JP2015084795A - Steam sterilization apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In a steam sterilization apparatus using clean steam obtained by heating and vaporizing pure water for sterilization, the space of the apparatus is reduced and the quality of clean steam supplied to a sterilization tank is improved. A main body container 1 having a double can structure comprising a sterilization tank 11 for containing an object to be sterilized and a jacket 12 surrounding the outside thereof, and a clean which generates clean steam V2 by heating and vaporizing pure water W. The steam supply source 2, the first steam supply passages P2 and P3 for supplying the clean steam V2 into the jacket 12, and the drain D separated from the clean steam V2 in the jacket 12 are recovered from the clean steam supply source 2. Drain collecting means P4, 23 and second steam supply paths P6, 13 for supplying clean steam V2 passing through the jacket 12 to the sterilization tank 11 are provided, and the jacket 12 is rust-proof. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing medical instruments and the like using clean steam vaporized by heating saturated steam, particularly pure water.

  As a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing medical instruments and medical clothing used in hospitals, there is a steam sterilization apparatus using high-temperature saturated steam. In this type of steam sterilization apparatus, an object to be sterilized is sealed in a sterilization chamber, and superheated steam (hereinafter simply referred to as steam) exceeding 100 degrees Celsius is fed into the sterilization chamber. It kills bacteria attached to the object to be sterilized.

  In this type of steam sterilization apparatus, since the sterilization effect and the drying effect are affected by the quality of the steam, it is necessary to supply high-quality steam. Therefore, in recent years, pure water (RO water) filtered using a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane), which is obtained by indirectly heating and vaporizing the pure water (RO water) with normal vapor, is a clean vapor (free of impurities). There are many devices that use clean steam (hereinafter referred to as clean steam), and awareness of the quality of steam is also increasing.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing a conventional steam sterilizer using such clean steam. That is, in FIG. 2, reference numeral 100 denotes a main body container, which has a double can structure including a sterilization tank (inner can) 101 for storing an object to be sterilized and a jacket (outer can) 102 covering the outside. Yes.

  Reference numeral 110 denotes a clean steam supply unit, and steam (hereinafter referred to as normal steam) generated by heating pure water W supplied to the pure water tank 111 by heating normal water with a boiler (not shown) in the heat exchanger 112. This sterilization tank in which the object to be sterilized is accommodated by supplying the clean steam V2 indirectly heated by V1 to the sterilization tank 101 in the main body container 100 through the drain separator 113 and the control valve 114. The interior of 101 is held at a predetermined pressure and temperature by clean steam V2 for a certain period of time.

  In addition, the jacket 102 surrounding the sterilization tank 101 enhances the sterilization effect by preheating or keeping the sterilization tank 101 and an object to be sterilized therein to a predetermined temperature, and further improves the sterilization effect. Although provided to prevent the object to be sterilized from getting wet due to the condensation of the clean steam V2, many of the conventional steam sterilization apparatuses use a general steel material (iron material) as the material of the main body container 100 including the sterilization tank 101 and the jacket 102. ) Is used, the clean steam V2 generated in the heat exchanger 112 of the clean steam supply unit 110 is directly supplied into the sterilization tank 101, and the jacket 102 has a normal steam V1 from a boiler (not shown). Is separately supplied via the control valve 115.

JP 09-285527 A

  However, in the conventional sterilization apparatus shown in FIG. 2, clean steam V2 is supplied to the sterilization tank 101 with dry (not including drain generated by condensation of part of the clean steam V2). It is necessary to provide the supply unit 110 with a large drain separator 113 for separating and removing the drain, which points out a problem that the installation space of the apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its technical problem is that in a steam sterilization apparatus using clean steam obtained by heating and vaporizing pure water for sterilization, space saving of the apparatus is achieved. And improving the quality of clean steam supplied to the sterilization tank.

  As a means for effectively solving the above technical problem, a steam sterilization apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 is a double can comprising a sterilization tank for storing an object to be sterilized and a jacket surrounding the outside of the sterilization tank. A main body container having a structure, a clean steam supply source for generating clean steam by heating and vaporizing pure water, and a first steam supply passage for supplying the clean steam into the jacket from the clean steam supply source; A drain collecting means for collecting the drain separated from the clean steam in the jacket, and a second steam supply passage for supplying clean steam passing through the jacket to the sterilization tank, and the jacket is rust-proof. It is characterized by that.

  A steam sterilization apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration according to the first aspect, the drain water recovered from the jacket by the drain recovery means is recirculated to the clean steam supply source.

  A steam sterilization apparatus according to a third aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, the jacket is made of rust prevention by being made of stainless steel.

