JPH114876A - Wet sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform sterilization process efficiently in a short time and to prevent a fibrous subject for sterilization from being deteriorated by exposure to high-temperature steam. SOLUTION: A cart 3a carrying a subject to be sterilized and put into the can of a wet sterilizer comprises vertical and horizontal pipes 7, 8a, 8b. The pipes are communicated together. A plurality of nozzles 9 from which to eject steam or air are attached to each pipe at separate positions. The plug 11 of an automatic connector which receives the supply of steam or air by fitting into a socket provided in the can is provided on a part of each pipe.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the use of used medical instruments, instruments, clothes used by patients,
The present invention relates to a steam sterilizer used to sterilize articles requiring sterilization, such as bedding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, used medical instruments, instruments, clothes and bedding used by patients are washed, sterilized, stored, and prepared for reuse.

[0003] For sterilization, steam sterilizers are generally widely used. In steam sterilization, the material to be sterilized is sealed in a pressure-resistant can that can supply high-pressure and high-temperature saturated steam (hereinafter simply referred to as steam) or air, or create a negative pressure inside the container. The sterilization is performed through the steps of sterilization, exhaust, drying and cooling.

[0004] In the preheating step, when steam is directly applied to a cooled material to be sterilized, the steam condenses, and in the case of a fibrous material to be sterilized,
In a process for preventing the material from being deeply wetted, the temperature of the material to be sterilized is increased by blowing heated air at about 120 ° C., for example.

[0005] The vacuum step is a step in which air contained in the material to be sterilized is extracted so that steam enters into the deep part of the material to be sterilized in the sterilization step. In order to efficiently remove air, steam is blown and discharged. Are repeated in a pulsed manner. For example, so as to operate efficiently vent while shocked object to be sterilized by the can in air pressure is changed alternately and 2 kg / cm ² and -1 kg / cm ^2.

[0006] The sterilization step is performed by blowing steam into the can and keeping the pressure at about 2 kg / cm ² . The temperature in the can becomes about 130 ° C.

[0007] In the exhausting step, the steam in the can is exhausted and the inside of the can is brought to atmospheric pressure.

In the drying step, since the object to be sterilized gets wet due to condensation of steam, the moisture is removed. For example, 100
The temperature and pressure in the can are changed in a pulsed manner by alternately blowing and exhausting aseptic hot air at ℃.

[0009] In the cooling step, if an object to be sterilized whose temperature is rising is taken out as it is, it absorbs the outside air and inhales the suspended bacteria in the air. In addition, since the temperature is high, there is a danger of the operator being burned. This is a step of cooling by blowing sterile air at room temperature.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are a side view and a front view, respectively, schematically showing an embodiment in which an object to be sterilized is put into a steam sterilizer. The fibrous material to be sterilized 1 such as clothes is bundled and mounted on a shelf 4 formed by arranging pipes of a cart (handcart) 3 that can travel on the floor by wheels 2 and a can 5 of a sterilizer (the lid is (Not shown)
Can be put in. On the side wall of the can 5, a roller 6 rotatable around a horizontal axis is provided. The cart 3 pushed into the can 5 is placed on the roller 6 with a lower outer horizontal pipe 7 constituting the cart. 5 inside. The object 1 to be sterilized put in the can 5 together with the cart 3 is subjected to the above-described steps after the lid of the can is sealed.

[0011]

In the sterilization operation, it is desirable to perform sufficient sterilization in a short time. Also, depending on the material to be sterilized, excessive sterilization may be harmful. For example, the material of a fibrous material to be sterilized deteriorates when sterilization is repeated, but the progress of deterioration becomes significant when exposed to high-pressure steam. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the time during which the object is exposed to the steam.

[0012]

According to the steam sterilizer of the present invention, pipes constituting a cart for placing an object to be sterilized are made freely communicate with each other, and steam is spouted toward the object to be sterilized placed on a shelf 4. A large number of nozzles are dispersed and attached to the pipes so that all the objects to be sterilized and the steam can be evenly contacted, and steam, air, etc. are supplied between a part of the cart pipe and the can wall. It is configured by providing an automatic coupler that allows the fluid to pass through.

[0013]

[Action] When steam is blown into a part of the pipes constituting the cart, the steam can be jetted toward the object to be sterilized from the nozzles dispersed and attached to each pipe, so that the steam is filled as in the past. The temperature of the object to be sterilized can be raised more quickly and at the same time than when the object to be sterilized is simply placed on a cart in the can thus set. Therefore, to compensate for the slow rise in temperature of the object to be sterilized depending on the place in the can, the object to be sterilized placed in a place where the temperature rises quickly is exposed to excessively high temperature steam by increasing the heating time. Can be prevented.
Therefore, in the case of a fibrous material to be sterilized, deterioration of the material can be delayed.

