JP2008173399A - Endoscope cleaning disinfection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus that completes a degree of cleaning / disinfecting in an endoscope channel at a certain level or higher when a used endoscope is automatically cleaned.
An endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 is automatically inserted into and removed from an endoscope channel of an endoscope 20 into an apparatus main body 3 having a cleaning tank 5 in which the endoscope 20 is disposed. A brush storage cartridge containing a cleaning brush for cleaning the inside of the conduit is detachably disposed. Whether or not the cleaning tank 5 is provided with a dirt detecting unit 8 for detecting the degree of dirt in the endoscope pipe line, and whether or not the apparatus body 3 is continuously cleaned in the pipe line by the cleaning brush based on the detection result of the dirt detecting unit 8 is determined. A control unit for determining whether or not
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting an endoscope after use.

  An endoscope inserted into a body cavity for the purpose of examination or treatment not only has body fluid or dirt attached to the outer surface of the insertion part, but also a suction pipe that also serves as a treatment instrument channel provided in the insertion part Body fluids, filth, etc. also adhere inside. Therefore, it is necessary for the used endoscope to sufficiently clean and disinfect the outer surface of the insertion portion and the endoscope channel.

  In recent years, a used endoscope is installed in a cleaning device and cleaned. For example, in JP-A-10-276977, after the outer surface of an endoscope is colored with a dye solution for detecting the degree of cleaning, the outer surface of the endoscope is washed with a washing solution for a predetermined time. An endoscope cleaning apparatus that detects the degree of cleaning of the outer surface of an endoscope by detecting whether or not it remains on the outer surface of the endoscope is shown. However, it is difficult for the cleaning apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 to determine the degree of cleaning in the endoscope duct.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-10116 discloses an endoscope cleaning apparatus that accurately controls the wire feed amount of an endoscope cleaning apparatus that uses a wire brush. In the endoscope cleaning apparatus of Patent Document 2, the rollers 72a and 72b are advanced while moving the wire brush 31 forward and backward, and gradually advance in a forceps channel (not shown) of the endoscope 2. When the light shielding plate 66 of the wire brush 31 reaches the front sensor 67, the wire brush 31 is stopped by a signal from the front sensor 67 that is blocked from light projection, and then the rollers 72a and 72b cause the wire brush 31 to move. The light shielding plate 66 is returned to the position where it reaches the rear sensor 68 simply by moving forward and backward, or simply by moving backward. Usually, such washing is performed for each of alkaline water, acidic water, and tap water, thereby completing washing of the forceps conduit (channel) of the endoscope. The washing time for each washing water, the number of washing repetitions, etc. can be changed depending on the operating conditions.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-276977 JP 2003-10116 A

  However, the endoscope cleaning apparatus of Patent Document 2 is also difficult to determine the degree of cleaning in the endoscope channel, and even when the cleaning is performed by setting the number of times of cleaning, the endoscope tube When the inside of the road is very dirty, there is a possibility that the cleaning is finished while the dirt remains in the pipe.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when the used endoscope is automatically cleaned, the endoscope cleaning in which the degree of cleaning and disinfection in the endoscope duct is completed at a certain level or more. It aims to provide a disinfection device.

The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus of the present invention is automatically inserted into and removed from the endoscope main body of the endoscope having a cleaning tank in which the endoscope is arranged, and the inside of the pipe is cleaned. An endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus in which a cleaning brush unit containing a cleaning brush for performing is detachably disposed,
Whether or not the cleaning tank is provided with a dirt detection means for detecting the degree of dirt in the endoscope pipe line, and whether or not to continue washing in the pipe line with the washing brush based on the detection result of the dirt detection means in the apparatus main body. Judgment means for judging is provided.

  According to this structure, the dirt detection means provided in the cleaning tank determines the dirt in the endoscope pipeline by determining the dirt of the cleaning liquid. Then, the determination means determines, based on the detection result of the dirt detection means, whether to continue the in-pipe cleaning with the cleaning brush based on the detection result of the dirt detection means. Accordingly, the in-pipe cleaning of the endoscope pipe line is continued until it is determined by the determination means that the cleaning liquid is no longer contaminated.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus that is completed when the degree of cleaning / disinfecting in an endoscope channel is equal to or higher than a certain level when a used endoscope is automatically cleaned.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 to FIG. 15 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting system including an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus with a top cover opened and an endoscope to be cleaned. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the pipeline of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the construction of the dirt detection unit, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the electrical relationship among the detection unit, the control unit, and the brush feed motor, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the dirt detection unit when there is little dirt on the liquid in the cleaning tank, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the output voltage output from the amplifier that receives this detection signal and the threshold voltage, and FIG. 8 shows the output of the comparison signal output from the comparator when there is little liquid contamination in the contamination detection space. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the situation. Fig. 9 shows the operation of the contamination detection unit when there is a lot of contamination in the cleaning tank. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the output voltage output from the amplifier that has received the detection signal from the light receiving element and the threshold voltage, and FIG. 11 is a diagram when there is a lot of liquid contamination in the contamination detection space. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the output status of the comparison signal output from the comparator, FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the relationship among the endoscope, the cleaning brush insertion / extraction device, and the dirt detection sensor, and FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining an example, FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a control example for raising dirt adhering to the brush portion of the cleaning brush in the cleaning liquid, and FIG. 15 is a cleaning brush provided with an ultrasonic vibrator in the cleaning tank. It is a figure explaining the structure which makes the dirt adhering to the brush part stand up in a washing | cleaning liquid.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting system 1 according to the present embodiment mainly includes an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 and an endoscope 20. The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 includes an apparatus main body 3 and a top cover 4. A cleaning tank 5 having a predetermined opening shape and depth is provided in the upper part of the apparatus main body 3, and the top cover 4 is installed to be openable and closable so as to close the opening of the cleaning tank 5.

  The top cover 4 is formed of a hard and light-transmitting resin member, a so-called transparent resin member or translucent resin member, in a predetermined shape. Therefore, even when the user closes the opening of the cleaning tank 5 with the top cover 4, the user can visually observe the inside of the cleaning tank 5 through the top cover 4.

A packing (not shown) is provided at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 3 on the opening side of the cleaning tank 5 so as to surround the cleaning tank 5. For this reason, when the opening of the cleaning tank 5 is closed with the top cover 4, the packing is brought into close contact with the one surface side of the top cover 4 and the watertight state is maintained. Therefore, during cleaning and disinfection, liquids such as cleaning liquid and rinsing water in the cleaning tank 5 are prevented from splashing outside the apparatus body 3.
An operation panel 6 capable of various input operations and display of characters and the like is provided on the front surface of the apparatus body 3.

