Multi-port cap for reagent container in endoscope reprocessing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope reprocessing systems face challenges in effectively cleaning and disinfecting the working channels of endoscopes due to their complex design, leading to potential contamination and inefficiencies in disinfectant solution management.
Innovation Solution
A reprocessing system with dual stations, each equipped with a decontamination basin, peristaltic pumps for fluid circulation, and a disinfectant concentration measuring subsystem, which ensures thorough cleaning, disinfection, and optimal disinfectant solution reuse or disposal based on concentration levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If disinfectant solution is reused to reduce waste, then loss of substance decreases, but reliability deteriorates due to potential contamination and concentration degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a concentration monitoring subsystem that continuously measures the disinfectant concentration in the reservoir and provides feedback to the control system. When the concentration falls below the threshold, the system automatically triggers a replenishment cycle, ensuring disinfection effectiveness is maintained while maximizing solution reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in disinfectant concentration as a critical parameter and uses this information to determine when to replenish the solution. By tracking concentration parameter changes over time, the system optimizes the balance between solution reuse and maintaining effective disinfection levels.
2Device complexity
If manual cleaning techniques are used, then device complexity decreases, but productivity deteriorates due to inability to effectively clean complex channel structures
Solution Approach 1:
The reprocessing system divides the cleaning task into multiple specialized subsystems: an exterior washing subsystem with spray nozzles, an interior channel flushing subsystem with peristaltic pumps, and a disinfection subsystem. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized for its specific function, effectively handling the complex multi-channel structure of endoscopes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic principles with peristaltic pumps to generate controlled fluid flow through the endoscope channels. The pumps create pressure differentials that drive disinfectant solution through complex internal passages, enabling thorough cleaning of channels that would be inaccessible to manual techniques.
3Device complexity
If disinfectant concentration is not monitored, then device complexity decreases, but measurement precision deteriorates leading to suboptimal disinfection
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual visual inspection or crude measurement methods with an automated optical or electrochemical sensing subsystem. The sensor automatically measures disinfectant concentration in the reservoir, providing precise quantitative data without requiring complex manual intervention, thus achieving high measurement precision with manageable system complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A liquid distribution system is configured to deliver a disinfectant solution to a medical device within an enclosure. A disinfectant concentration measuring subsystem includes a mixing chamber, a reservoir, a reservoir cap, a pump, and a concentration analysis assembly. The first mixing chamber is in fluid communication with an outlet of the liquid distribution system. The reservoir is configured to contain a reagent solution and is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber. The reservoir cap includes a static member, which is configured to couple with a supply conduit and a return conduit; and a rotating member, which is configured to rotate relative to the static member to couple the reservoir cap with the reservoir. The pump is configured to simultaneously pump the disinfectant solution and the reagent solution into the mixing chamber. The concentration analysis assembly is operable to determine a concentration of disinfectant output from the mixing chamber.