Medical Reprocessing Unit With Unpressurized Intermediate Tank Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reprocessing units for medical devices face challenges in accurately dosing incompatible cleaning and disinfecting agents, leading to dosing inaccuracies and potential contamination due to pressure fluctuations and backflow, while also requiring incomplete emptying of storage containers to avoid air intake.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an unpressurized intermediate tank between storage and processing devices, which creates a hydraulic separation, preventing pressure-induced dosing errors and allowing for efficient mixing of agents, and ensures complete emptying of storage containers without air intake.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If storage containers are fed directly to processing devices without intermediate tanks, then the system structure is simple, but dosing accuracy deteriorates due to pressure fluctuations and backflow
Solution Approach 1:
An unpressurized intermediate tank is introduced between the storage container and processing devices as a mediator. This intermediate tank receives liquid components from storage containers and supplies them to processing devices, isolating the storage container from pressure fluctuations and backflow effects, thereby ensuring accurate dosing without requiring complex pressure control systems throughout the entire system.
2Loss of substance
If storage containers are emptied completely, then waste is minimized, but air intake occurs causing dosing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The unpressurized intermediate tank serves as a buffer between the storage container and processing devices. It allows the storage container to be emptied completely without causing air intake into the dosing system, as the intermediate tank maintains a liquid seal and prevents air from entering the suction line of the dosing pump, thus eliminating dosing errors while minimizing waste.
3Volume of stationary object
If multiple incompatible cleaning agents are stored in the same container, then storage space is efficient, but contamination occurs during mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments incompatible cleaning agents into separate storage containers, preventing direct contact and contamination. Each incompatible agent is stored in its own dedicated container, and the intermediate tanks enable separate dosing of these agents into processing devices without mixing them in storage, thus maintaining storage efficiency while preventing contamination.
4Productivity
If pressure is applied to storage containers for dosing, then dosing speed increases, but dosing accuracy deteriorates due to pressure fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The unpressurized intermediate tank acts as a mediator that decouples the dosing speed from pressure application. Liquid components can be transferred to the intermediate tank under pressure for rapid filling, but during the actual dosing process, the intermediate tank provides a constant head pressure without fluctuations, ensuring accurate dosing speeds while maintaining dosing precision.
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 solution enhances dosing accuracy, prevents contamination, and allows for uninterrupted operation with minimal waste by ensuring complete emptying of storage containers, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of the reprocessing process.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one intermediate tank is designed to be unpressurized, so that it causes a hydraulic separation of the at least one storage tank from the at least two processing devices
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a reprocessing unit for medical devices, comprising at least two reprocessing devices for medical devices, wherein each reprocessing device is assigned a dosing device with at least one storage container (17, 18, 19) and at least one dosing pump (14, 15, 16) for dosing liquid components into the at least one storage container (17, 18, 19) of the reprocessing device, and wherein the reprocessing devices are fed from storage containers (1, 2).According to the invention, at least one intermediate container (9) is provided between the storage container (1, 2) and the at least two processing devices, which is supplied with at least one liquid component from at least one storage container (1, 2) and from which the feed containers (17, 18, 19) of the processing devices are supplied, wherein the at least one intermediate container (9) is designed to be unpressurized, so that it causes a hydraulic separation of the at least one storage container (1, 2) from the at least two processing devices.