Device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods and methods and program products for use therein

• US 10,117,957 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Getinge Sterilization AB (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Getinge Sterilization AB (Getinge AB)
• Inventors: Ljungstrom, Hanna, Norlin, Per
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Regina M
• Application Number:
  US15/026,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20160250369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0005 for pharmaceuticals, biologicals or living parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2644 Sterilizer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45169 Medical, rontgen, x ray
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A method performed by a device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods in order to guide a user of the device (100) through a process of operating the device (100) is provided. The device (100) comprises at least one display (130) for displaying a predetermined number of graphical interactive user interface objects (310A-420A, 310B-420B) and a chamber (140) for receiving said goods. The device (100) detects a current first process state of the device (100), and indicates on the display (130) a first set of said graphical interactive user interface objects (310A) associated with the detected current first process state visually differentiated from the other graphical interactive user interface objects of said graphical interactive user interface objects (320A-420A, 310B-420B), with which first set of graphical interactive user interface objects (310A) the user interacts in order to cause the process of operating the device (100) to change from the detected current first process state to a second process state. A device (110) for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods configured to guide a user of the device (100) through a process of operating the device (100), and a computer program product for guiding a user of a device (100) for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods through a process of operating the device (100), are also provided.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods in order to guide a user of the device through a process of operating the device, the device comprising at least one display for displaying a predetermined number of graphical interactive user interface objects and a chamber for receiving said goods, the method comprising:

detecting a current first process state of the device;

indicating permitted ways of operating the device in the detected current first process state to the user by indicating on the at least one display a first set of graphical interactive user interface objects, the first set of graphical interactive user interface objects being associated with the detected current first process state and being visually differentiated on the at least one display from other graphical interactive user interface objects not associated with the detected current first process state, wherein the user interacts with the first set of graphical interactive user interface objects to cause the process of operating the device to change from the detected current first process state to a second process state;

detecting that the process of operating the device has changed to the second process state; and

in response to said change, indicating permitted ways of operating the device in the detected second process state to the user by indicating on the at least one display a second set of graphical interactive user interface objects, the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects being associated with the detected second process state and visually differentiated from other graphical interactive user interface objects not associated with the detected second process state, wherein the user interacts with the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects to cause the process of operating the device to change from the detected second process state to a further process state;

wherein the detecting is performed by the device in response to a user interaction with the device via the first and/or the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects, respectively, and/or in response to a detected change in the operation of the device by the device itself; and

wherein the first set of graphical interactive user interface objects and the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects are at least partially different.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects are visually differentiated from the other graphical interactive user interface objects during the detected first process state and the detected second process state, respectively, by one or more of the following:

displaying versus not displaying;

coloring versus non-coloring;

a first coloring versus at least one second coloring;

a first display intensity versus a second display intensity;

frames versus no frames; and

/or

a first font versus at least one second font.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second set of graphical interactive user interface objects are visually differentiated from the other graphical interactive user interface objects during the detected first process state and the detected second process state, respectively, by at least partly having a blue color.

4. The method according to claim 1:

wherein the graphical interactive user interface objects include a door open user interface object, the device being configured to open a door in response to the user interacting with the door open user interface object;

the method comprising;

performing a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process in response to a user input selecting one of said first set of graphical interactive user interface objects;

during said washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process, suppressing the door open user interface object, and thereby preventing opening of the door;

after the washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process is complete, emphasizing the door open user interface object.

5. The method according to claim 1:

wherein the at least one display comprises a touch screen;

the method comprising;

receiving a user interaction with a graphical interactive user interface object which is suppressed, the user interaction being via the touch screen; and

the device ignoring the user interaction, and maintaining a same operating state of the device before and after the user interaction with the graphical interactive user interface object which is suppressed.

6. A device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods,

wherein the device is configured to perform the method according to claim 1;

the device comprising;

said at least one display for displaying a predetermined number of graphical interactive user interface objects;

said chamber for receiving said goods;

an openable door associated with the chamber; and

processing circuitry and computer executable instructions configured to cause the device to perform the method according to claim 1.

