Device for cleaning medical endoscopic tubes
OwnerDouglas Colin Beaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to tube cleaners for hygienic cleaning of tubes, e.g. endoscopic tubes. A first embodiment has a body made of resilient material extending axially and having a socket at one end for mounting of the cleaner to the end of the rod. Integral blades project out from the body, each blade having an arcuate outer edge to scrape along the inside wall of the tube. The blades are at axially spaced locations and, in end view, they overlap so that cleaning occurs around 360.degree.. A second embodiment has a core such as a wire, and the body and integral blades are moulded onto the wire core.
Claims10
An endoscopic tube cleaner for internal cleaning of an endoscopic tube for medical procedures, the tube cleaner having a body which extends axially in relation to the tube and a plurality of blades integral with the body and projecting out from the body at axially spaced locations, each blade having an outer edge and a sufficient radial dimension so that the outer edge engages the walls of the endoscopic tube in an arc of less than 360.degree. of the tube in cross section so that each of the blades wipes along the tube walls as the body moves along the tube but leaves at least one gap in the area of the walls contacted and wiped by the blade, the blades being composed of a flexible resilient material capable of sterilization so as to remain in wiping contact with the walls as the body moves along the tube, the tube cleaner including at least one of said blades provided at each of first and subsequent axially spaced locations lengthwise on the body and which are rotationally staggered in their angular placement around the axis of the body so that when the tube cleaner is viewed in the axial direction, the at least one gap in the area of the walls not contacted and wiped by said at least one of said blades at the first location is completely covered by the immediately adjacent said at least one of said blades at the next subsequent axially spaced location and wherein the at least one gap allows for dislodged matter to move between consecutive axially spaced blades, whereby the blades at the first and next subsequent axially spaced location wipe along the walls of the tube throughout 360.degree. relative to the axis of the tube as the tube cleaner moves along the tube.
An endoscopic tube cleaner for internal cleaning of an endoscopic tube for medical procedures, the tube cleaner having a body which extends axially in relation to the tube and a plurality of blades integral with the body and projecting out from the body at axially spaced locations, each blade having an outer edge and a sufficient radial dimension so that the outer edge engages the walls of the tube in an arc, the outer edge of each blade being arcuate in end view and subtending an angle at the axis of the body of at least 180.degree., whereby each of the blades wipes along the tube walls as the body moves along the tube but leaves at least one gap in the area of the walls contacted and wiped by the blade, the blades being composed of a flexible resilient material capable of sterilization so as to remain in wiping contact with the walls as the body moves along the tube, there being one blade provided at each of a number of axially spaced blade locations including one blade at each of first and second axially spaced locations lengthwise on the body, the blades at the first and second axially spaced locations being rotationally staggered in their angular placement round the axis of the body so that when the tube cleaner is viewed in the axial direction, the gap in the area of the walls not contacted and wiped by said one blade at the first location is completely covered by the immediately adjacent said one blade at the second axially spaced location and wherein the at least one gap allows for dislodged matter to move between consecutive axially spaced blades, whereby the blades at the first and second axially spaced locations will wipe along the walls of the tube throughout 360.degree. relative to the axis of the tube as the tube cleaner moves along the tube.
A tube cleaner for internal cleaning of a tube for hygienic purposes, the tube cleaner having a body which extends axially in relation to the tube and a plurality of blades integral with the body and protecting out from the body at axially spaced locations, each blade having an outer edge and a sufficient radial dimension so that the outer edge engages the walls of the tube in an arc of the tube in cross section so that the blades wipe along the tube walls as the body moves along the tube, the blades being composed of a resilient material so as to remain in wiping contact with the walls as the body moves along the tube, the body being provided with a formation at an axial end thereof for mounting of the body to a support member by which the tube cleaner can be mounted and can be pushed and pulled back and forth in the tube, the body being composed of a flexible and resilient material, the formation at the axial end of the body comprising an axially extending socket for receiving the support member therein so that the resilience of the material from which the body is composed enables the body to grip the support member and retain the tube cleaner mounted on the support member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.