Medical equipment washer system and method

• US 20080190460A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STAT Medical Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: STAT Medical Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Berklund, Thomas R., Roepke, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method of cleaning and/or disinfecting medical equipment. A medical equipment washer system can include an enclosure that receives and substantially surrounds the medical equipment and one or more spray assemblies positioned inside the enclosure. The spray assemblies can automatically emit fluid to clean and/or disinfect the medical equipment. In some embodiments, spray arms of the spray assemblies can oscillate while jets emit fluid.

Claims

1. A medical equipment washer for at least one of cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment, the medical equipment washer comprising:

an enclosure that receives and substantially surrounds the medical equipment; and

at least one spray assembly positioned inside the enclosure, the at least one spray assembly automatically emitting fluid to at least one of clean and disinfect the medical equipment.

2. The washer of claim 1 wherein the at least one spray assembly includes at least one spray arm, the at least one spray arm including a plurality of jets, the at least one spray arm oscillating while emitting fluid.

3. The washer of claim 2 wherein the at least one spray arm oscillates about a swivel joint including at least one annular groove that reduces water pressure on at least one seal.

4. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising at least one secondary tank.

5. The washer of claim 4 wherein the medical equipment washer automatically performs a wash cycle while substantially simultaneously filling the at least one secondary tank for a subsequent wash cycle.

6. The washer of claim 1 wherein the medical equipment includes at least one of a stretcher, an intravenous pole, a bed, a wheelchair, a linen cart, a biological hazard cart, and a cushion.

7. The washer of claim 1 wherein the medical equipment washer at least one of cleans and disinfects up to about ten stretchers per hour or up to about 50 intravenous poles per hour.

8. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a control system including memory, the memory storing a running log for each piece of medical equipment documenting at least one of an equipment identification, a personnel name, an equipment location, a wash time, and a wash date.

9. The washer of claim 8 wherein the control system and the memory interface with hospital certification and compliance software.

10. The washer of claim 8 and further comprising a code reader to read codes placed on pieces of medical equipment, the control system accessing the memory to determine whether the pieces of medical equipment have been recently sanitized or require washing.

11. The washer of claim 10 wherein the code reader is at least one of portable, hand-held, and wireless.

12. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising at least one equipment rack positioned inside of the enclosure to support the medical equipment.

13. The washer of claim 12 wherein the at least one equipment rack supports a plurality of intravenous poles.

14. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a tank washing apparatus coupled to a ceiling of the enclosure.

15. The washer of claim 14 wherein the tank washing apparatus rotates up to about 360 degrees.

16. The washer of claim 14 wherein the tank washing apparatus washes at least one of a biohazard cart and a linen cart.

17. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a control system that performs a self-cleaning cycle.

18. The washer of claim 17 wherein the control system performs the self-cleaning cycle when the washer is shut down each day.

19. The washer of claim 1 wherein the fluid emitted by the at least one spray assembly is non-sterile water mixed with additives.

20. The washer of claim 19 wherein the non-sterile water is obtained from a military field hospital or a natural disaster site.

21. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a control system that operates a cycle to only disinfect medical equipment.

22. The washer of claim 1 wherein the washer disinfects medical equipment that is contaminated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

23. The washer of claim 1 wherein the at least one spray assembly includes at least one corner-mounted spray arm.

24. The washer of claim 23 wherein the at least one corner-mounted spray arm emits fluid toward an end of a stretcher.

25. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising at least one ramp coupled to the enclosure.

26. The washer of claim 25 wherein the at least one ramp is curved to allow loading of a stretcher without damaging a hydraulic under carriage.

27. The washer of claim 1 wherein the enclosure includes a first door opening on a first end and a second door opening on a second end so that medical equipment can be moved in a single direction through the enclosure.

28. The washer of claim 27 and further comprising a control panel centrally located between the first door opening and the second door opening.

29. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a control system that operates to continuously fill at least one secondary tank and operates a rapid drain cycle to at least one of decrease cycle times and increase the number of cycles per hour.

30. The washer of claim 1 wherein the enclosure and the at least one spray assembly are constructed of a material including stainless steel.

31. The washer of claim 1 wherein the enclosure has a maximum width of about four feet in order to fit through a standard hospital door.