Further, in the drying step of removing moisture from the object to be sterilized by alternately reducing the pressure in the can and blowing hot air, the effect of blowing hot air is quickly obtained because the blowing of hot air is performed near the object to be sterilized. The drying process can be completed quickly.

Also, after the drying step, in the cooling step of blowing sterile air at normal temperature into the can to cool the object to be sterilized, cool air is blown to all the objects to be sterilized regardless of the place in the can. And can be cooled uniformly and quickly.

In this manner, the sterilization can be performed quickly to shorten the processing time and to delay the deterioration of the material of the fibrous material to be sterilized.

[0017]

1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a cart, FIG. 2 is a front view of the same, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing only a main part of the can, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4, illustrating an automatic coupler of the steam passage, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 5, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the socket.

The appearance of the cart 3a is the same as that of the conventional cart 3 described above. In the illustrated cart, shelves constituted by pipes are provided in four stages, but may be in three stages or the like. However, in the cart 3a according to the present invention, the insides of the vertical and horizontal pipes 7, 8a, 8b and 8c constituting the same are communicated with each other, and the horizontal pipes 8b and 8c have a large number of steam and air for blowing out. Nozzle 9 is attached. The ejection direction of the nozzle is directed toward or near the object to be sterilized placed on the cart. Reference numeral 10 denotes a handle cover fixed to the vertical pipe 8a. A plug 11 of an automatic pipe coupling is attached to a lower outer pipe 7 and an inner wall of the can 5 facing the plug 11 when the cart is put in the can, as shown in FIG. Is installed.

The plug 11 is, as shown in FIGS.
A short tube 27 having a rectangular cross section having a flange 27a formed therein is connected to and welded to the inside of the horizontal pipe 7 on the outer side of the lower part of the cart, and an inner tube 28 having a rectangular cross section formed of a slippery resin at the outer end and having a flange 28a formed thereon Is fitted. The flange 28a is formed with a slope that spreads toward the pipe 7, and the flange 27a is formed with a slope that narrows the pipe 7 side.

The can 5 has an inlet 29 for blowing steam or air.
Slot 3 provided with a cover 30 for covering the
0b (FIG. 8) and a small bolt inserted therethrough so that the upper and lower positions can be adjusted freely at a position between the rollers 6. 31 is a packing. A short pipe 32 having a circular cross section is welded to the cover 30, and a vertically movable socket tube 33 is inserted through the short pipe 32.
An outer end of the socket tube 33 is connected to an end plate 34 which is widened and inclined toward the socket tube. The end plate 34 is formed with a square hole 34a slightly larger than the outer end of the flange 28a of the inner tube 28 of the plug. The inner edge of the square hole 34a is inclined toward the socket cylinder, and the outer end plate of the square hole 34a is inclined toward the socket cylinder. Square hole 34a and socket tube 3
The portion different from the circular hole of No. 3 is closed by a part of the end plate. A compression spring 35 is interposed between the end plate 34 and the cover 30 to apply elastic force to the socket cylinder 33 to project it from the cover 30. The projection of the socket cylinder 33 is screwed to the socket cylinder 33. Limited by nut 36. 37 is an O-ring, 38 is a drain hole, and 39 is a packing.

Further, two guide plates 40 having a substantially Z-shaped cross section which are above and below the end plate 34 and opposed to each other are attached to the cover 30 by bolts 41. 42 is a flange 27a of the short pipe 27
43 is a sliding piece for improving sliding with the guide plate 40 facing the
Is shown.

Next, the operation of the plug 11 and the socket 12 configured as described above will be described. When the cart 3a is pushed into the can and the lower outer pipe 7 rides on the roller 6, the socket 12 is adjusted in position by the slot 30a so that the height of the plug 11 and the socket 12 are equal. When the cart is pushed into the can by placing the horizontal pipe 7 on the lower outside of the cart on the roller 6, the short pipe 27 of the plug 11 first enters the gap 43 of the guide plate 40, and is then attached to the inner surface of the can. The flange 28a of the inner tube 28 abuts on the end plate 34 of the socket 12. Since the flange 28a and the end plate 34 are inclined in a direction away from each other, when the cart is pushed in, the flange 28a rides on the end plate 34 while compressing the spring 35. The square hole 34a of the end plate 34 is the flange 2 of the inner tube 28.
Since it is formed slightly larger than the outer end of 8a, the flange 28a falls into the square hole 34a of the end plate at the place where they match, and the flange 28a and the end plate 34 are relatively stably engaged. If a stopper is provided in the can so that the cart stops at this position, the above connection operation can be performed more stably.