  The endoscope 20 includes, for example, a base portion 21 and a flexible insertion portion 22 that extends from the base portion 21. The base 21 is provided with an air / water supply pipe arrangement section 23 and a suction pipe arrangement section 24 that are separated by a predetermined distance and project obliquely toward the base end side in the longitudinal axis direction. . The base 21 is used as a gripping part that is gripped when operating the endoscope 20 or as a fixing part when the endoscope 20 is fixed to an arm or the like.

  At the air / water supply connection port 23a of the air / water supply pipe arrangement section 23, an end opening of the air supply pipe line which is one of the endoscope pipes of the endoscope 20 is arranged, and the endoscope An end opening of a water supply pipe that is one of the mirror pipes is provided. On the other hand, the suction connection port 24a of the suction conduit arrangement portion 24 is provided with an end opening of a suction conduit (not shown) that is one of the endoscope conduits of the endoscope 20 and also serves as a treatment instrument channel. It is installed.

  During the endoscopic examination, an air supply tube and a water supply tube (not shown) for supplying a liquid such as water and a gas such as air to the endoscope 20 are connected to the air supply / water supply connection port 23a, respectively. A suction tube (not shown) is connected to the connection port 24a.

  The used endoscope 20 is stored in the cleaning tank 5 directly in the cleaning tank 5 as indicated by a two-dot chain line or in a state of being stored in an endoscope holding tray which is a dedicated tray (not shown). The On the side wall of the cleaning tank 5, an air supply line cleaning nozzle 31, a water supply line cleaning nozzle 32, and a suction pipe cleaning nozzle 33 are provided as a cleaning nozzle attaching / detaching portion 30. A disposing member 7, a dirt detecting unit 8 which is a dirt detecting means, a water supply port (see reference numeral 5a in FIG. 2), a drain outlet (see reference numeral 5b in FIG. 2) and the like are provided. Reference numeral 10 denotes a cleaning brush insertion / extraction device 10 to be described later.

The pipeline configuration of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
Tap water is supplied to the apparatus main body 3 of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 through a water supply pipe line 42 connected to the tap. A water filter 41, a check valve 43, and two three-way switching valves 44 and 45 are interposed in the water supply line 42 in order from the water tap side. The three-way switching valve 44 branches into a pipe forming the circulation pipe 57 and a pipe on the side of the three-way switching valve 45, and the three-way switching valve 45 branches into two pipes 46 and 47.

  One conduit 46 communicates with the detergent bottle 48, and the other conduit 47 communicates with the chemical bottle 49. From these bottles 48, 49, the cleaning agent is stirred via the cleaning agent supply pipe 50 communicating with the cleaning bottle 48, or the disinfecting liquid is stirred via the chemical supply pipe 51 communicating with the chemical bottle 49, respectively. It flows into the tank 52.

  That is, the tap water from the tap is first filtered by the water filter 41 and flows through the water supply pipe 42 through the pipe 46 to the cleaning agent bottle 48 or the pipe 47 to the chemical bottle 49. . Thereafter, the cleaning agent or the disinfecting solution in each bottle 48, 49 is diluted with tap water to become a solution having a predetermined concentration, and is stirred through the cleaning agent supply line 50 or the chemical solution supply line 51. It flows to 52.

  The three-way switching valve is provided with a valve that can be switched inside, and the three-way switching valves 44 and 45 are predetermined based on the control of the control unit 15 in accordance with the cleaning process, the disinfection process, or the rinsing process. It can be switched in the direction of. For example, in the rinsing step, the three-way switching valve 44 is switched by the control unit 15 in a direction in which the water supply pipe line 42 and the circulation pipe line 57 communicate with each other. As a result, tap water flows from the tap to the circulation conduit 57 side, and the outer surface of the endoscope 20 and the various endoscope conduits are rinsed.

  One end of a liquid feeding conduit 53 is connected to the stirring tank 52. The other end of the liquid supply line 53 is connected to a circulation line 57 via a three-way switching valve 56 whose valve is switched by the control unit 15. Non-return valves 54 and 55 are interposed near the agitation tank 52 side and the three-way switching valve 56 at both ends of the liquid feeding pipe 53.

  The end of the circulation pipe 57 is connected to the water supply port 5a of the cleaning tank 5, and the other end of the pipe having one end communicating with the drain 5b is provided in the middle of the three-way switching valve 44 and the three-way switching valve 56. It is connected. The circulation pipe 57 is provided with a three-way switching valve 76 and a check valve 77 in order from the drain outlet 5b side. One of the three-way switching valve 76 is connected to the drainage pipe 75, and the internal valve is switched under the control of the control unit 15, so that the liquid in the washing tank 5 is drained from the drainage port 5b. It can be discharged by flowing to 75.

  On the other hand, in the circulation line 57 communicating with the water supply port 5a, the valves are switched by the circulation pump 58 and the control unit 15 in order from the portion where the three-way switching valve 56 is interposed toward the water supply port 5a side. Three three-way switching valves 59 and 60 are provided. The three-way switching valve 60 is branched into a circulation conduit 57 and a channel conduit 62 on the water supply port 5a side. The end of the channel pipe 62 branches into two paths, an air / water supply channel and a suction channel.

  The circulation pump 58 is driven under the control of the control unit 15, and in the driving state, the cleaning liquid or the disinfecting liquid solution stored in the stirring tank 52 is supplied from the liquid supply line 53 through the three-way switching valve 56. , Flows into the circulation line 57. Then, this solution selectively flows to the water supply port 5a or the channel pipe line 62 via the three-way switching valve 60, and cleans the outer surface of the endoscope 20 and various endoscope pipe lines, or It is sterilized and stored in the cleaning tank 5.

  One end of an air supply pipe 74 is connected to one side of the three-way switching valve 59. A compressor 72 and an air filter 73 are interposed in the air supply line 74. Based on the control of the control unit 15, the air supplied from the compressor 72 is used to dehydrate moisture in the outer surface of the endoscope 20 after washing and disinfection and various channels. Air is sent toward the attachment / detachment unit 30.

  One end of a water leakage detection pipeline 63 is connected to the cleaning nozzle attaching / detaching portion 30. A check valve 64 and a three-way switching valve 65 are interposed in the middle of the water leakage detection pipe 63, and one of the three-way switching valve 65 is connected to a water leakage detection compressor 66. The other of the three-way switching valve 65 is connected to a pipe line 67 having one end communicating with the alcohol tank 68. In addition, one end of an alcohol conduit 69 is connected to the alcohol tank 68, and the other end of the alcohol conduit 69 is connected to a channel conduit 62. A check valve 70 is interposed in the alcohol conduit 69.