32. The washer of claim 1 and further comprising a filtration system having a filtration surface area greater than about two square feet.

33. The washer of claim 32 wherein the filtration system has a filtration surface area of at least about 35 square feet.

34. The washer of claim 1 wherein the washer can wash medical equipment from one of a hospital, a public health facility, a military field hospital, emergency medical services, a biological terror event, and a mobile unit.

35. A method of at least one of cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment, the method comprising:

enclosing the medical equipment; and

automatically performing a wash cycle by spraying fluid to at least one of clean and disinfect the medical equipment.

36. The method of claim 35 and further comprising oscillating at least one spray arm and emitting fluid from a plurality of jets.

37. The method of claim 36 and further comprising oscillating the at least one spray arm about a swivel joint and reducing water pressure on at least one seal in the swivel joint.

38. The method of claim 35 and further comprising continuously filling at least one secondary tank during the wash cycle.

39. The method of claim 35 and further comprising automatically performing the wash cycle while substantially simultaneously filling the at least one secondary tank for a subsequent wash cycle.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein the medical equipment includes at least one of a stretcher, an intravenous pole, a bed, a wheelchair, a linen cart, a biological hazard cart, and a cushion.

41. The method of claim 35 and further comprising performing wash cycles for up to about ten stretchers per hour or up to about 50 intravenous poles per hour.

42. The method of claim 35 and further comprising storing a running log for each piece of medical equipment documenting at least one of an equipment identification, a personnel name, an equipment location, a wash time, and a wash date.

43. The method of claim 42 and further comprising interfacing with hospital certification and compliance software.

44. The method of claim 42 and further comprising reading codes placed on pieces of medical equipment, accessing the memory, and determining whether the pieces of medical equipment have been recently sanitized or require washing.

45. The method of claim 44 and further comprising providing a code reader that is at least one of portable, hand-held, and wireless.

46. The method of claim 35 and further comprising positioning at least one equipment rack inside of an enclosure to support the medical equipment.

47. The method of claim 46 and further comprising supporting a plurality of intravenous poles.

48. The method of claim 35 and further comprising spraying fluid from a ceiling of an enclosure.

49. The method of claim 48 and further comprising spraying fluid from the ceiling while rotating a spray head up to about 360 degrees.

50. The method of claim 48 and further comprising spraying fluid from the ceiling to wash at least one of a biohazard cart and a linen cart.

51. The method of claim 35 and further comprising performing a self-cleaning cycle.

52. The method of claim 51 and further comprising performing the self-cleaning cycle when the washer is shut down each day.

53. The method of claim 35 and further comprising mixing non-sterile water with additives and spraying the non-sterile water and additives onto the medical equipment.

54. The method of claim 53 and further comprising obtaining non-sterile water from a military field hospital or a natural disaster site.

55. The method of claim 35 and further comprising operating a cycle to only disinfect medical equipment.

56. The method of claim 35 and further comprising disinfecting medical equipment that is contaminated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

57. The method of claim 35 and further comprising spraying fluid from at least one corner of an enclosure.

58. The method of claim 57 and further comprising spraying fluid from a corner of the enclosure toward an end of a stretcher.

59. The method of claim 35 and further comprising at least one of pushing the medical equipment up a ramp into an enclosure and pushing the medical equipment down a ramp out of the enclosure.

60. The method of claim 59 and further comprising providing at least one curved ramp to allow loading of a stretcher without damaging a hydraulic under carriage.

61. The method of claim 35 and further comprising pushing the medical equipment through a first door opening on a first end of an enclosure and a second door opening on a second end of the enclosure so that medical equipment can be moved in a single direction through the enclosure.

62. The method of claim 35 and further comprising continuously filling at least one secondary tank and operating a rapid drain cycle to at least one of decrease cycle times and increase the number of cycles per hour.

63. The method of claim 35 and further comprising filtering the fluid through a filtration surface area greater than about two square feet.

64. The method of claim 63 and further comprising filtering the fluid through a filtration surface area of at least about 35 square feet.

65. The method of claim 35 and further comprising washing medical equipment from one of a hospital, a public health facility, a military field hospital, emergency medical services, a biological terror event, and a mobile unit.