In this state, the cover 3
If the steam is blown toward zero, the steam enters the socket tube 33 and the inner tube 28 from the cover 30, and the cart pipes 7, 8a
-8c, and are sprayed from a plurality of nozzles 9 to perform sterilization.

Since steam is ejected from a large number of nozzles toward or around the object to be sterilized, the cart 3a
The object to be sterilized placed on the can is quickly heated, and the inside of the can is heated by steam ejected only from the blow-in port 29 provided on the wall of the can 5 as in the conventional case, whereby the object to be sterilized is heated. The object to be sterilized can be heated much more quickly than when the object is heated, so that the time during which the object to be sterilized is exposed to high-temperature steam can be reduced. In the drying step and the cooling step, high-temperature or low-temperature air is blown into the can through the plug 11 and the socket 12.

When the cart is taken out of the can 5 after the process from sterilization to cooling is completed, the cart is pulled out from the can, and the compression spring 35 is compressed while the flange 28a of the plug 11 is in the hole 34a of the end plate 34 of the socket. The socket tube 33 and the inner tube 28 come off over the edge, and the cart can be pulled out from the can 5. When the can of the sterilizer is of a penetration type (tunnel type), if the cart is pushed in the same direction as when the cart is pushed in, the flange 28a and the end plate 34 are similarly removed, and the cart can be pushed forward. If the stopper is of a hidden type, and the stopper is retracted when the cart is taken out of the can, the cart can be moved beyond the stopper position even in a penetrating sterilizer. In this example, the hole 34a of the end plate 34 and the flange 2 of the inner pipe are used.
Although the cross-sectional shape of the short pipe 27 and the inner pipe 28 and the hole of the end plate 34 are made square in order to strengthen the engagement with 8a, these may be made circular.

[0026]

【The invention's effect】

(1) The steam sterilizer of the present invention uses a cart that blows out steam, aseptic air, etc. from many places, toward the object to be sterilized,
Alternatively, since steam or air is ejected toward the vicinity thereof, the sterilization can be quickly performed by improving the heating and cooling of the object to be sterilized. When heating or cooling the temperature of the object to be sterilized, the temperature of the pipe of the cart on which the object to be sterilized is directly in contact is increased or decreased by the circulation of steam or cold air. This contributes to quickly raising and lowering the temperature.

(2) Therefore, in the steam sterilization process, a preheating step for raising the temperature of the object to be sterilized immediately after the steam is blown into the can and put in the can, and the vacuum suction and steam blowing in the sterilizer are performed. All of the vacuum process repeated alternately, the sterilization process in which the temperature of the object to be sterilized is raised by blowing steam, the drying process in which hot air blowing and suction are repeated, and the cooling process by blowing normal temperature air are all performed in a short time. Thus, the sterilization process can be performed efficiently in a short time.

(3) Therefore, the time during which the object to be sterilized is exposed to the high-temperature steam can be reduced, and the deterioration of the fibrous object to be sterilized by the high-temperature steam can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cart according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cart.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cart.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a can of a steam sterilizer.

FIG. 5 AA of FIG. 4 illustrating an automatic coupler of the steam passage.
FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the plug.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the socket.

FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing a state in which an object to be sterilized is placed in a steam sterilizer (longitudinal section).

FIG. 10 is a front view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Object to be sterilized 2 Wheels 3 and 3a Cart 4 Shelf 5 Sterilizer can 6 Roller 7 Lower horizontal pipe 8a, 8b, 8c Pipe 9 Nozzle 10 Handle cover 11 Plug 12 Socket 27 Short pipe 27a Flange 28 Inner pipe 28a Flange 29 Inlet 30 Cover 30a Flange 30b Long hole 31 Packing 32 Short pipe 33 Socket tube 34 End plate 34a Square hole 35 Compression spring 36 Nut 37 O ring 38 Drain hole 39 Packing 40 Guide plate 41 Bolt 42 Sliding piece 43 Gap

Claims (1)

[Claims] The present invention relates to a can for a steam sterilizer and a pipe for dispersing nozzles for discharging steam toward the vicinity of an object to be sterilized placed on the cart. A steam sterilizer having an automatic coupler for flowing a fluid between a part of a pipe of a cart and a cart.