Perforated Sterilization Container for Full Fluid Flow Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container components for medical and dental instruments, such as stainless steel and plastic trays, often fail to ensure thorough cleaning and sterilization due to inadequate fluid flow, leading to potential contamination from deposits in corners and crevices, and may not effectively reach all areas with steam or washing liquid.
Innovation Solution
A container component with a base featuring perforations defined by elliptical walls that widen and narrow, with smoothly rounded internal corners, allowing for efficient fluid flow through the entire area, including longitudinal and transverse perforation walls that intersect to form cruciform shapes, reducing the likelihood of deposits forming and improving the removal of contaminants during cleaning and sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the base has a large flat bottom surface area, then heat storage and evaporation capability is improved, but water flow penetration is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The base is segmented into multiple perforations distributed across the surface, allowing water to penetrate through multiple points simultaneously while maintaining adequate heat storage capacity through the overall base structure
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the base have different properties: the overall base provides heat storage, while specific localized perforations provide water flow penetration pathways
2Ease of manufacture
If the base has sharp internal corners at perforation intersections, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but cleaning effectiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The internal corners at perforation intersections are rounded instead of sharp, eliminating crevices where contaminants can lodge and making the structure easier to clean, while still maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard molding techniques
3Device complexity
If steam flows through a central opening, then steam flow path is simplified, but heating uniformity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The central opening is segmented into multiple smaller perforations distributed across the base, allowing steam to flow through multiple pathways simultaneously and achieving more uniform heat distribution to all areas including corners and edges
Solution Approach 2:
The steam flow is distributed from a two-dimensional plane of multiple perforations rather than a single central point, enabling steam to reach all areas of the container more uniformly
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 container component enables effective cleaning and sterilization by ensuring that cleaning fluids or steam reach all areas, including corners, reducing the risk of contamination and improving the removal of deposits, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the cleaning and sterilization process.
Implementation Method 1
a base, the base having perforations provided over substantially the entire area where the articles are in use located and through which the cleaning fluid can flow
Implementation Method 2
the internal corners are smoothly rounded so that there is no sharp internal angle formed where the longitudinal and transverse perforation walls meet
Implementation Method 3
the use of polypropylene materials capable of withstanding autoclave temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A container for enabling fluid flow therethrough for cleaning or sterilising of the contents, comprises a tray (10) and lid (20) and having respective bases (11, 21) and side walls (17, 27). The bases (11, 21) have perforations (12, 22) defined by elliptically shaped perforation walls (13, 23) with their major axes vertical to allow easy flow of the cleaning fluid through the container and minimum contact points with the contents or other containers. The internal corners (30) of the perforations (12, 22) in horizontal sections are smoothly curved to minimise debris or deposits collecting and resisting removal. A method of cleaning or sterilising using the container is also described.