  According to the steam sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, since the jacket for preheating or keeping the sterilization tank and the object to be sterilized therein to a predetermined temperature is rust-proof, it is supplied into the jacket. The quality of clean steam is prevented from deteriorating. For this reason, clean steam from the clean steam supply source is supplied to the sterilization tank through the jacket, so that the steam supply to the jacket is supplied to the sterilization tank. And can be simplified compared with the case where it is performed separately.

  Moreover, since the jacket functions as a large drain separator due to the provision of drain recovery means on the jacket, drain mist generated by the condensation of part of the clean steam is sufficiently removed and supplied to the sterilization tank. In addition to improving the quality of the clean steam, it is possible to reduce the space of the apparatus by eliminating the need to provide a separate drain separator.

  Furthermore, since the drain water recovered by the drain recovery means is pure water generated by the condensation of clean steam, it is heated and vaporized again with a clean steam supply source and used as clean steam. Cost can be reduced by reducing consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is schematic structure explanatory drawing which shows embodiment of the steam sterilizer which concerns on this invention. It is schematic structure explanatory drawing which shows an example of the conventional steam sterilizer.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a steam sterilization apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In this steam sterilization apparatus, reference numeral 1 is a main body container. The main body container 1 is a sterilization tank (inner can) 11 for storing an object to be sterilized such as a medical instrument or medical clothing, and a jacket ( It has a double can structure consisting of 12 outer cans). Moreover, the sterilization tank 11 can be opened and closed by a door (not shown), and thereby the sterilized object can be taken in and out.

  Reference numeral 2 is a clean steam supply source for supplying clean steam with pure water into the main body container 1 (sterilization tank 11 and jacket 12). The clean steam supply source 2 stores pure water W. The pure water tank 21 is connected to the pure water tank 21 via a water supply pipe P1, and pure water W supplied from the pure water tank 21 via the water supply pipe P1 is supplied with normal steam V1 from a boiler (not shown). A heat exchanger 22 that indirectly heats as a heat medium, and steam supply pipes P <b> 2 and P <b> 3 that supply clean steam V <b> 2 generated thereby to the jacket 12 in the main body container 1 through the upper air chamber 21 a of the pure water tank 21. And a drain recovery tank 23. The steam supply pipes P2 and P3 and the upper air chamber 21a of the pure water tank 21 correspond to the first steam supply path described in claim 1.

  A drain recovery pipe P4 is opened at the bottom 12a of the jacket 12 in the main body container 1, and a downstream end of the drain recovery pipe P4 is connected to a drain recovery tank 23 in the clean steam supply source 2, and this The drain recovery tank 23 is connected to the pure water tank 21 through the water supply pipe P5. The drain recovery pipe P4 and the drain recovery tank 23 correspond to the drain recovery means described in claim 1.

  The jacket 12 and the sterilization tank 11 in the main body container 1 are made of stainless steel to be rust-proof. The jacket 12 and the sterilization tank 11 are connected via a steam supply pipe P6 and a control valve 13 arranged in the middle of the flow path of the steam supply pipe P6. Specifically, one end of the steam supply pipe P6 is An opening is made in the upper wall surface of the jacket 12, and the other end is opened in the upper wall surface of the sterilization tank 11. The steam supply pipe P6 and the control valve 13 correspond to the second steam supply path described in claim 1.

  When the opening of the steam supply pipe P6 in the sterilization tank 11 contains drain due to condensation of a part of the clean steam V2 in the jacket 12, this drain is contained in the sterilization tank 11 together with the clean steam V2. A baffle plate 14 is attached to prevent the object to be sterilized contained in the sterilization tank 11 from getting wet.

  In order to perform sterilization using the steam sterilization apparatus configured as described above, a door (not shown) in the main body container 1 is opened, and an object to be sterilized such as a medical instrument or medical clothing is stored in the sterilization tank 11. After the door is sealed, the operation of the apparatus is started based on a preset program.

  Specifically, first, in the clean steam supply source 2, the pure water W stored in the pure water tank 21 is heated by the normal steam V1 from a boiler (not shown) in the heat exchanger 22 to be vaporized to generate the clean steam V2. The generated clean steam V2 is supplied from the upper part of the heat exchanger 22 to the jacket 12 in the main body container 1 through the steam supply pipe P2, the upper air chamber 21a of the pure water tank 21 and the steam supply pipe P3. Drain generated by condensing part of the clean steam V2 in the steam supply pipe P2 or the like is separated when passing through the upper air chamber 21a of the pure water tank 21 and is returned to the pure water tank 21.

