DE2938400A1 - Automatic sterilisation of tubing - having supply of disinfectant which is pulsed into tubing followed by flush of sterile water - Google Patents

Abstract

Appts. is for sterilising pipes and tubing using a disinfectant which is pumped from a vessel using compressed air into the tubing. The disinfectant is pumped as a series of pulses down the tube. Compressed air is applied to the vessel in pulses and this is followed up by opening a valve into the tubing. The disinfectant thus flows as a series of pulses down the tube. It is followed by a pulse of air and finally a rinse of sterile water. The appts. is for use on tubes and pipes in medical equipment. It uses less disinfectant than a continuous pumped system, is easier to operate and can be fully automated.

Description

Device for the disinfection of in particular

Hoses, pipelines and the like. The invention relates to a device for disinfecting, in particular, hoses, pipelines and like with liquid disinfectant, which is made with the help of a pressure source a container is conveyed in and through the cavity to be disinfected.

In the case of hoses and pipes that are not intended for single use, such as hose connections in irrigation and suction pumps for medical devices and devices, disinfection is regular to avoid the risk of infection of the line connections and also those that are permanently connected to these connections Components required. Disinfection is generally carried out with a liquid Disinfectant solution carried out by connecting the pump to the respective hose connected to a disinfectant container and the agent at constant Pressing a switch is continuously pumped through the cavities to be treated will.

You have to do this because of the constant pump operation and the associated with it large pump throughput accept a high consumption of disinfectant, if a proper disinfection with a sufficiently long exposure to the agent should be achieved. The container for the disinfectant must therefore often also be used be refilled several times with new solution, which is a correspondingly large effort in time and cost.

The object of the invention is to eliminate these disadvantages and in creating a disinfection facility that makes the best possible use the effect of the disinfectant, a low consumption of this agent and in addition, the greatest possible degree of automation of the disinfection process is guaranteed.

To achieve this object, the device mentioned at the beginning is according to the invention characterized by an intermittent delivery of the disinfectant.

This is in comparison to the steady promotion practiced up to now achieved that starting from a predetermined amount of disinfectant a Reached a relatively much longer time in which the agent in the to be disinfected Cavities can linger and act. So that means that you have to go beyond the prescribed Disinfection time with significantly less disinfectant than with the known ones Facilities of this type get by.

The intermittent or pulsed replenishment of disinfectant can be set with regard to the number and the pulse duty factor of these delivery pulses be that in adaptation to the properties of the agent used in each case optimal Results are achieved. Among other things, it will also affect the breaks between the individual clock pulses arrive, so that, for example, a fixed predetermined Frequency, the pulse duration and thus the following pause times can be set as required should be.

The intermittent promotion of the disinfectant can thereby be achieved that a switching valve is installed in a line carrying this agent, the one with the disinfectant container kept under pressure and with the one to be disinfected Has cavity connection and are cyclically operated for the purpose of opening and closing can.

It is advisable to use sterile water after the disinfection process be promoted through the cavity in question, which is also the procedure can that before introducing the sterile water first sterile gas into the line system is blown in to eventl. any remaining disinfectant residues to remove from the pipe system.

The successive switching and control processes can be in the form a fixed program and thus essentially completely automated will. For this purpose, a clock generator and a counter are provided, which with a control logic work together.

The clock controls the counter and a first timer in pulses which switching impulses for the intermittent actuation of the switching valve mentioned developed while the clock pulses are counted by the counter. After counting a preselected number of impulses the actual disinfection process is finished, so that with a pulse of the clock that follows the specified number of pulses the injection of the sterile gas into the previously treated with the disinfectant Cavity can be initiated.

ni are followed by a further pulse of the The clock of the counter and the control logic are reset to zero and a second Timer controlled, which then the introduction of sterile water into the relevant Will initiate cavity.

In the accompanying drawing is an embodiment of the invention shown. They show: FIG. 1 schematically the structure of a device according to the invention and FIG. 2 diagrams to illustrate the time courses of various control and switching pulses.

In the device of Figure 1, the interior of the between the Switching valve 1 and the nozzle 2 located hose to be disinfected Represent cavity. It is clear, however, that in addition to the tube 3 also other connections or components are included in the disinfection process can.

From the nozzle 2, a hose 4 leads to a container 5, which from liquids coming upstream from the lines, namely the disinfectant on the one hand and the sterile water on the other hand, is collected, as will be explained later will be.

There is also a container 6 for the disinfectant and a container 7 provided for the sterile water, optionally individually and by an air pump 8 depending on the position of the interposed valve 9 via lines 10 and 11 can be placed under overpressure. In the valve position shown is the pump 8 is connected to the container 6.

From the containers 6, 7 conveyor lines 12, 13 go to the entrances of a valve 14. In the position shown, this valve has disinfectant leading line 12 connection with the switching valve 1. With the other possible In the valve position, it would be line 13 that is connected to valve 1.

Otherwise, the valves are 3/2-way valves Actuating solenoids each together with one coming via the control line 1 5 Signal can be controlled and switched synchronously.

