Method and apparatus for cleaning hollow elements
First Claim
1. A method of cleaning a hollow medical instrument, comprising the steps of:
- providing a conduit attached to a pump means for providing a pulsed flow of cleaning fluid,providing a tank containing cleaning fluid,attaching the medical instrument to the conduit,immersing the medical instrument in the cleaning fluid in the tank,operating the pump means, thereby supplying the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid to the interior of the medical instrument,simultaneously with the supplying of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid, applying ultrasonic waves to the fluid inside the medical instrument along the entire length of the instrument, the cleaning action being effected through the combined action of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid and the ultrasonic waves, in which cavitation of the fluid inside the instrument is effective to loosen debris attached to the interior surface of the instrument, the debris being moved along the interior of the instrument by the pulses eventually to emerge from the instrument, andsubsequently detaching the cleaned medical instrument from the conduit and removing it from the tank.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for cleaning hollow elements (6), such as medical instruments having cannulae, is disclosed in which a pulsed flow of cleaning fluid is passed through the element while ultrasonic waves are simultaneously applied to the fluid. The ultrasonic waves loosen any debris during the time when the fluid is substantially at rest, and the pulses of fluid then remove the debris. The apparatus can include a tank (2) containing cleaning fluid (3) into which the element is placed, the cleaning fluid being pumped from the tank into the hollow element. The frequency of the fluid pulses is preferably between zero and 300 Hz, and that of the ultrasonic waves is preferably greater than 15 kHz.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of cleaning a hollow medical instrument, comprising the steps of:
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providing a conduit attached to a pump means for providing a pulsed flow of cleaning fluid, providing a tank containing cleaning fluid, attaching the medical instrument to the conduit, immersing the medical instrument in the cleaning fluid in the tank, operating the pump means, thereby supplying the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid to the interior of the medical instrument, simultaneously with the supplying of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid, applying ultrasonic waves to the fluid inside the medical instrument along the entire length of the instrument, the cleaning action being effected through the combined action of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid and the ultrasonic waves, in which cavitation of the fluid inside the instrument is effective to loosen debris attached to the interior surface of the instrument, the debris being moved along the interior of the instrument by the pulses eventually to emerge from the instrument, and subsequently detaching the cleaned medical instrument from the conduit and removing it from the tank. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of cleaning a hollow medical instrument, comprising the steps of:
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providing a conduit attached to a pump means for providing a pulsed flow of cleaning fluid, providing a tank containing cleaning fluid, attaching the medical instrument to the conduit, immersing the medical instrument in the cleaning fluid in the tank, operating the pump means, thereby supplying the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid to the interior of the medical instrument, simultaneously with the supplying of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid, applying ultrasonic waves to the fluid inside the medical instrument along the entire length of the instrument, the cleaning action being effected through the combined action of the pulsed flow of cleaning fluid and the ultrasonic waves, in which cavitation of the fluid inside the instrument between pulses is effective to loosen debris attached to the interior surface of the instrument, the debris being moved along the interior of the instrument by the pulses eventually to emerge from the instrument, and subsequently detaching the cleaned medical instrument from the conduit and removing it from the tank. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification