CONTAINER FOR WASHER OR AUTOCLAVE

• US 20100278689A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas & Laabs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Douglas & Laabs Incorporated
• Inventors: Bean, Douglas Colin
• Granted Patent: US 8,277,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/047 Containers specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/06 using perforated drums in which the article or material is placed B08B3/042 takes precedence

Abstract

A container for enabling fluid flow therethrough for cleaning or sterilising of the contents, comprises a tray (10) and lid (20) and having respective bases (11, 21) and side walls (17, 27). The bases (11, 21) have perforations (12, 22) defined by elliptically shaped perforation walls (13, 23) with their major axes vertical to allow easy flow of the cleaning fluid through the container and minimum contact points with the contents or other containers. The internal corners (30) of the perforations (12, 22) in horizontal sections are smoothly curved to minimise debris or deposits collecting and resisting removal. A method of cleaning or sterilising using the container is also described.

Claims

1. A container component for enabling cleaning of articles located within the container component by fluid flow through the component, comprising a base, the base having perforations provided over substantially the entire area where the articles are in use located and through which the cleaning fluid can flow, the perforations in the base being defined by perforation walls, each of the walls in vertical cross section having a narrow top, widening in a downwards direction to a maximum width and then narrowing again to a narrow bottom, the maximum width being less than the distance from the top to the bottom, wherein the perforation walls include longitudinal perforation walls extending in a first direction and transverse perforation walls extending in a different second direction so that the longitudinal and transverse perforation walls meet at intersections defining corners of the perforations, and wherein the internal corners are smoothly rounded so that there is no sharp internal angle formed where the longitudinal and transverse perforation walls meet.

2. A container component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the radius of curvature of each internal corner progressively increases in successive horizontal cross-sections through the respective intersections starting from cross sections near the tops of the walls and progressing towards cross sections approaching and at the maximum width of the walls.

3. A container component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the curvature of the internal corners of the perforations in the horizontal plane where the walls reach their maximum width is greater than the curvature of the internal corners of the perforations at any other horizontal cross-section.

4. A container component as claimed in claim 1 wherein each intersection in any one of multiple horizontal cross-sections therethrough is of generally cruciform shape

5. A container component as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the internal corners of the perforations in the horizontal plane where the walls reach their maximum width has a radius of curvature of about 1mm or greater.

6. A container component as defined in claim 1 wherein the component comprises a tray, the base of the component defining a bottom of the tray, a plurality of side portions being located around the perimeter of the base, the perforations in the base being provided over substantially the entire surface area out to the perimeter where the side portions are located, so that the articles to be cleaned are located by the side portions entirely within the perimeter of the base where the perforations are provided, the tray having an open top through which the cleaning fluid can flow, wherein the perforation walls have terminal ends which meet and join with the side portions, and wherein a horizontal cross-section through each meeting of the terminal end of a perforation wall with the side portion is generally of T-shape and the internal corners of the T-shape are smoothly rounded so that there is no sharp internal angle formed where the perforation wall meets with the side portion.

7. A method of cleaning or sterilising articles comprising the steps of:

providing a container component for receiving the articles during the cleaning or sterilising process, the container component comprising a base, the base having perforations;

locating the articles to be cleaned or sterilised within the container component so that they are located within an area where the base has the perforations provided therein; and

causing a cleaning or sterilising fluid to flow past the articles within the container component including passing through the perforations of the base throughout substantially the entire area where the articles are located,

wherein the perforations in the base are defined by perforation walls, each of the walls in vertical cross section having a narrow top, widening in a downwards direction to a maximum width and then narrowing again to a narrow bottom, the maximum width being less than the distance from the top to the bottom, wherein the perforation walls include longitudinal perforation walls extending in a first direction and transverse perforation walls extending in a different second direction so that the longitudinal and transverse perforation walls meet at intersections defining corners of the perforations, and wherein the internal corners are smoothly rounded so that there is no sharp internal angle formed where the longitudinal and transverse perforation walls meet.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the component comprises a tray, the base of the component defining a bottom of the tray, a plurality of side portions being located around the perimeter of the base, the perforations in the base being provided over substantially the entire surface area out to the perimeter where the side portions are located, so that the articles being cleaned are located by the side portions entirely within the perimeter of the base where the perforations are provided, the tray having an open top through which the cleaning fluid flows, wherein the perforation walls have terminal ends which meet and join with the side portions, and wherein a horizontal cross-section through each meeting of the terminal end of a perforation wall with the side portion is generally of T-shape and the internal corners of the T-shape are smoothly rounded so that there is no sharp internal angle formed where the perforation wall meets with the side portion.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)