  Based on the control of the control unit 15, the air of the water leakage detection compressor 66 is sent to the water leakage detection pipe 63 when performing water leakage detection of the endoscope 20, and when various channels of the endoscope 20 are flushed with alcohol. Air is supplied to the alcohol tank 68 and the alcohol in the tank is sent to the alcohol line 69 and the channel line 62. In addition, the inside and the outside of the cleaning tank 5 communicate with each other via a deodorizing filter 71 that deodorizes a strange odor.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 15 corresponds to the cleaning process, the disinfection process, or the rinsing process, and the driving or stopping control of the circulation pump 58, the driving or stopping control of the compressors 66 and 72, the three-way switching valves 44 and 45, Switching control of 56, 59, 60, 65, and 76 is performed.
Then, a liquid such as a cleaning liquid, a disinfecting liquid, a rinsing water, and a fluid such as air are ejected from the pipe cleaning nozzles 31, 32, and 33 under the control of the control unit 15. In the present embodiment, an endoscope cleaning brush (hereinafter referred to as “cleaning brush”) that is inserted into and removed from the suction pipe provided in the endoscope 20 in the vicinity of the suction pipe cleaning nozzle 33 and cleans the suction pipe. A cleaning brush insertion / extraction device 10 provided with a cleaning brush (see reference numeral 9a in FIG. 3 and the like) is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the insertion portion distal end arranging member 7 has, for example, a substantially semi-cylindrical shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an insertion portion insertion groove (hereinafter abbreviated as an arrangement groove) in which the distal end side of the insertion portion 22 is inserted. 7a is formed. A plurality of convex portions (symbol 7c in FIG. 4) are formed on the inner surface of the arrangement groove 7a to prevent the insertion portion 22 from being in close contact with the inner surface.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the dirt detection unit 8 includes, for example, a pair of mounting members 8a and 8b. The first mounting member 8a is provided with a light emitting element 8c, and the second mounting member 8b. Is provided with a light receiving element 8d. The first mounting member 8a and the second mounting member 8b are cleaned in a positional relationship in which the light emitting element 8c and the light receiving element 8d face each other so that light emitted from the light emitting element 8c is emitted toward the light receiving element 8d. It is arranged on the bottom surface of the tank 5.

  The attachment members 8a and 8b are immersed in the liquid supplied into the cleaning tank 5. The attachment members 8a and 8b are provided with a flange 8e and a wall 8w, respectively, and a dirt detection space (hereinafter abbreviated as a detection space) is formed by the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 5, the flange 8e, and the wall 8w. 8s) is formed. The detection space 8s is configured such that the brush portion 9b of the cleaning brush 9a can be inserted therethrough. In the present embodiment, the light emitting element 8c is provided on the first attachment member 8a and the light receiving element 8d is provided on the second attachment member 8b. However, the attachment members are not limited to a pair. The light emitting element 8c and the light receiving element 8d may be provided on the wall portion of the mounting member that includes a wall portion and a roof portion configured integrally with the mounting member 8a and the second mounting member 8b.

  The cleaning brush 9a is composed of a brush portion 9b and an elongated wire 9c, and the brush portion 9b is provided at the tip of the wire 9c. The brush portion 9b is led out from a suction conduit opening (hereinafter abbreviated as an opening) 25a formed at the distal end portion 25 of the insertion portion 22.

  The wall portion 8w prevents dirt adhering to the brush portion 9b from diffusing from the inside of the detection space 8s to the outside, and the flange portion 8e and the roof portion prevent disturbance light from entering the detection space 8s. is doing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the light emitted from the light emitting element 8c is received by the light receiving element 8d, the light receiving element 8d receives a voltage value corresponding to the amount of received light as a detection signal to a comparator 16 which is a comparison means described later. Output through the amplifier 17. The comparator 16 compares the output voltage output from the amplifier 17 with a preset threshold voltage corresponding to the contamination of the liquid, and sends a comparison signal, which is a comparison result, to the control unit 15 that is a determination unit including the CPU 15a. Output. The control unit 15 obtains a sensing level by the CPU 15a based on the comparison signal input to the control unit, and determines the degree of cleaning liquid contamination, in other words, the degree of cleaning in the suction pipe.

  The control unit 15 receives a brush unit detection signal output from a brush unit position detection unit (hereinafter referred to as a brush detection unit) 12 described later. The control unit 15 outputs a control signal for causing the light emitting element 8c to emit light and a drive control signal for rotating a brush feed motor (hereinafter abbreviated as a motor) 11 described later.

  That is, the control unit 15 performs the drive / stop control of the circulation pump 58, the drive / stop control of the compressors 66 and 72, and the switch control of the three-way switching valves 44, 45, 56, 59, 60, 65, and 76 described above. Then, ON / OFF control of the light emitting element 8c, drive control for rotating the motor 11, and determination of the degree of cleaning in the pipe line are performed.

The operation of the dirt detection unit 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, the case where the cleaning liquid in the detection space 8s is less contaminated will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 5 including the detection space 8s is not contaminated, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element 8c toward the light receiving element 8d reaches the light receiving element 8d. To do. That is, the amount of light received by the light receiving element 8d increases. As a result, most of the output voltage from the amplifier 17 that has received the detection signal output from the light receiving element 8d is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage as shown in FIG. Then, a comparison signal is output from the comparator 16 to the control unit 15 as shown in FIG. In this case, the CPU 15a obtains the sensing level from the comparison signal input to the control unit 15, and the control unit 15 determines that the degree of cleaning in the suction pipe is good from the sensing level.
Next, a case where the cleaning liquid in the detection space 8s is dirty will be described.
As shown in FIG. 9, when a large amount of dirt 18 is floating in the cleaning liquid in the detection space 8 s in the cleaning tank 5, the light emitted from the light emitting element 8 c toward the light receiving element 8 d is particles of the dirt 18. 19 is reflected. That is, the amount of light received by the light receiving element 8d is reduced by preventing light from being transmitted, and most of the output voltage from the amplifier 17 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold voltage as shown in FIG. Then, a comparison signal is output from the comparator 16 to the control unit 15 as shown in FIG. In this case, the CPU 15a obtains the sensing level from the comparison signal input to the control unit 15, and the control unit 15 is contaminated with the dirt from the sensing level, in other words, the degree of cleaning in the suction line. Is determined to be defective.

Here, the relationship among the endoscope 20, the cleaning brush insertion / extraction device 10, and the dirt detection unit 8 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
In the state where the used endoscope 20 is accommodated in the cleaning tank 5 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the air supply line cleaning nozzle 31 is provided on the air supply line provided in the air supply / water supply connection port 23a. Connected to the end opening, the water supply line cleaning nozzle 32 is connected to the end opening of the water supply line provided in the air / water connection port 23a, and the suction line cleaning nozzle 33 is connected to the suction connection port 24a. Connected to the end opening of the provided suction line.