7. A method performed by a device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods in order to guide a user of the device through a plurality of process states during operation of the device, comprising:

displaying on a display screen of the device a plurality of graphical interactive user interface objects associated with the operation of the device;

detecting a first process state of the device;

emphasizing, on the display screen by differential displaying, graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and suppressing graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state;

receiving a user input selecting one of the plurality of graphical interactive user interface objects associated with the detected first current process state;

in response to said receiving the user input, transitioning the device from the first process state to a second process state; and

emphasizing, on the display screen by differential displaying, graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the second process state, and suppressing graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the second current process state;

wherein the first process state and second process state are different operational states of the device with respect to a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process of the device; and

wherein the graphical interactive user interface objects associated with the first process state and the graphical interactive user interface objects associated with the second process state are at least partially different.

8. The method according to claim 7:

wherein graphical user interface objects which are suppressed are inactive with respect to controlling the device;

the method comprising receiving a user interaction with a graphical interactive user interface object which is suppressed, the device ignoring the interaction, and maintaining a same operating state of the device before and after the interaction with the graphical interactive user interface object which is suppressed.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the display screen comprises a touch screen, and wherein the user input is received via the touch screen.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein emphasizing the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and suppressing the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state, includes one or more of:

displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and not displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state;

coloring the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state in grayscale;

displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state in a first coloring, and displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state in at least one second coloring;

displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state in a first display intensity, and displaying the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state in a lower second display intensity;

framing the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and not framing the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state; and

/or

using a first font for the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state, and using at least one different second font for the graphical interactive user interface objects that are not associated with the first process state.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein emphasizing the graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the first process state comprises highlighting at least part of the graphical interactive user interface objects in a blue color.

12. The method according to claim 7:

wherein the plurality of graphical interactive user interface objects include a plurality of user interface objects for washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing processes of the device which are emphasized on the display screen in the first process state;

receiving a user interaction with one of the user interface objects for washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing processes of the device during the first process state and, in response, initiating the second process state, the second process state including;

performing a selected washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process; and

emphasizing, on the display screen, graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the second process state, and suppressing graphical interactive user interface objects for actions which are not appropriate during the selected washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilization process.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising entering a third process state in response to completion of the washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process;

and

emphasizing, on the display screen, graphical interactive user interface objects that are associated with the third process state, and suppressing graphical interactive user interface objects not associated with the third process state;

wherein the graphical interactive user interface objects associated with the second process state and the third process state are at least partially different.

14. The method according to claim 7:

wherein the plurality of graphical interactive user interface objects on the display screen includes a door open user interface object, the device being configured to open a door in response to the user interacting with the door open user interface object;

the method comprising;

performing a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process in response to a user input selecting one of said plurality of graphical interactive user interface objects;

during said washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process, suppressing the door open user interface object, and thereby preventing opening of the door;

after the washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process is complete, emphasizing the door open user interface object.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising after the washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process is complete, opening the door in response to a user interaction with the door open user interface object.

16. The method of claim 7, comprising:

detecting that a door of the device is open and, in response, suppressing at least one graphical interactive user interface object for initiating a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process to prevent said processes while the door is open.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first process state and the second process state comprises washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing at least one of medical, dental, laboratory, or pharmaceutical goods.

18. The method of claim 7, comprising:

displaying and emphasizing a graphical interactive user interface object for a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process; and

then

receiving user interaction with the graphical interactive user interface object for a washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process and, in response, displaying at least one of a temperature and a time for a corresponding washing, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing process.

19. A device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods according to claim 7,

wherein the device is configured to perform the method according to claim 7;

the device comprising;

said display screen;

a chamber for receiving said goods;

a door; and

processing circuitry and computer executable instructions configured to cause the device to perform the method according to claim 7.

20. A device for washing, disinfecting and/or sterilizing medical, dental, laboratory and/or pharmaceutical goods,

wherein the device is configured to perform the method according to claim 14;

the device comprising;

said display screen for displaying a predetermined number of graphical interactive user interface objects;

a chamber for receiving said goods; and

said door; and

processing circuitry and computer executable instructions configured to cause the device to perform the method according to claim 14.