Thermal Treatment System Instrument Rack and Method of Selectively Thermally Treating Medical Instrument Portions

• US 20100200561A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microtek Medical Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Faries, Durward I. JR., Heymann, Bruce R., Hendrix, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,153,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/385
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/105 Cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/22 Racks

Abstract

A system according to the present invention includes a cabinet, a basin positioned within the cabinet to contain and thermally treat a liquid bath, and a rack or tray disposed on the cabinet that supports exposed scope optics above the liquid bath within the basin. The scope optics resides outside of the bath in a dry state, thereby permitting the remaining scope portions within the bath to be thermally treated. This enables accurate temperature warming of the scope to reduce trauma of tissue and retrieval of enhanced images by the scope during a medical procedure. The present invention permits medical personnel or operating room staff to warm scopes in a controlled environment while maintaining scope optics in a dry state.

Claims

1. In a thermal treatment system including a housing with a top surface and a basin recessed within said housing top surface to contain and thermally treat a sterile medium, a rack for supporting an object in the form of a medical instrument within said basin comprising:

an elongated bar member including;

a first end portion configured to engage said housing;

a second end portion configured to engage said housing; and

an intermediate portion including at least one recess defined within said elongated bar member to form at least one receptacle supported by said bar member above a basin floor and within an upper portion of said basin, wherein said at least one receptacle is configured to removably engage and elevate a portion of said object above the basin floor and said sterile medium to maintain the elevated portion in a dry state.

2. The rack of claim 1, wherein each of said end portions includes a generally U-shaped engagement member configured to engage said housing top surface.

3. The rack of claim 1, wherein said intermediate portion includes a series of alternating peaks and said at least one recess, and wherein said at least one recess forms said at least one receptacle.

4. The rack of claim 1, wherein said object includes a scope with an optics unit.