  Further, in the endoscope accommodation state, the distal end side of the insertion portion 22 is arranged in the arrangement groove 7 a of the insertion portion distal end arrangement member 7. In this arrangement state, the distal end portion 25 constituting the insertion portion 22 protrudes from the distal end surface 7b of the insertion portion distal end arrangement member 7 by a predetermined amount as shown in FIGS. 3 and 12, and an opening 25a of the distal end portion 25 is formed. Face each other in a predetermined positional relationship toward the detection space 8s.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the suction line cleaning nozzle 33 and the endoscope 20 are connected by connecting the suction line cleaning nozzle 33 to the suction connection port 24a provided in the base 21 of the endoscope 20. Are connected to a suction line (not shown).

  A cleaning brush insertion / extraction device 10 provided in the vicinity of the suction line cleaning nozzle 33 includes a detachable brush storage cartridge (hereinafter abbreviated as a cartridge) 9 that stores the elongated wire 9c constituting the cleaning brush 9a in a wound state. And a motor 11 and a brush detection unit 12.

  The cartridge 9 includes a large-diameter portion 9d and a small-diameter portion 9e, and the wire 9c is accommodated in the large-diameter portion 9d, and a pair of rollers 13 and 14 are provided to press and hold the wire 9c in the small-diameter portion 9e. . A wire 9c constituting the cleaning brush 9a is pressed and held between the rollers 13 and 14 in advance. The brush portion 9b provided at the distal end portion of the wire 9c is arranged on the distal end side in the small diameter portion 9e constituting the cartridge 9 in a state where the wire 9c is wound in the large diameter portion 9d in a predetermined state. Has been.

  The brush detection unit 12 detects whether or not the brush unit 9b has passed in a state in which the wire 9c is being fed out from the cartridge 9 or a state in which the wire 9c is wound in the cartridge 9. The brush detection unit 12 includes, for example, a light emitting element (not shown) and a light receiving element (not shown) facing each other in the same manner as the dirt detection unit 8, and the wire 9c moves from the light emitting element to the light receiving element in a moving state. When the emitted light is blocked by the brush portion 9b, a brush detection signal is output to the control portion 15.

  The cartridge 9 is configured to be detachable from a cartridge installation portion (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 3. By installing the cartridge 9 in the cartridge installation portion, a shaft portion 14a provided in the roller 14 is provided. A shaft (not shown) provided on the roller 13 is integrally arranged on a rotating shaft (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 3 and is integrally arranged on a motor shaft (not shown) of the motor 11. It has come to be. Further, in a state where the cartridge 9 is installed in the cartridge installation portion, the supply port of the suction channel conduit which is one of the channel conduits 62 is, for example, near the narrow portion 9e of the cartridge 9 or more than the narrow portion 9e. It is located on the suction line cleaning nozzle 33 side.

  In the state where the cartridge 9 is installed in the cartridge installation unit, the wire 9c accommodated in the cartridge 9 is sent out by rotating the motor shaft of the motor 11 counterclockwise under the control of the control unit 15. It will be. That is, the brush portion 9b passes through the suction conduit cleaning nozzle 33, the suction connection port 24a, and the suction conduit provided in the endoscope 20 from the inside of the small diameter portion 9e and passes through the opening 25a to the solid line in FIG. As shown in the drawing, it is led out in the vicinity of the detection space 8s of the dirt detection unit 8, and then the brush portion 9b is inserted into the detection space 8s as shown by a broken line.

  Then, in the state where the wire 9c is being sent out, the wire 9c being sent out is rotated in the cartridge 9 by rotating the motor shaft of the motor 11 in the reverse direction, that is, rotating clockwise. It will be rolled up.

  The motor 11 is provided with a rotation detection device (not shown) for detecting the rotation amount and determining the wire feed amount. A detection signal of the rotation detection device is output to the control unit 15 and the brush unit is driven by the CPU 15a. The feed amount is calculated. Then, it is possible to determine whether or not the brush 9b is led out from the opening 25a by determining whether or not the feed amount of the wire 9c has reached a predetermined amount.

The operation of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 configured as described above will be described.
First, the user installs the cartridge 9 in the cartridge installation unit. In addition, the user houses the used endoscope 20 in the cleaning tank 5. At this time, the distal end side of the insertion portion 22 is inserted into the arrangement groove 7a of the insertion portion distal end arrangement member 7 provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 5, and the opening 25a of the distal end portion 25 protruding from the distal end surface 7b is detected for contamination. The detection space 8s of the unit 8 is confronted. Thereafter, the top cover 4 is closed. When the endoscope is housed, the air / water supply connection port 23a is connected to the air supply line cleaning nozzle 31 and the water supply line cleaning nozzle 32, and the suction connection port 24a is connected to the suction line cleaning nozzle 33. Is done.

  Next, the user operates a start switch (not shown) provided on the operation panel 6. Then, the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 sequentially executes, under the control of the control unit 15 according to the registered program, for example, the cleaning process, the rinsing process, the disinfecting process, and the rinsing process again. The endoscope 20 is cleaned and disinfected by performing a dehydration process using flash.

Here, a cleaning process of the endoscope 20 by the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus 2 will be described.
During the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid circulating in the apparatus flows into the cleaning tank 5 through the water supply port 5a of the circulation pipe 57 by driving the circulation pump 58 shown in FIG. 2, and cleans the outer surface of the endoscope 20. At the same time, from the circulation line 57 through the channel line 62, the air line and the water line of the endoscope 20 from the respective line cleaning nozzles 31, 32, 33 provided in the cleaning nozzle attaching / detaching unit 30 Then, it flows into the suction pipe, and the inside of the pipe of the endoscope 20 is washed. Note that the cleaning liquid sent from the channel pipe 62 to the suction pipe cleaning nozzle 33 flows into the suction pipe of the endoscope 20 without being fed into the cartridge 9.

  In the cleaning process, as shown in step S1 of FIG. 13, the motor 11 is driven under the control of the control unit 15, and the roller 14 starts to rotate counterclockwise. Then, with the rotation of the roller 14, a brush feeding operation is performed in which the wire 9 c pressed and held between the roller 13 and the roller 14 is sent from the inside of the cartridge 9 to the outside. As shown in step S2, the control unit 15 monitors whether the brush detection signal output from the brush detection unit is input during the brush feed operation. When the brush unit 9 b passes through the brush detection unit 12, a brush detection signal is input to the control unit 15.

