Low-Temperature Sterilization for Reusable Endoscope Turnaround
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sterilization methods for medical equipment, particularly endoscopes, face challenges due to their unique structure and material composition, leading to ineffective disinfection, health risks from carcinogenic chemicals, high operational costs, and prolonged equipment unavailability for reuse.
Innovation Solution
A low-temperature sterilization device and method that uses a combination of techniques including ultrasonic waves, chemical agents, ozone, ultraviolet light, and photocatalysts to enhance the disinfection and sterilization of contaminated reusable medical equipment, and photocatalysts to enhance the disinfection and sterilization of contaminated reusable medical equipment, utilizing slightly acidic electrolyzed water, ultrasonic waves, ultraviolet light, and photocatalysts to achieve thorough disinfection and sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature steam sterilization is used, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but it is not suitable for endoscopes due to their unique structure and material composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature steam sterilization to low-temperature sterilization (using chemical sterilants at lower temperatures), making the process suitable for heat-sensitive endoscope materials while maintaining sterilization effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical steam sterilization system with a chemical sterilization system using sterilant solutions, which can penetrate the complex structure of endoscopes without requiring high temperature and pressure
2Temperature
If ethylene oxide gas sterilization is used, then low-temperature sterilization of endoscopes is achieved, but health risks and environmental hazards increase due to carcinogenic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the harmful ethylene oxide gas and replaces it with safer chemical sterilants that achieve the same low-temperature sterilization effect without carcinogenic properties, converting a harmful process into a safe one
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses chemical sterilant solutions that can be easily disposed of after use, replacing the need for lengthy aeration processes required by ethylene oxide sterilization
3Reliability
If ethylene oxide gas sterilization is used, then sterilization is achieved, but time costs and equipment unavailability increase due to required aeration periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the time-consuming aeration step from the sterilization process by using chemical sterilants that do not require extended aeration periods, allowing equipment to be reused much sooner
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates automatic cleaning functions before sterilization to ensure thorough preparation, eliminating the need for prolonged aeration time afterward and enabling faster equipment turnover
4Ease of manufacture
If manual cleaning is required before sterilization, then cleaning can be performed, but labor costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates automatic cleaning functions within the sterilization device itself, allowing the system to clean and sterilize equipment without manual intervention, reducing labor costs and operational complexity
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 device achieves efficient, low-temperature disinfection and sterilization of medical equipment, reducing labor and time requirements, minimizing health and environmental risks, and ensuring rapid reuse of equipment.
Implementation Method 1
The ultrasonic device is utilized to detach the adhered contaminants, bacteria and virus from the contaminated medical equipment through ultrasonic vibrations
Implementation Method 2
The ultraviolet light device is utilized for disinfecting and sterilizing the contaminated medical equipment through ultraviolet light irradiation
Implementation Method 3
The low-temperature sterilization device and method utilizes slightly acidic electrolyzed water, ultrasonic waves, ultraviolet light, and photocatalysts to enhance the disinfection and sterilization effect
Data Source
AI summary
A low-temperature sterilization device and a method thereof, which are used to decontaminate various medical equipment. The low-temperature sterilization device is designed to automatically clean, disinfect and sterilize contaminated medical equipment by applying ultrasonic waves, ultraviolet rays and ozone, along with super oxidant or sterilant in aqueous solutions to achieve rapid and high quality cleaning, desorption, destruction and decontamination reactions to remove all adhering pollutants, microorganisms, bacteria and viruses from all crevices, pores and corners of contaminated medical equipment, thus, to ensuring sterilization for medical equipment especially for those do not sustain high temperature sterilization.