Cleaning Machine Rack Transfer with Lift and Position Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual handling of medical devices in cleaning machines reduces efficiency, increases labor costs, and causes contamination in the cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
An automatic transport device with a lifting-lowering assembly, translation assembly, and sensing systems for precise positioning and transfer of medical device racks to a transport platform, eliminating the need for manual handling and reducing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling of medical devices is used to load and unload cleaning carts, then labor flexibility is maintained, but cleaning efficiency decreases and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service operation where the cleaning machine autonomously completes the entire cleaning process including automatic water supply, drainage, heating, and timing control without requiring manual intervention during the cleaning cycle, thereby improving efficiency while reducing ongoing labor requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The control system pre-configures cleaning parameters, water supply timing, heating cycles, and drainage schedules before the cleaning process begins, allowing the system to execute the complete cleaning sequence automatically without real-time manual operation, thus resolving the contradiction between automation and efficiency
2Reliability
If frequent manual ingress and egress occurs to handle cleaning carts, then loading and unloading flexibility is maintained, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the cleaning cart loading and unloading operations from the clean cleaning chamber environment, performing these operations externally through automatic mechanisms that minimize openings of the cleaning chamber door, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining operational capability
Solution Approach 2:
An automatic transfer mechanism serves as an intermediary between the external environment and the clean cleaning chamber, enabling cart loading and unloading without direct manual entry into the chamber, thus maintaining contamination prevention while preserving operational flexibility through automated mediation
3Productivity
If multiple medical instruments are treated simultaneously on cleaning carts, then processing capacity increases, but manual handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the handling of multiple instruments by using standardized cleaning carts that can accommodate various instrument types, allowing parallel processing of multiple batches while the automatic control system manages each cart independently, thus increasing processing capacity without proportionally increasing handling complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning machine and control system are designed with universal functionality to handle multiple different types of medical instruments through standardized cart interfaces and adaptable cleaning parameters, enabling simultaneous treatment of diverse instruments while maintaining manageable operational complexity through unified control
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic transport device for cleaning machines includes a transport base. A lifting-lowering assembly and a tray are provided on the transport base. The tray is connected to the transport base through the lifting-lowering assembly, and can be driven by the lifting-lowering assembly to reciprocate in a height direction. A top surface of the tray is provided with a translation assembly for transferring the shelf to the transport platform. A first mounting cavity is provided at each of front and rear ends of the tray. The translation assembly is connected to a side wall of the first mounting cavity. A second mounting cavity is provided at each of right and left ends of the tray. The second mounting cavity is provided with a limiting assembly, a lifting-lowering sensing assembly and a distance sensing assembly. An interactive system is provided in the transport base.