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US 6,640,821 B2Granted
Endoscope cleaning apparatus
AssigneesShoichi Ochiai, Seiichi Moriyama
InventorShoichi Ochiai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning tube into which an endoscope is inserted for cleaning is formed with a flexible tube and curled like a loop. A bypass channel is used to link a first end of the cleaning tube and a second end thereof. A cleaning solution present in the cleaning tube is forcibly refluxed from one end of the cleaning tube to the other end over the bypass channel, whereby a circulation of the cleaning solution is produced in the cleaning tube. The endoscope is cleaned with the circulation.
Claims16
An endoscope cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a casing having an insertion port pipe, through which an endoscope is inserted and which opens on the top thereof, and a discharge port pipe that can be freely opened or closed using a valve and that is located on the bottom thereof;
- a cleaning tube that is a flexible tube curled like a loop, that is placed substantially lengthwise in said casing, that has a first end thereof joined to said endoscope insertion port pipe, and that has the other second end thereof joined to said discharge port pipe;
- a cleaning solution feeding mechanism for feeding a cleaning solution to said cleaning tube;
- a bypass channel linking said first end of said cleaning tube and said second end thereof;
- a circulation pump for forcibly refluxing a cleaning solution present in said cleaning tube from one end of said cleaning tube to the other end thereof over said bypass channel, and thus producing a flow of the cleaning solution in said cleaning tube;
- and
- a discharge pump for discharging a cleaning solution present in said cleaning tube through said discharge port pipe.
4 more elements
An endoscope cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a casing having an insertion port pipe, through which an endoscope is inserted and which opens on the top thereof, and a discharge port pipe that is freely opened or closed using a valve and that is located on the bottom thereof;
- a cleaning tube that is a flexible tube curled like a loop, that is placed substantially lengthwise in said casing, that has a first end thereof joined to said endoscope insertion port pipe, and that has the other second end thereof joined to said discharge port pipe;
- a solution feed port pipe located at said second end of said cleaning tube;
- a cleaning solution feeding mechanism that can selectively feed as a cleaning solution an alkaline solution and an acidic solution, which result from electrolysis of brine, and tap water, and feeds a selected cleaning solution to said cleaning tube through said solution feed port pipe;
- a bypass channel linking said first end of said cleaning tube and said second end thereof;
- a circulation pump for forcibly refluxing a cleaning solution present in said cleaning tube from said first end to said second end over said bypass channel, and thus producing a flow of the cleaning solution, which is oriented from said second end to said first end, in said cleaning tube;
- a bubble generating means for supplying bubbles to a cleaning solution present in said cleaning tube;
- and
- a discharge pump for discharging a cleaning solution present in said cleaning tube through said discharge port pipe.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.