JPS6034393B2 - Steam sterilizer air obstruction removal device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION When steam sterilizing medical instruments and materials such as scalpels, tweezers, forceps, woven belts, surgical gowns, etc., the present invention provides for and to an air obstruction removal device which excludes air within the sterile material so that the sterilization effect is not impaired due to the presence of air.

The evacuation process for removing air obstructions includes a high preliminary vacuum method, a downward movement method, an intermittent evacuation method (positive pressure), an intermittent vacuum method (negative pressure), a vacuum supply method, etc., but the present invention is widely used today. This method is aimed at the currently used vacuum steam supply method, and automatically controls the number of wave-like repetitions in the air removal process, which repeats vacuum suction and steam supply in a wave-like manner to effectively remove air from the sterilization room. The object of the present invention is to provide a steam sterilizer that can efficiently carry out the air evacuation process without increasing the number of wasteful air evacuation processes.

The air removal treatment time for the above-mentioned objects to be sterilized by steam varies depending on conditions such as the nature and amount of the objects to be sterilized.

Therefore, conventionally, the air removal processing time has been determined by the operator based on experience, and there is a tendency for extra time to be taken for safety reasons. This will reduce work efficiency. The device of the present invention detects the state of air removal in the sterilization chamber and automatically determines the number of repetitions of suction and steam supply. , when there is a risk of air leakage from piping, etc.

), a warning is issued. In addition, if the degree of vacuum in the sterilization room cannot be lowered sufficiently, a warning will be issued depending on the degree of inability to work, or if the performance has deteriorated to the extent that work is possible, appropriate air removal processing will be carried out. We are making it possible to do so. The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the basic form of the main parts of a steam sterilizer.

1 is a pressure-resistant sterilization chamber equipped with a tightly fitting lid 2;
Saturated steam is supplied at an appropriately reduced pressure by passing sterile air (through which sterile air is passed), and the pressure is reduced by a discharge pipe 7 having a valve 5 and a vacuum pump 6.

To eliminate the air in the sterilization chamber 1 sealed with the lid 2 by vacuum steaming, open the valve 5 with the valve 3 closed, operate the vacuum pump 6, and eliminate the air in the sterilization chamber through the pipe 7. , then close the valve 5 and stop the vacuum pump 6, open the valve 3 and send a small amount of reduced pressure steam into the chamber 1 from the pipe 4, then close the valve 3 again, open the valve 5 and operate the vacuum pump 6. Sterilization room 1
Repeat the operation several times to lower the pressure inside.

The state of pressure change in the sterilization chamber during the process of eliminating air is as shown in FIG.

Curve a in FIG. 2 indicates that the vacuum pump 6 is operating normally and the lid 2 is
, indicates a normal state with no leakage in the vacuum system such as tubes 4 and 7, and T
, the pressure inside the sterilization chamber 1 decreases from Po to P by operating the vacuum pump 6 for hours.

A small amount of steam is subsequently supplied from the pipe 4, and the pressure increases to P2 after L hours. When air removal by the vacuum pump is started again, the pressure becomes P3 after T3 hours, the vacuum pump is stopped and steam is supplied from valve 3, and the pressure becomes P4 after T4 hours. When the internal pressure reaches P5, which is sufficiently low, the vacuum pump 6 is stopped and a large amount of high pressure sterilizing steam is blown into the sterilization chamber 1 to begin the sterilization process. When vacuum suction and steam supply are repeated in this way, the air contained in the object to be sterilized comes out to the surface, is sucked into the vacuum pump 6 together with steam, and is removed, causing the contained air to become a mass and cause air disturbance. When this no longer occurs, the internal pressure of the sterilization chamber 1 becomes sufficiently low.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air obstruction eliminating device of the present invention is provided with a plurality of pressure switches 8 for detecting the internal pressure of the sterilization chamber 1, and when the internal pressure of the sterilization chamber is detected and the pressure has decreased sufficiently, the pressure switches 8 are automatically activated. When the air evacuation process is completed and there is no practical problem even if the sterilization chamber pressure decreases slightly and insufficiently, the corresponding process is automatically selected and carried out to ensure that the internal pressure does not decrease at all. The system is configured so that an alarm such as a buzzer notifies you when the amount is sufficient.

Next, the operation of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention will be explained with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, the vacuum pump 6 is shown as VP6. 1 Close the start switch 9.