  Then, the control part 15 transfers to step S3. That is, under the control of the control unit 15, the motor 11 is rotationally driven, and a brushing operation in which the wire 9c of the cleaning brush 9a moves forward while repeating a predetermined amount of advancement and a predetermined amount of retraction is started. Under the condition that the cleaning liquid is supplied into the suction pipe, the brush portion 9b moves forward while brushing in the suction pipe, whereby the inside of the suction pipe is brushed and cleaned. As the motor 11 is driven to rotate, the brush portion 9b gradually approaches the opening 25a.

  During the brushing operation, the control unit 15 determines whether the feed amount of the wire 9c has reached a predetermined amount based on the calculation result calculated by the CPU 15a based on the detection signal output from the rotation detection device as shown in step S4. Determine whether or not. Then, when it is determined from the calculation result that the brush unit 9b is derived from the opening 25a by a predetermined amount, the control unit 15 proceeds to step S5 and determines whether or not the cleaning liquid is contaminated. That is, the determination is made based on the sensing level obtained by the CPU 15 a based on the comparison signal input from the comparator 16 to the control unit 15. In addition, when the brush portion 9b is led out from the opening 25a in a state where the brushing operation is performed, dirt attached to the brush portion 9b is lifted up in the cleaning liquid.

  When the control unit 15 determines that the pipeline is dirty, the process proceeds to step S6, and a control signal for rotating the motor 11 in the clockwise direction is output to perform brushing again, and the wire 9c is wound up. Take control. At this time, the control unit 15 monitors the presence or absence of an output signal from the brush detection unit 12 as shown in step S7. If the brush unit 9b has passed the brush detection unit 12, the process proceeds to step S1, and the rotation of the motor 11 is switched counterclockwise under the control of the control unit 15 to resume from the brush feed operation.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 15 determines in step S5 that the degree of cleaning is good, the process proceeds to step S8 to execute a brush feeding operation. Then, the wire 9c is continuously sent out and the brush portion 9b is inserted into the detection space 8s. At this time, since the control unit 15 continues to detect the dirt, the light from the light emitting element 8c to the light receiving element 8d is blocked by the brush unit 9b that goes to the back in the detection space 8s. Then, many comparison signals are input to the CPU 15a. At this time, the control unit 15 determines that the brush unit 9b has reached the light emitting element 8c, and proceeds to step S10. In step S <b> 10, the control unit 15 outputs a control signal for winding the wire 9 c to the motor 11. Then, the control part 15 monitors the presence or absence of the output signal from the brush detection part 12, as shown to step S11. And if the input of the detection signal output from the brush detection part 12 is confirmed, based on control of the control part 15, the rotation of the motor 11 will be stopped, a washing | cleaning process will be complete | finished, and it transfers to the following rinse process.

  In this way, by providing a dirt detector on the bottom surface of the washing tank and detecting the dirt state of the washing liquid to determine the degree of washing in the pipeline, the user does not check the degree of washing, and the washing above a certain level is confirmed. The effect can be obtained stably.

  Further, based on the detection signal output from the rotation detection device, the liquid is contaminated in a state where the brush portion of the cleaning brush is led out from the opening and the contamination detection unit does not detect the contamination of the cleaning liquid. And a brush position detecting means for detecting the tip position of the brush part by determining that the brush part has reached the dirt detecting part by the control part when a comparison signal for notifying is output. Also used as a brush position detection sensor.

  In the present embodiment, the voltage is lowered when there is little dirt, but the voltage may be set higher.

  In the present embodiment, light is transmitted to determine the degree of contamination of the cleaning liquid. However, the light may be reflected to determine the degree of contamination of the cleaning liquid.

  Furthermore, the wavelength of the light emitted from the light emitting element may be made to correspond to a dirt substance (for example, protein) so that fluorescence can be obtained when the dirt substance is irradiated with light.

  In the above-described cleaning process, the brush portion 9b performs a brushing operation in a situation where the cleaning liquid is supplied into the suction pipe during the suction pipe cleaning. For this reason, when the brush portion 9b is led out from the opening 25a, the dirt is diffused by the flow of the cleaning liquid flowing in the suction pipe, and the reliability of the dirt detection result may be lowered. Therefore, when the control unit 15 determines that the brush unit 9b has reached the vicinity of the opening 25a based on the feed amount calculated based on the detection signal output from the rotation detection device, the control unit 15 controls the suction. The supply of the cleaning liquid to the pipe line may be stopped.

  Thus, when the control unit 15 determines that the brush portion 9b is led out from the opening 25a, it is possible to prevent the dirt from being diffused and to prevent the dirt detection accuracy from being lowered.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the cleaning process, the cleaning of the outer surface of the endoscope 20 and the cleaning of the conduit including the suction conduit are performed simultaneously. For this reason, when a water flow is generated in the cleaning tank 5 by the cleaning liquid flowing into the cleaning tank 5 from the water supply port 5a, the dirt may be diffused and the reliability of the dirt detection result may be reduced. For this reason, in the cleaning process, the outer surface cleaning process for cleaning the outer surface of the endoscope and the cleaning process for cleaning the suction pipe may be performed separately.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent the dirt from being diffused by the cleaning liquid supplied from the water supply port and reducing the reliability of the dirt detection result.

  If the outer surface cleaning process and the suction line cleaning process are separate processes, the cleaning liquid after the outer surface cleaning process is once discharged from the cleaning tank, and then the suction line is cleaned with a new cleaning liquid. As a result, the dirt detection accuracy can be greatly improved.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when it is determined in step S5 that the cleaning liquid is not contaminated, the brush portion 9b is moved to the light emitting element 8c, and then the wire 9c is wound up to finish the cleaning process. However, by using the dirt detection unit 8 also as a brush part position detection sensor, the dirt detection accuracy can be greatly improved.

  Specifically, after it is determined in step S5 that the cleaning liquid is not contaminated, when the brush unit 9b moves to a position where the light emitted from the light emitting element 8c is blocked, the motor 11 is controlled based on the control of the control unit. Time rotation drive control. Then, the brush portion 9b is moved back and forth for a predetermined time as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 14, and then moved back by a predetermined amount, and it is determined again whether or not the cleaning liquid is dirty. If dirt is attached to the brush portion 9b, the dirt floats up in the cleaning liquid by the forward / backward movement. Thereafter, the control unit 15 determines the degree of contamination of the cleaning liquid, and performs brushing again based on the determination result. As a result, the reliability of the dirt detection result can be greatly improved.

  Instead of causing the dirt adhering to the brush portion 9b to stand up in the cleaning liquid by moving the brush portion 9b back and forth, an ultrasonic transducer 34 is disposed in the detection space 8s as shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be determined whether or not the cleaning liquid is contaminated after ultrasonic vibration is generated from the ultrasonic transducer 34. When dirt is attached to the brush portion 9b, the dirt floats in the cleaning liquid due to the generated ultrasonic vibration.