The electrical program control consists of a central control logic 16 with a clock 17, a counter 18 and two timers 19 and 20 cooperates in the following ways.

The device is activated by actuating the switch 21 set. The clock 17 starts up and generates pulses a at a constant frequency (Figure 2), which are counted by the counter 18 and each with their falling edge control the timing element 19 via the logic 16, which then with the clock pulses a synchronized switching pulses b developed.

These switching pulses arrive via the logic 16 and the line 22 to the switching valve 1, which is opened in the cycle of the pulses b.

Disinfectant is used while the switching valve is open from the container 6, which is kept constantly under pressure by the pump 8, via the line 12 and the valve 14 into the line 3 to be disinfected and from there finally get further into the container 5.

In the present embodiment, the container 6 and, if possible, the subsequent connections up to the connector 2 .1 should be emptied after fourteen clock pulses a. This series of pulses can occur over a period of about ten minutes, for example. With the 15th clock pulse a, valve 1 is then once again with a tsS Gap impulse b opened so that the pump can pump sterile air into the line system in order to blow it free of any residues of the disinfectant.

With the 16th clock pulse a determined by the counter 18 the logic 16 and the counter 18 are reset to zero or to the initial position and the further timer 20 is activated, which then sends a control pulse c developed, with which the two valves 9 and 14 via the control line 15 in the other position can be switched. The output of the pump 8 with the Valve 9 on the container 7 and the delivery line 13 with the valve 14 on the valve 1 switched, which with the 16th pulse via the logic 16 and the line 22 for the purpose Opening was controlled.

The pump now pushes sterile water from the container 7 into the Line 3 to rinse the inner wall of its cavity and of residual disinfectant to free, as far as such residues have not already been removed by the previous flushing sterile air should have been removed. The length of the pulse c should be chosen in this way that the entire amount of sterile water from the container 7 is pumped through the connected lines into the container 5.

At the end of the pulse c, the drive magnets of the valves 1, 9 and 14 de-energized, i.e. that the valves are in the rest position by their return springs are set, in which the valves 9,14 assume the switching positions shown and valve 1 is closed again. At the same time a pulse d is deleted, at the beginning of the first clock pulse a via the logic 16 a lamp 23 in operation for the visual display of a running disinfection program would have.

I) a the pump 8 draws in non-sterilized air from the environment, a sterile filter 24 is connected in the line between the pump and the valve 9. On the other hand, the filter could also be provided or on the suction side of the pump a separate filter can be connected upstream of each of the two containers 6 and 7.

In the context of the invention, various modifications of the shown and described embodiment are carried out. For example instead of the compressed air pump 8, a suction pump or to be arranged elsewhere another pressure source can be used. It is also possible to use the To omit switching valve 1 and the pump 8 for the intermittent delivery of the disinfectant to be put into operation in pulses. Preferably, however, with the switching valve worked since this enables more defined conveyor cycles.

Finally, the use of the device according to the invention is not limited to the disinfection of hoses, pipes and the like, as, among other things, also cavities any medical devices and instruments in the manner described with disinfectant applied, then if necessary charged with sterile compressed gas and can finally be rinsed with sterile water. So you could for example a cavity to be disinfected with an opening on the nozzle 2 and with his Connect another opening to the container 5.

Claims (6)

Claims 1. Device for disinfecting in particular Hoses, pipes and the like with liquid disinfectant that with the aid of a pressure source from a container in and through the respective to be disinfected Cavity is promoted, characterized by an intermittent promotion of the disinfectant. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the the disinfectant line leading to a switching valve (1), which is connected to the pressurized disinfectant container (6) and the one to be disinfected Has a cavity connection and can be actuated cyclically for the purpose of opening and closing. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that After the disinfection process, sterile water is pumped through the cavity in question will. 4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that through the cavity treated with disinfectant, first sterile gas and then sterile water is passed. 5. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized characterized in that a clock (17) and a counter (18) are provided which cooperate with a control logic (16) that the clock pulse-wise the counter and a first timer (19) controls which switching pulses for the clockwise Actuation of the control valve (1) develops the clock pulse (a) from the counter are counted that after counting a preselected number of pulses the disinfection process is ended or is that with a pulse following the above-mentioned number of pulses of the clock, the injection of sterile gas into the disinfectant treated cavity is introduced and that with a subsequent further Pulse of the clock generator of the counter and the control logic to zero or in the initial position be reset and a second timer (20) is controlled, which initiates the introduction of sterile water into the cavity concerned. 6. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized by a pump (8) as a pressure source, which depends on the position of a with the second timing element (20) controlled first valve (9) either the container (6) with disinfectant or pressurize the container (7) with sterile water, the conveying lines (11, 12) of the containers to the inlets of a second valve (14) are performed, which is synchronized with the first valve from the second timing element (20) is switched to disinfectant or at one position of the valves emptied disinfectant container and sterile gas in the other position of the valves to direct sterile water into the cavity concerned.