Vacuum pump 6 is started and valve 5 is opened. Valve 3 is closed. When the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate for 2 minutes, the sterilization chamber 1
The pressure inside changes from Po to P (Figure 2). 2 Next,
Vacuum pump 6 is stopped and valve 5 is closed.

The pressure in the sterilization chamber 1 at this time is detected by a multiple pressure switch 8, which is a combination of a plurality of pressure switches. The pressure switch is not limited to a multiple type, but may be individually separated.
(a) The pressure drop in sterilization chamber 1 is 0.4 positive atmosphere (absolute pressure,
(The same applies hereinafter) If the condition is not lower than that, there is a problem with the vacuum pump 6, or there is significant leakage from the pipe system, and repair is required.

At this time, the pressure switch 8a in the multiple pressure switch 8
The signal A is sent to the buzzer 10, which is an alarm device, and an alarm is issued. (b} When the internal pressure of the sterilization chamber 1 is below 0.4 pressure but does not fall below 0.3 pressure (this value is a value that allows air to be removed), a signal B is output from the pressure switch 8b. Then open the valve 3 and blow a small amount of steam at 0.08 atm into the sterilization chamber 1.

The signal B enters the controller 11 which instructs the wavy line return of suction and vapor supply to be performed nine times, and the signal B' output from the controller 11 closes the valve 3 and returns to the time of startup to perform vacuum suction. After suction and steam supply have been carried out nine times, a command signal B'' from the controller 11 causes a transition to the next sterilization and drying process.

'c) Although the sterilization room pressure is 0.30 atm or less, it is 0.2
When the pressure does not fall below 0 atmospheric pressure, a signal c is output from the pressure switch 8c, the valve 3 is opened, and a small amount of steam at 0.8 pressure is blown into the sterilization chamber 1.

The signal c enters the controller 12, which instructs the wavy line return of suction and vapor supply to be performed seven times, and the signal c'
After closing the valve 3 and returning seven lines of suction and steam supply in the same manner as described above, the system shifts to the sterilization and drying process in response to the signal c''.
{d} The pressure in the sterilization room is lower than 0.2 p atm but 0.1
When higher than 0 atm, signal D from pressure switch 8d
and the controller 13, the wave-like suction and vapor supply are repeated five times to complete air removal.

(e) When the pressure in the sterilization chamber is lower than 0.1 pressure, the exhaust level is sufficient, but it should be taken into consideration that the air that comes out late from inside the objects to be sterilized, such as textiles, should be removed. hand,
The controller 14 returns three lines of suction and steam supply.

Since the device of the present invention operates as described above, the air obstruction removal process automatically proceeds simply by closing the start switch, and appropriate air removal is performed in a short time.

Therefore, even an operator with little experience can perform appropriate work. In addition, even when air gradually comes out, such as when processing a large amount of fibrous material to be sterilized, air can be removed quickly and without waste in a manner appropriate to the situation, preventing vacuum pump malfunctions and air leaks. If the problem is large, it will alert you and notify you that repairs should be made at an early stage, making it an effective device for efficiently eliminating air disturbances in steam sterilizers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structural parts related to air obstruction elimination in a normal steam sterilizer, Figure 2 is a diagram showing pressure changes in the sterilization chamber when vacuum suction and steam supply are performed in a waveform, and Figure 3 4 is a diagram schematically showing a sterilizer equipped with a pressure switch for carrying out the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the operation of the apparatus of the present invention. 1: Sterilization chamber, 2: Lid, 3, 5: Valve, 4, 7: Pipe, 6: Vacuum pump, 8: Multiple pressure switch, 9: Start switch,
10: buzzer, 11, 12, 13, 14: controller. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A steam supply pipe 4 equipped with a valve 3 and a discharge pipe 7 equipped with a valve 5 and a vacuum pump 6 are connected to a sealable sterilization chamber 1, and each valve 3, 5 and vacuum pump In a steam sterilizer that removes air obstruction by repeating vacuum suction and steam supply in a wave pattern by the operation in step 6, a plurality of pressure switches with different operating pressures are communicated into the sterilization chamber 1, and each pressure switch A signal shall be issued depending on the degree of pressure drop in the room, and the pressure switch corresponding to the case where operation is not possible is connected to an alarm, and when operation is possible, the corresponding pressure switch shall be connected to an alarm.
Steam characterized by being connected to a corresponding controller among a plurality of controllers that increases the number of wave-like repetitions of vacuum suction and steam supply as the pressure inside the sterilization chamber increases and then moves on to the next sterilization drying process. Sterilizer air obstruction removal device.