Devices, systems and methods for treating medical devices having passageways with ozone gas

• US 10,232,072 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SoClean, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SoClean, Inc.
• Inventors: Leyva, Timothy, Olszta, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spamer, Donald R
• Application Number:
  US15/873,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20180140730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/202 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/11 Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0216 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/10 Equipment for cleaning

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally related to devices, methods and systems for cleaning, disinfecting and/or sterilizing a medical device, medical hoses and tubes and accessories thereof with ozone gas, in particular the disclosure relates to devices, methods and systems with multiple receptacles for providing closed-loop fluid pathways to distribute ozone gas to inner passageways and the outer compartments of medical devices. The devices in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure have two or more receptacles for distributing ozone gas, a gas-tight compartment, an ozone operating system, and one or more connector units configured to fluidly migrate ozone in closed-loop treatment systems.

Claims

1. An ozone treatment system, comprising:

an ozone operating system configured to fluidly couple to a proximal end of an ozone conveyance line, said ozone conveyance line further comprising a distal end; and

a gas tight compartment comprising;

a lid and base comprising a plurality of walls, wherein said lid is movable between an open and a closed position, and said lid and said plurality of walls define a cavity when said lid is in a closed position; and

a receptacle configured to receive and engage with an intermediate portion of said ozone conveyance line, wherein said intermediate portion is between said proximal end and said distal end of said ozone conveyance line;

wherein;

said receptacle is at least partially defined by at least one of said plurality of walls and said lid; and

said ozone operating system is configured to generate ozone gas for conveyance to said cavity of said gas tight compartment by said ozone conveyance line.

2. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein said receptacle is at least partially defined by said lid and one of said plurality of walls.

3. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein:

said lid is coupled to said base;

at least one of said plurality of walls comprises both a lid sealing surface and a conveyance line sealing surface; and

said receptacle is defined at least in part by said conveyance line sealing surface.

4. The ozone treatment system of claim 3, wherein when said lid is in said closed position:

a first portion of said lid engages said lid sealing surface; and

a second portion of said lid defines at least a portion of said receptacle.

5. The ozone treatment system of claim 4, wherein the second portion of said lid and said lid sealing surface form a seal with said intermediate portion of said ozone conveyance line.

6. The ozone treatment system of claim 3, wherein:

said lid further comprises a sealing element; and

when said lid is in said closed position;

a first portion of said lid engages said lid sealing surface; and

said sealing element engages at least a portion of said intermediate portion of said ozone conveyance line, such that said receptacle is at least partially defined by said conveyance line sealing surface and said sealing element.

7. The ozone treatment system of claim 6, wherein said sealing element extends from a downward facing side of said lid when said lid is in said closed position.

8. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein:

said receptacle defines a passageway into the cavity of said gas tight compartment;

the distal end of said ozone conveyance line is larger than said passageway.

9. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein said ozone conveyance line is a hose of a medical instrument.

10. The ozone treatment system of claim 9, wherein said hose is a hose of a continuous positive airway pressure device.

11. The ozone treatment system of claim 9, further comprising a mask coupled to the distal end of said hose.

12. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust port fluidly coupled to said gas tight compartment, wherein the exhaust port is to exhaust ozone gas from said cavity.

13. The ozone treatment system of claim 12, further comprising an oxidizing catalyst downstream of said exhaust port, wherein said oxidizing catalyst is configured to break down ozone gas.

14. The ozone treatment system of claim 13, wherein said oxidizing catalyst comprises magnesium oxide.

15. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, further comprising an ozone sensor within said cavity.

16. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein said gas tight compartment is integral with said ozone operating system.

17. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, wherein said ozone operating system and said gas tight compartment are coupled to said base such that a position of the ozone operating system is fixed relative to a position of the gas tight compartment.

18. The ozone treatment system of claim 1, further comprising an air pump fluidly coupled to the ozone operating system.