid flow, allowing both functions to coexist without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
Different resistance properties are applied locally to different conduits based on their specific functions. The first conduit has low resistance optimized for air flow efficiency, while the second conduit has high resistance localized at the critical point where liquid flow prevention is needed, achieving function-specific optimization.
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
Prevents liquid from flowing into the gas pump and enables accurate pressure measurement inside the endoscope during leak tests, ensuring reliable detection of air leaks.
Implementation Method 1
the second conduit including a conduit body having a conduit resistance that is higher than a conduit resistance of a conduit body of the first conduit
Implementation Method 2
a pressure sensor disposed in the leakage detection pipe; and a detection unit. In particular, the detection unit is configured to detect a leakage in the endoscope based on the pressure detected in the leakage detection pipe, measured by the pressure sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
An endoscope reprocessor includes: a treatment tank 11 configured to allow an endoscope E to be disposed inside; a connector 21 including an opening 22 inside the treatment tank 11; a first conduit 31 extending from the connector 21; an on-off valve 41 disposed in the first conduit 31; a leak tester 61; and a second conduit 71 including a conduit body having a conduit resistance that is higher than a conduit resistance of the first conduit 31.