Stethoscope cleaning assembly

• US 7,866,908 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seedlings Life Science Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Seedlings Life Science Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Sellers, James M., Perlman, Michael, Cardinali, Mathew, Perlman, Sidney, Cole, Michael R., Rubin, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson; Gregory L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Varnum; Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/316,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 401/9, 401/17, 401/22, 401/27, 401/136, 401/193, 401/195, 401/292, 15/971, 15/1, 152/291.1, 134/166.R, 134/167.R, 134/168.R, 134172-179, 134/184, 134/187, 134191-193, 134/201, 134195-197, 181/131, 250/455.11, 422/28, 422/292, 422/300
• US Class Current: 401/193
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases

Abstract

An assembly structured to clean the head portion of a stethoscope comprising a housing including a path of travel along which the head portion passes during cleaning. A supply of cleaning fluid is associated with a dispenser assembly which is cooperatively disposed relative to an activating assembly. The activating assembly is manually operated due to moveable engagement with the head portion as it travels along the path of travel. The activating assembly is thereby operatively positioned to activate the dispenser assembly when engaged by the head portion as it passes along the path of travel. The dispenser assembly delivers the cleaning fluid to an applicator assembly which distributes the cleaning fluid to the head portion and facilitates the cleaning thereof and removal of excess cleaning fluid there from.

Claims

1. An assembly structured to clean a head portion of a stethoscope, said assembly comprising:

a housing including an entrance portion and an exit portion and a path of travel for the head portion extending therebetween,

said entrance and said exit portions respectively structured to facilitate entry and removal of the head portion relative to a housing interior,

a cartridge assembly disposed within said housing and including a fluid supply assembly connected thereto;

said fluid supply assembly structured for containment and dispensing of cleaning fluid,

an applicator assembly including a base;

a plurality of applicator segments connected to said base and extending outwardly therefrom into engaging relation with the head portion moving along said path of travel,

said plurality of applicator segments collectively disposed in predetermined array comprising both a lateral and a longitudinal relative spacing of said plurality of applicator segments,

said predetermined array configured to apply and at least partially remove the cleaning fluid to and from the head portion,

an activating assembly movably disposed into and out of actuating relation to said fluid supply assembly,

a dispenser assembly comprising at least two dispenser structures each operatively connected to said fluid supply assembly and disposed in a sufficiently longitudinal offset relation to one another to concurrently direct cleaning fluid to different portions of said path of travel and in communicating relation to said applicator assembly, and

said activating assembly structured to activate the dispensing of the cleaning fluid by said dispenser assembly in response to at least said passage of the head portion along said path of travel.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said fluid supply assembly comprises at least two fluid reservoirs, each of said two dispenser structures operatively connected to a different one of said two fluid reservoirs.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said activating assembly comprises a plurality of activating members disposed within said housing, each of said activating members forcibly disposed in activating relation to a corresponding one of said dispenser structures during passage of the head portion along said path of travel.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of applicator segments extend outwardly from said base at an inclined orientation relative to said base and in engaging relation to the head portion moving along said path of travel.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said inclined orientation of said plurality of applicator segments is sufficient to direct remnants away from engaged portions of the head portion.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein more than half of said plurality of applicator segments extend outwardly from said base at an inclined orientation relative thereto and in engaging relation to the head portion moving along said path of travel.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said more than half of said applicator segments further comprise an interior channel disposed and configured to direct the remnants away from engaged portions of the head portion.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein each of said interior channels comprises a substantially concave, transverse cross-sectional configuration extending along a length thereof.

9. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of applicator segments include an interior channel configured to direct remnants away from the engaged portions of the head portion.

10. An assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein each of said interior channels comprises a substantially concave, transverse cross-sectional configuration extending along a length thereof.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein each of said interior channels are disposed at an inclined orientation relative to said base sufficient to direct remnants away from portions of the head portion engaged by corresponding ones of said plurality of applicator segments.

12. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein more than half of said plurality of applicator segments are formed of a flexible, resilient material structured to apply a cleaning action to engaged portions of the head portion.

13. An assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said flexible, resilient material of said applicator segments is sufficiently semi-rigid to be shape stable.

14. An assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a display field connected to said cartridge and including a display area structured to include indicia thereon;

said display area disposed in an exposed position on an exterior of said housing.

15. An assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a skimmer assembly disposed along said path of travel in interruptive relation to the head portion when moving along said path of travel;

said skimmer assembly structured to remove excess cleaning fluid from at least a portion of the head portion.

16. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said skimmer assembly comprises at least one skimmer member disposed at a trailing end of said applicator assembly in engageable relation with corresponding surface portions of the head portion when the head portion is moving along said path of travel.

17. An assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein each of said skimmer assembly comprises a plurality of skimmer members each including a curved configuration extending along a periphery of said array of said plurality of applicator segments.

18. An assembly structured to clean a head portion of a stethoscope, said assembly comprising:

a housing including an entrance portion, an exit portion and a path of travel for the head portion extending therebetween,

a cartridge assembly removably disposed within said housing and including a fluid supply assembly connected thereto;

an applicator assembly including a base and a plurality of applicator segments connected to said base and extending outwardly therefrom into engaging relation with the head portion moving along said path of travel,

said plurality of applicator segments collectively disposed in a predetermined array comprising both a lateral and longitudinal spacing of said plurality of applicator segments along said base,

a dispenser assembly including at least two dispenser structures each operatively connected to said fluid supply assembly; and

said at least two dispenser structures disposed in a sufficiently offset relation to one another to direct cleaning fluid from said fluid supply assembly to different portions of said path of travel and in communicating relation to said applicator assembly.

19. An assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein said two dispenser structures are disposed in a longitudinally offset relation to one another so as to direct cleaning fluid to different longitudinally offset portions of said path of travel and in communicating relation to said applicator assembly concurrently to movement of the head portion along said path of travel.

20. An assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said fluid supply assembly comprises at least two fluid reservoirs, each of said two dispenser structures operatively connected to a different one of said two fluid reservoirs.

21. An assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein at least one of said plurality of applicator segments extend outwardly from said base at an inclined orientation relative thereto and in engaging relation to the head portion moving along said path of travel;

said inclined orientation of said plurality of applicator segments being sufficiently oriented to direct remnants away from engaged portions of the head portion.

22. An assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein more than half of said applicator segments extend outwardly from said base at an inclined orientation and in engaging relation to the head portion moving along the path of travel, said more than half of said plurality of applicator segments being sufficiently angularly oriented to direct remnants away from engage portions of the head portion and comprising an interior channel including a substantially concave, transverse cross-sectional configuration extending along the length of said channel.

23. An assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein each of said interior channels are disposed at an inclined orientation sufficient to direct remnants away from portions of the head portion engaged by corresponding ones of said plurality of applicator segments.

24. An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein more than half of said plurality of applicator segments are formed of a flexible, resilient material structured to apply a cleaning action to engaged portions of the head portion.

25. An assembly as recited in claim 18 further comprising a skimmer assembly disposed along said path of travel in interruptive relation to the head portion when moving along said path of travel;

said skimmer assembly structured to only remove excess cleaning fluid from correspondingly disposed surfaces of the head portion.

26. An assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein said skimmer assembly comprises at least two spaced apart skimmer members disposed at a trailing end of said applicator assembly in engageable relation with opposite lateral side portions of the head portion moving along said path of travel.

27. An assembly as recited in claim 18 further comprising a display field connected to said cartridge and including a display area structured to include indicia thereon;

said display area disposed in a visually exposed position on an exterior of said housing.