  When the control unit 15 determines that the brush unit 9b is derived from the opening 25a as shown in step S4 by providing the ultrasonic transducer 34 in the flow line in which the brush unit 9b moves, Under the control of the control unit 15, the ultrasonic vibrator 34 is driven to generate ultrasonic waves, so that the dirt adhering to the brush part 9 b is raised in the cleaning liquid and detection of the cleaning liquid contamination is detected. You may make it perform.

  By the way, in the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus described above, when the brush portion 9b is fed and wound, the motor 11 is rotated in a predetermined direction to move the wire 9c held between the rollers 14 and 15. However, when the brush portion 9b is fed out, the brush portion 9b may be prevented from advancing due to the resistance generated between the brush portion 9b and the inner surface of the conduit depending on the diameter or length of the conduit. Even when the forward movement of the brush portion 9b is hindered, the motor 11 continues to rotate, so that only the wire 9c is fed out without the brush portion 9b being advanced.

  Then, although the rotation detection device for detecting the wire feed amount is provided in the motor 11, it becomes difficult to measure the feed amount. In order to eliminate this problem, for the purpose of accurately measuring the feed amount of the brush portion 9b, for example, a protrusion, a magnetic body, a coloring portion, etc. are provided as a detection portion in the middle portion of the wire 9c, while the device main body side It is considered to provide a sensor for detecting the detection unit.

  However, the provision of the detection portion on the wire 9c causes a problem that the cleaning brush 9a becomes expensive, so that it is possible to accurately measure the feed amount of the brush portion without providing the detection portion on the cleaning brush. A mirror cleaning disinfection device is desired.

  16 and 17 relate to another configuration of the cartridge. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the cartridge including the wire movement amount detection unit, and FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the cartridge 9G of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to the present embodiment is in addition to the rollers 13 and 14 that press and hold the wire 9c and move the wire 9c by the rotation of the motor 11. In addition, a wire movement amount detection unit 80 provided in the rollers 13A and 14A is provided.

  The rollers 13A and 14A constituting the wire movement amount detection unit 80 are configured to hold the wire 9c with a preset pressing force and rotate as the wire 9c moves. The roller 13A is provided with a rotating plate 81 that rotates as the roller 13A rotates. Concave portions 82 are regularly formed on the outer periphery of the rotating plate 81.

  On the other hand, the cartridge 9G is provided with a transmission sensor 83 which is a non-contact sensor in order to measure the rotation amount of the rotating plate 81. The transmissive sensor 83 includes a light emitting element 84 and a light receiving element 85, and a detection signal from the transmissive sensor 83 is output to the control unit 15.

  According to this configuration, for example, in a state where the wire 9c sandwiched between the rollers 13 and 14 is moved by rotating the motor 11, the CPU 15a performs brushing based on the detection signal output from the transmission sensor 83. The feed amount of the part is calculated.

  As described above, by providing the wire movement amount detection device, the feed amount can be measured with high accuracy by calculating the feed amount from the distance that the wire is actually moved. In this way, in order to clean endoscopes having different pipe lengths, a cleaning brush corresponding to an endoscope having a long pipe length is prepared without preparing a cartridge having a cleaning brush corresponding to the pipe length. It is possible to prepare one type of brush storage cartridge provided with the cleaning operation. For this reason, it is possible to provide an inexpensive cleaning brush to the user and eliminate the user's installation mistake.

  By the way, in an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus that automatically brushes and cleans the pipeline of the endoscope, a wire constituting the cleaning brush is pressed and held by, for example, a pair of rollers, and one of the rollers is rotated by a driving force of a motor. Thus, the wire is moved to insert and remove the brush portion. However, when the brush part is fed out, slippage occurs between the roller and the wire, so that the motor that rotates the roller is provided with a rotation detection device for detecting the wire feed amount. It has become difficult to detect accurately. For this reason, an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus capable of accurately measuring the feed amount of the cleaning brush is desired.

  18 to 24 show another configuration of the cartridge, FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a cartridge having a rotatable reel, and FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a cleaning brush accommodated in the cartridge. 20 is a diagram showing another configuration of the cleaning brush accommodated in the cartridge, FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another configuration of the cleaning brush accommodated in the cartridge, and FIG. 22 is another configuration of the cleaning brush accommodated in the cartridge. FIG. 23 is a top view for explaining another configuration of the cartridge having a rotatable reel, and FIG. 24 is a front view of the cartridge of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the cartridge 9H of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus of this embodiment includes a rotatable reel 86 in the cartridge 9H. A thread winding groove 87 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reel 86, and the thread 91 constituting the cleaning brush 90 is disposed and wound around the thread winding groove 87. As shown in FIG. 19, the cleaning brush 90 includes a brush portion 92 at the tip of the thread 91, and a proximal end side of the brush portion 92 is provided with, for example, a disk-shaped fluid receiving portion 93 that receives water pressure.

  The cartridge 9H is provided with a fluid supply port 9k. Cleaning fluid or the like is supplied from the fluid supply port 9k. For example, when the cleaning liquid is supplied into the cartridge 9H, the brush portion 92 is sent out from the tip end portion 9m of the cartridge 9H toward the suction pipe by the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid. Then, with the movement of the brush portion 92, the yarn 91 is also sent out from the reel 86, and the reel 86 rotates.

  The reel 86 is provided with a rotation detection device (not shown) or a transmission type sensor 83 so that the rotation of the reel 86 is detected. The reel 86 is provided with a handle (not shown) so that the yarn sent out by the handle operation can be wound around the reel and the brush portion 92 can be collected.

  According to this configuration, when the brush portion 92 is sent out by water pressure, the yarn 91 is sent out from the reel 86 with the movement of the brush portion 92, and the reel 86 rotates by the amount that the yarn 91 is sent out. Therefore, by calculating the rotation amount of the reel 86, the feed amount of the brush portion 92 can be detected with high accuracy.

  As a result, the brush 92 can be sent out by a necessary amount with respect to the length of the pipe provided in the endoscope, and the brush in the pipe can be cleaned.

  Note that the configuration of the brush portion 92 of the cleaning brush is not limited to the configuration of FIG. 19. For example, as shown in FIG. Cleaning brush 90A using 92A itself as a fluid receiver, or cleaning brush 90B using a substantially cylindrical sponge as a sponge brush portion 92B at the tip of the thread 91 as shown in FIG. 21, or thread 91 as shown in FIG. For example, a cleaning brush 90 </ b> C provided with a plurality of brush portions 92, 92, 92 at equal intervals may be used.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the feed amount of the brush portion is detected by feeding the yarn together with the brush portion by water pressure and rotating the reel. However, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the cartridge 9N may be configured so that the brush portion is inserted into and removed from the conduit by water pressure.

