Separator Unit for Endoscope Conduit Clogging Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope cleaning and disinfecting technologies face challenges in detecting clogging in air and water feeding conduits due to simultaneous flow of liquids, which prevents accurate detection of conduit blockages using flow rate sensors.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning auxiliary tool with a separator unit that includes a partition plate and elastic members, which partitions the air and water feeding conduits and deforms to close gaps when pressure differences occur, allowing for detection of clogging by flow rate sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a separator is provided to separate the air feeding conduit and water feeding conduit passages in the cylinder, then clogging detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator divides the cylinder's internal space into separate regions for the air feeding conduit and water feeding conduit. By partitioning the conduit passages within the cylinder, the separator enables independent flow paths that allow flow rate sensors to detect clogging in each conduit separately, thus improving measurement precision without requiring complex external detection systems
Solution Approach 2:
The separator acts as an intermediary structure between the air feeding conduit and water feeding conduit. This intermediate partition wall physically separates the two fluid paths while maintaining the compact cylinder structure, enabling accurate clogging detection through simplified flow rate measurement in each separated passage
2Measurement precision
If the separator separates the air and water conduit passages completely, then clogging detection accuracy is improved, but the cleaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The separator provides localized separation only in the regions where the air and water conduit passages are positioned, while maintaining open flow paths for cleaning fluids to access all necessary surfaces. The partition is strategically placed to separate conduit openings without creating complete isolation, thus enabling clogging detection while preserving cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The separator implements partial separation of the conduit passages rather than complete isolation. This partial partitioning is sufficient to enable flow rate sensors to detect clogging accurately, while leaving adequate space for cleaning fluids to flow freely and maintain proper cleaning performance throughout the cylinder
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
Enables effective detection of clogging in each conduit, ensuring thorough cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope's inner components by isolating and identifying blockages within the conduits.
Implementation Method 1
a close contact portion that is arranged on an outer circumferential side of the partition portion, is spaced apart from the inner wall of the bottomed cylinder by the predetermined distance when an internal pressure on the side of the first conduit corresponds to an internal pressure on the side of the second conduit, is deformed by receiving the internal pressure on the side of the first conduit and comes in close contact with the inner wall of the bottomed cylinder when the internal pressure on the side of the first conduit becomes higher than the internal pressure on the side of the second conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A separator unit is a cleaning auxiliary tool to be inserted into an air/water feeding cylinder. The separator unit includes a partition plate for partitioning an air feeding conduit side and a water feeding conduit side, and two elastic members in an air/water feeding cylinder. The two elastic members are arranged at an outer circumferential side of the partition plate. When an internal pressure on the air feeding conduit side corresponds to an internal pressure on the water feeding conduit side, the elastic members are spaced apart from an inner wall of the air/water feeding cylinder by a predetermined distance, and when one of the internal pressures on the air feeding conduit and the water feeding conduit becomes higher than the other, one of the elastic members is deformed by receiving the higher internal pressure and comes in close contact with the inner wall of the air/water feeding cylinder.