Endoscope Washer Disinfector Tray Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope washer disinfectors face challenges in achieving high positioning accuracy for the mouth rings of endoscopes relative to fluid supply nozzles, especially when using a tray, leading to inefficiencies and potential contamination spread.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope washer disinfector equipped with bilateral and trilateral positioning members that accurately position the endoscope and tray within the washing disinfecting bath, ensuring precise alignment of mouth rings with supply nozzles, using radial grooves and positioning pins for precise tray and endoscope placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hand connection of tubes to mouth rings is used, then flexibility is maintained, but operator convenience deteriorates due to inconvenient connection work
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic connection of fluid supply nozzles to mouth rings without operator intervention. The positioning members automatically align the nozzle with the mouth ring, and the connection is made autonomously during the washing process, eliminating the need for manual tube connection work.
2Ease of operation
If automatic connection of nozzles to mouth rings is implemented, then operator convenience is improved, but positioning accuracy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Positioning members are introduced as intermediary components between the tray and the endoscope system. These members include positioning protrusions and positioning grooves that mediate the alignment process, ensuring high positioning accuracy without requiring direct precision between all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning system is divided into multiple independent positioning members distributed at different locations. Each positioning member handles a specific aspect of alignment, collectively achieving high overall positioning accuracy through distributed positioning points.
3Manufacturing precision
If endoscope is directly placed in washing disinfecting bath, then positioning accuracy is improved, but contamination spread risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A tray is introduced as an intermediary carrier between the contaminated endoscope and the clean washing environment. The tray contains the endoscope during transport and initial positioning, preventing direct contact between contamination sources and the washing disinfecting bath, thus reducing contamination spread risk while maintaining positioning accuracy through integrated positioning members.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope washer disinfector washes and disinfects an endoscope with a mouth ring communicating with an endoscope duct. The washer disinfector comprises a washing disinfecting bath; a nozzle arranged with the bath, loaded into the mouth ring, and formed to supply fluid to the duct via the mouth ring; a tray on which the endoscope is mounted. In this washer disinfector, a bilateral positioning member positions the endoscope and the tray so that the mouth ring of the endoscope mounted on the tray is located at a given position on the tray; and a trilateral positioning member positions the washing disinfecting bath, the tray, and the endoscope so that, when the tray is loaded into the washing disinfecting bath, the mouth ring of the endoscope positioned at the given position on the tray by the bilateral positioning member is positioned at a position that is across is from the nozzle.