  In the cartridge 9N shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, on the outer peripheral surface of the reel 86A, for example, a plurality of wings 88 that are fluid receiving portions for rotating the reel 86A in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing are equally spaced. Is provided. The wing portion 88 is provided on the upper side of the reel 86A in FIG. The cartridge 9N is provided with two fluid supply ports 9p and 9r. The first fluid supply port 9p is provided in the lower part of the cartridge 9N in FIG. 24, and most of the fluid is directed toward the small diameter portion 9e by supplying the fluid from the first fluid supply port 9p. It will flow. For this reason, the fluid pressure applied to the brush portion 92 becomes larger than the fluid pressure applied to the wing portion 88, the brush portion 92 and the thread 91 are sent out, and the reel 86A rotates in the clockwise direction.

  On the other hand, by supplying the fluid from the second fluid supply port 9r, the fluid is first ejected toward the wing portion 88 and then flows toward the small diameter portion 9e. For this reason, the fluid pressure applied to the wing portion 88 is greater than the fluid pressure applied to the brush portion 92, the reel 86A is rotated counterclockwise, and the yarn 91 is wound up along with the rotation of the reel 86A, and the brush portion. 92 is recovered.

  According to this configuration, by providing the first fluid supply port for feeding out the brush portion and the second fluid supply port for rotating the reel counterclockwise and the wing portion, the supply of the brush portion by the supply of fluid, The brush part can be collected.

  The reel 86A is provided with a reverse rotation prevention mechanism such as a ratchet mechanism (not shown) that mechanically restricts the rotation of the reel 86A counterclockwise. This prevents the reel from rotating in the direction of winding the yarn while the fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply port.

  By the way, when the endoscope pipe is cleaned with a brush, the user performs the cleaning by inserting and removing the brush. However, the endoscope can be automatically cleaned for the purpose of improving workability and work efficiency. A cleaning and disinfecting device is desired. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, it is known to remove the dirt 102 in the pipe line 100 by feeding the brush ball 101 into the pipe line 100 with water pressure. FIG. 25 is a view for explaining a brush ball for removing dirt in the pipe line.

  However, in the method of cleaning the brush ball by feeding it into the pipe line with water pressure, it is necessary to check whether the brush ball remains in the pipe line after completion of the cleaning. For this reason, the cleaning device is provided with a mesh rod or the like for reliably collecting the brush balls, and it is confirmed whether or not the number of brush balls sent out matches the number of collected brush balls. However, the operation of collecting the brush ball is troublesome for the operator, and a brush ball that can be collected easily and reliably is desired.

  FIG. 26 to FIG. 30 are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of a cleaning brush having a plurality of brush balls, and FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the cleaning brush in which a plurality of brush balls are slidably arranged on a guide wire. FIG. 27 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the guide wire constituting the cleaning brush is arranged in the pipeline, FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the brush ball is fed into the pipeline by water pressure, and FIG. 29 is in the pipeline. FIG. 30 illustrates a state in which the brush ball fed into the pipe passes through the pipe and is caught by the stopper, and FIG. 30 illustrates a state in which the cleaning brush is removed from the pipe and recovery of the brush ball remaining in the pipe. It is a figure to do.

  FIG. 26 shows a cleaning brush 110 that can easily and reliably collect a plurality of brush balls 111, 111. The cleaning brush 110 includes a guide wire 112, a plurality of brush balls 111 provided with brush hairs in a tube body 113 having a through-hole through which the guide wire 112 is inserted, and a disc fixed to one end of the guide wire 112, for example And a disc-shaped brush retaining portion 115 fixed to the other end of the guide wire 112. In the cleaning brush 110 of this embodiment, the brush ball 111 is slidable with respect to the guide wire 112.

The operation of the cleaning brush 110 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 27, when performing brush cleaning, the proximal end, which is the other end of the guide wire 112, is gripped by the gripping member 116, and the stopper 114 is connected to the endoscope 117 with water pressure. Into 100. Then, the stopper 114 sent into the pipe line 100 is discharged to the outside from the tip opening 118, and the guide wire 112 is inserted into the pipe line 100.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 28, the plurality of brush balls 111 are intermittently fed into the pipe line 100 by water pressure. Then, the brush ball 111 fed into the pipe line 100 is discharged to the outside through the tip opening 118 while removing dirt 102 in the pipe line, and is caught by the stopper.

  When all the brush balls 111 are fed into the pipe line 100, the cleaning liquid is continuously supplied into the pipe line 100 for a while. As a result, as shown in FIG. 29, brush cleaning in the conduit 100 is performed, and a predetermined number of brush balls 111 are caught on the stopper 114.

  Next, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped, and the gripping state on the proximal side of the guide wire 112 by the gripping member 116 is released as shown in FIG. Then, the operator grasps the retaining portion 115 side and removes the guide wire from the inside of the conduit 100. At this time, even if the brush ball 111 remains in the pipeline as shown by the dotted line, the brush ball 111 is caught by the brush retaining portion 115 and the guide wire 112 is pulled out. It is taken out.

  In this way, by providing a plurality of brush balls in a guide wire including a stopper and a brush retaining portion so as to be able to advance and retreat, it is possible to perform good brush cleaning with a plurality of brush balls pumped into the pipeline, A plurality of brush balls can be collected easily and reliably.

  By the way, conventionally, when cleaning the endoscope conduit, brushing was performed by inserting the brush portion of the cleaning brush into the conduit, and cleaning water was fed into the conduit using an injection tube. . At that time, since the operator performed the brushing work and the liquid feeding work separately, it was a troublesome work.

  FIG. 31 to FIG. 33 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the cleaning brush having the nozzle portion, FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining the cleaning brush connected to the liquid feed pump unit, and FIG. 32 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning brush. FIG. 33 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the cleaning brush.

As shown in FIG. 31, the cleaning brush 120 of the present embodiment is connected to a liquid feed pump unit (pump unit) 130 and used for cleaning work.
As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the cleaning brush 120 includes a brush part 121, a nozzle part 123 having a plurality of jet ports 122, an elongated hollow tube 124, and a pump unit connection part 125. . The pump unit connection part 125 is a so-called one-touch joint and is detachably coupled to the connection port 131 of the pump unit 130. The pump unit connection part 125 is provided on the proximal end side of the hollow tube 124. The hollow tube 124 is a tube body, and sends the cleaning liquid or cleaning water supplied from the pump unit 130 toward the nozzle portion 123.

  The nozzle portion 123 has a cylindrical shape, and the opening end side, which is one end side, is integrally provided at the distal end portion of the hollow tube 124. The nozzle portion 123 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially, for example, a plurality of jet nozzles 122 communicating with the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface at equal intervals. For example, the cleaning liquid sent to the hollow tube 124 from the pump unit connection part 125 side passes through the jet port 122 formed in the nozzle part 123 and is jetted to the outside.

