Stethoscope cleaning assembly

• US 8,057,117 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seedlings Life Science Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Seedlings Life Science Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Rubin, Keith, Sellers, James M., Perlman, Michael, Cardinali, Mathew, Perlman, Sidney, Cole, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak; David J
• Application Number:
  US12/584,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100116300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 401/9, 401/17, 401/22, 401/27, 401/136, 401/193, 15/1, 15/971, 152/291.1, 134/166.R, 134/167.R, 134/168.R, 134172-179, 134/184, 134/187, 134191-193, 134195-197, 134/201, 181/131, 250/455.11, 422/28, 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 associated with a dispenser assembly is cooperatively disposed relative to an activating assembly. The activating assembly is operated in moveable engagement with the head portion, and activates 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. At least one disinfectant agent is dispersed within or comprises a portion of the housing and is formulated to be destructively effective against pathogenic bacteria, such as in the spore form, which is generally not affected by the cleaning fluid.

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

a fluid supply assembly disposed on said housing and structured for containment and dispensing of a cleaning fluid,

an applicator assembly disposable along said path of travel in engaging relation to the head portion and in communicating relation with the cleaning fluid,

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,

at least one disinfectant agent disposed within said housing in at least partially communicating relation with the head portion, and

said at least one disinfectant agent having a composition destructively effective against spore forms of predetermined pathogenic bacteria.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said composition of said at least one disinfectant agent is destructively effective against spore forms of at least clostridium difficile.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises a portion of said cleaning fluid and is miscible therewith.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said fluid supply assembly comprises at least two fluid reservoirs each containing said cleaning fluid, each of said two dispenser structures operatively connected to a different one of said two fluid reservoirs.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said cleaning fluid further comprises an alcohol-based solution.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said at least two dispenser structures have a different fluid reservoir, one of said fluid reservoirs comprising a supply of said cleaning fluid and the other of said fluid reservoirs containing said at least one disinfectant agent.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising an activating assembly comprising 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.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said composition of said at least one disinfectant agent is formulated to be destructively effective against spore forms of clostridium difficile.

9. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent includes a related compound of guanidine having bactericidal, fungicidal, sporicidal, antimicrobial or anti-viral activity.

10. An assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent includes polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrophosphate.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent includes polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride.

12. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises a coating disposed on at least one surface area within said interior of said housing.

13. An assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said at least one surface area comprises a part of said housing.

14. An assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said at least one said surface area is formed on at least one component operatively connected within said housing.

15. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent is integrated within a material from which said housing is at least partially formed.

16. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent is included in a material from which at least one operative component within said housing is formed.

17. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises a metallic material at least partially disposed within said housing.

18. An assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein said metallic material comprises copper.

19. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent is at least partially incorporated within said applicator assembly.

20. An assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said composition of said at least one disinfectant agent is destructively effective against at least spore forms of clostridium difficile.

21. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent and said cleaning fluid are independent formulations and both are in solution form.

22. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises chlorine dioxide.

23. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises derivatives of chlorine dioxide.

24. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises paracetyl ion-based compounds.

25. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises bleach.

26. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one disinfectant agent comprises compounds containing hydrogen peroxide.