Enclosure for the decontamination and identification of a medical apparatus

• US 8,356,745 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Germitec SA
• Original Assignee: Germitec SA
• Inventors: Deshays, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US12/594,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/376, 235/380, 235/383, 235/381, 235/385, 702/183, 702/184, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/539.1, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/122 Chambers for sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps

Abstract

The invention relates to an enclosure of the type including a base (6), at least one side wall (7) and an upper lid (8) defining a decontamination volume (9), wherein one of said side walls (7) comprises an access opening (10) to the decontamination volume (9) extending up to the upper lid (8), the upper lid (8) including a cable passage (12) open towards said opening and a cable suspension member (14) through said cable passage. The enclosure includes a means (18) for reading an electronic identification label (17) provided on a cable (5) of the medical instrument.

Claims

1. Decontamination enclosure for medical instruments, comprising a base, at least one side wall, and a top cover, which delimit a decontamination space, wherein one of said at least one side walls comprises an opening extending to the top cover for access to the decontamination space, and the top cover comprises a cable passage that extends from a central part of the top cover and opens into said opening and a cable suspension member, said enclosure further comprising means for reading an electronic identification label provided on a cable of the medical instrument, with said label being placed near the active part of the medical instrument to be disinfected, and said reading means being arranged so as to be near the identification label when the cable is suspended on the cable suspension member.

2. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the means for reading an electronic identification label comprise a short-range RFID reader.

3. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cable passage comprises a slot provided in the top cover.

4. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a flap seal that is movable between a closed position of the cable passage, in which the flap closes the cable passage hermetically, and an open position of the cable passage.

5. Enclosure according to claim 4, which comprises a door for closing the access opening to the decontamination space, with said door arranged so that closing it brings the mobile flap into the position where it closes off the cable passage.

6. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cable suspension member comprises means for orienting the cable, arranged so as to place the identification label facing the reading means when the cable is suspended on the cable suspension member.

7. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cable suspension member comprises a clamp.

8. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cable suspension member comprises a hook.

9. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the cable suspension member comprises an open tube that is hermetically finable over a portion of the medical instrument cable, whose diameter is within a range of predetermined diameters.

10. Enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the suspension member comprises a part for receiving a suspension part provided on the cable of the medical instrument, wherein said receiving part and said suspension part form a fastening assembly comprised of a male part and a female part.

11. System for suspending a medical instrument, comprising a portion of cable in a decontamination enclosure according to claim 10, wherein said system comprises the suspension part of the fastening assembly, attached to the portion of the medical instrument cable, with said suspension part comprising an electronic identification label.

12. System for suspending a medical instrument, comprising a portion of cable in a decontamination enclosure according to claim 1, wherein an electronic identification label is attached inside a projection on the portion of cable, wherein said projection is inserted into the cable passage, the cable passage comprising a recess to accommodate said projection, near which the reading means are located.