  In addition, as the pure water W stored in the pure water tank 21, RO water obtained by filtering using a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) and the like containing almost no impurities is preferably used.

  A part of the clean steam V2 supplied to the jacket 12 is condensed and becomes drain (water droplets made of pure water W) D as the heat is released by heating the inside of the jacket 12, but this drain D Falls in the jacket 12 and is recovered in the drain recovery tank 23 in the clean steam supply source 2 through the drain recovery pipe P4 opened in the bottom 12a. Then, the drain D (pure water W) recovered from the jacket 12 is returned to the pure water tank 21 from the drain recovery tank 23 through the water supply pipe P5, so that it becomes clean steam V2 again in the heat exchanger 22. It will be supplied in the sterilization tank 11, and the usage-amount of the pure water W can be reduced.

  The clean steam V2 in the jacket 12 is supplied into the sterilization tank 11 through the control valve 13 and the steam supply pipe P6 when the control valve 13 is opened. As described above, the clean steam V2 not only separates and removes the drain D by the drain separator function of the jacket 12, but also the jacket 12 is made of stainless steel. When passing through the inside, it is not contaminated by impurities such as rust. For this reason, the sterilization tank 11 is supplied with high-quality clean vapor V2 that contains almost no liquid or impurities.

  At this time, even if the drain that could not be separated in the jacket 12 is included, this drain is separated and removed by colliding with the baffle plate 14 when sprayed from the steam supply pipe P6 into the sterilization tank 11. Since it falls to the bottom part of the sterilization tank 11, it can prevent that the to-be-sterilized thing accommodated in the sterilization tank 11 gets wet by the ejection of drain. In addition, the drain which fell to the bottom part of the sterilization tank 11 is discharged | emitted by the discharge means not shown.

  Further, since the jacket 12 is provided so as to surround the sterilization tank 11, it has a large volume and has a drain separation capability comparable to that of a large drain separator. Therefore, the jacket 12 is as clean as the conventional steam sterilization apparatus shown in FIG. There is no need to provide a large drain separator in the steam supply source 2, and therefore the clean steam supply source 2 can be downsized and its installation space can be reduced.

  Then, as described above, the process of supplying the clean steam V2 from the clean steam supply source 2 into the sterilization chamber tank 11 via the jacket 12 and then forcibly exhausting it by an unillustrated exhaust means is repeated a plurality of times. As a result, the inside of the sterilization tank 11 is sufficiently heated. By doing in this way, while improving a sterilization effect, wetting of the to-be-sterilized thing in the sterilization tank 11 can be prevented. When the inside of the sterilization tank 11 is sufficiently heated, the object to be sterilized in the sterilization tank 11 is sterilized by the wet heat of the saturated clean steam V2 by maintaining the inside of the sterilization tank 11 at a predetermined pressure and temperature.

  After a predetermined time for steam sterilization has elapsed, the inside of the sterilization tank 11 is forcibly evacuated by an unillustrated evacuation means and depressurized, and then the process of supplying clean air is repeated, thereby repeating the process. When evaporation of water adhering to the sterilized material is promoted and the material to be sterilized is sufficiently dried, the inside of the sterilization tank 11 is opened to atmospheric pressure by supplying clean air through a filter (not shown), and the door is opened and sterilized. Remove the item to be sterilized and complete the operation.

  In the embodiment described above, the jacket 12 is made of stainless steel in order to prevent the jacket 12 from being rusted. However, the jacket 12 may be made of other rust prevention means such as surface treatment.

1 Main body container 11 Sterilization tank 12 Jacket 13 Control valve (second steam supply path)
2 Clean steam supply source 21 Pure water tank 21a Upper air chamber 22 Heat exchanger 23 Drain recovery tank (drain recovery means)
P2, P3 steam supply pipe (first steam supply path)
P4 Drain collection pipe (Drain collection means)
P6 steam supply pipe (second steam supply path)
V1 Normal steam V2 Clean steam

Claims (3)

  A main body container of a double can structure composed of a sterilization tank for storing an object to be sterilized and a jacket surrounding the outside of the sterilization tank, a clean steam supply source for generating clean steam by heating and vaporizing pure water, and this A first steam supply passage for supplying the clean steam into the jacket from a clean steam supply source, a drain recovery means for recovering drain separated from the clean steam in the jacket, and a clean via the jacket A steam sterilization apparatus comprising a second steam supply path for supplying steam to the sterilization tank, wherein the jacket is rust-proof.   The steam sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the drain water collected by the drain collecting means from the inside of the jacket is returned to the clean steam supply source.   The steam sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the jacket is made of stainless steel to be rust-proof.

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