  The brush portion 121 is provided on the other end surface of the nozzle portion 123, and the other end of the core material 126 constituting the brush portion 121 is integrally fixed to the approximate center of the other end surface of the nozzle portion 123.

  When cleaning the inside of the pipe line (not shown), the operator connects the pump unit connection part 125 provided in the cleaning brush 120 to the connection port 131 of the pump unit 130. Next, the operator attaches the cleaning liquid bottle 132 to the pump unit 130 and turns on the device switch 133. Then, a liquid feed pump (not shown) in the pump unit 130 is driven, and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid bottle 132 is supplied to the hollow tube 124. Then, the cleaning liquid is ejected to the outside through the ejection port 122 formed in the nozzle portion 123.

  Therefore, the operator can perform brushing in the pipe line with the brush portion 121 while feeding the cleaning liquid while the hollow tube 124 of the cleaning brush 120 is inserted into the pipe line. Freed from annoyance.

  In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the brush part 121 and the nozzle part 123 are provided on the distal end side of the cleaning brush 120 is shown. However, the configuration of the cleaning brush 120 is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 33, a plurality of hollow tubes 141, 142, 143,... The cleaning brush 140 may be configured to be connected to the nozzle pipe 145 provided. The brush pipe 144 is configured with brush hairs on the outer surface. The jet nozzles 122 are arranged circumferentially in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle pipe 145.

  The brush pipe 144 and the nozzle pipe 145 are provided alternately, for example, with the nozzle pipe 145 disposed on the tip side. Reference numeral 146 denotes a plug member that closes the tip opening of the nozzle pipe 145.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 15 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting system including an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus with a top cover opened and an endoscope to be cleaned. Block diagram for explaining the pipeline structure of the endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus The figure explaining the structure of a dirt detection part AA line sectional view of FIG. The figure explaining the electrical relationship of a dirt detection part, a control part, and a brush feed motor The figure explaining the effect | action of the dirt detection part when there is little dirt of the liquid in a washing tank The figure explaining the relationship between the output voltage output from the amplifier which received the detection signal from a light receiving element, and a threshold voltage The figure explaining the output condition of the comparison signal output from a comparator when there is little dirt of the liquid in a dirt detection space The figure explaining the effect | action of a dirt detection part when there is much dirt of the liquid in a washing tank The figure explaining the relationship between the output voltage output from the amplifier which received the detection signal from a light receiving element, and a threshold voltage The figure explaining the output condition of the comparison signal output from a comparator when there is much dirt of the liquid in dirt detection space. The figure explaining the relationship between an endoscope, a cleaning brush insertion / extraction device, and a dirt detection sensor Flowchart for explaining an example of suction pipe cleaning The figure explaining the example of control which raises the dirt adhering to the brush part of a cleaning brush in cleaning liquid The figure explaining the structure which provides the ultrasonic vibrator in the washing tank, and makes the dirt adhering to the brush part of the washing brush stand up in the washing liquid 16 and 17 relate to another configuration of the cartridge, and FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the cartridge including the wire movement amount detection unit. BB sectional view of FIG. 18 to FIG. 24 relate to another configuration of the cartridge, and FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the cartridge including a rotatable reel. The figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the washing brush accommodated in a cartridge The figure which shows the other structure of the washing brush accommodated in a cartridge The figure which shows another structure of the washing brush accommodated in a cartridge The figure which shows another structure of the washing brush accommodated in a cartridge A top view illustrating another configuration of a cartridge having a rotatable reel Front view of the cartridge of FIG. The figure explaining the brush ball which removes the dirt in the pipeline 26 to 30 are diagrams for explaining the configuration and operation of a cleaning brush having a plurality of brush balls, and FIG. 26 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning brush in which a plurality of brush balls are slidably arranged on a guide wire. The figure explaining the state which has arrange | positioned the guide wire which comprises a washing brush in a pipe line The figure explaining the state which has sent the brush ball into the pipe line with water pressure The figure explaining the state where the brush ball sent into the pipeline passes through the pipeline and is caught by the stopper The figure explaining the state which withdraws a cleaning brush from the inside of a pipe line, and collection of the brush ball which remained in the pipe line FIG. 31 to FIG. 33 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a cleaning brush having a nozzle portion, and FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining a cleaning brush connected to a liquid feed pump unit. The figure explaining the composition of a cleaning brush The figure explaining other composition of a cleaning brush

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope washing | cleaning disinfection system 2 ... Endoscope washing / disinfecting device 5 ... Cleaning tank 7 ... Insertion part tip arrangement member 8 ... Dirt detection part 8a ... 1st attachment member 8b ... 2nd attachment member 8d ... Light receiving element 8c ... Light-emitting element 8e ... collar 8s ... dirt detection space 8w ... wall 9 ... brush storage cartridge 9a ... cleaning brush 9b ... brush part 9c ... wire 10 ... cleaning brush insertion / extraction device 11 ... brush feed motor 12 ... brush detection unit 13, 14 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Roller 15 ... Control part 16 ... Comparator 17 ... Amplifier 20 ... Endoscope 21 ... Base 22 ... Insertion part 23 ... Air / water supply pipe arrangement part 24 ... Suction pipe arrangement part 30 ... Cleaning nozzle attachment / detachment part 31 ... Nozzle for air line cleaning
32 ... Nozzle for water supply pipe cleaning 33 ... Nozzle for suction pipe cleaning

Claims (5)

A brush storage cartridge that contains a cleaning brush that is automatically inserted into and removed from the endoscope channel of the endoscope to clean the inside of the device having a cleaning tank in which the endoscope is disposed. In an endoscope cleaning / disinfecting device that is detachably disposed,
Whether or not the cleaning tank is provided with a dirt detection means for detecting the degree of dirt in the endoscope pipe line, and whether or not to continue washing in the pipe line with the washing brush based on the detection result of the dirt detection means in the apparatus main body. An endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus characterized by comprising a determination means for determining   The dirt detector includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are disposed on a wall portion provided on an attachment member installed on a bottom surface of the cleaning tank. The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to Item 1.   The detection means detects a dirt state in a dirt detection space constituted by the mounting member and a bottom surface by measuring a transmission amount of light emitted from the light emitting element or a reflection amount of light. The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to claim 2.   The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dirt detection means also serves as a brush position detection means for detecting whether or not the cleaning brush is protruded from the distal end side of the endoscope conduit. Cleaning disinfection device.   The endoscope cleaning / disinfecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an ultrasonic vibrator is provided in the cleaning tank so as to float dirt adhering to the cleaning brush.

Images