Fluid feeding apparatus and endoscope reprocessor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10034602-B2
Application number	US-201715646167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A fluid feeding apparatus includes: a first connection portion configured to be connected to a first container in which fluid is stored; a second connection portion configured to be connected to a second container in which fluid is stored; a first flow path that communicates with the first connection portion; a second flow path that communicates with the second connection portion; a resistance portion configured to generate a difference of conduit resistance to cause one of the first flow path and the second flow path to be higher in the conduit resistance than the other flow path; and a switching portion switching a level relationship of the conduit resistance between the first flow path and the second flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid feeding apparatus, comprising:
a first connector configured to be connected to a first container in which fluid is stored;
a second connector configured to be connected to a second container in which fluid is stored;
a first flow path that communicates with the first connection portion;
a second flow path that communicates with the second connection portion;
a confluent part at which the first flow path and the second flow path are joined;
a suction pump connected to a feed part and the confluent part, the suction pump being configured to suck the fluid from the first connection portion and the second connection portion at the same time to feed the fluid to the feed part;
a valve that selectively extends into one of the first flow path and the second flow path;
one or more through-holes formed in the valve, and configured to penetrate through the valve in one of the first and second flow paths into which the valve extends; and
a switching portion configured to movably support the valve between a position at which the valve extends into the first flow path and a position at which the valve extends into the second flow path,
wherein fluid, which flows through one of the first and second flow paths into which the valve extends, reaches the confluent part through the one or more through-holes, during operation of the suction pump.

2. An endoscope reprocessor, comprising:
a treatment tank in which an endoscope is disposed; and
the fluid feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first flow path and the second flow path are connected to the treatment tank through the suction pump.

3. The fluid feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the switching portion includes a supporting shaft configured to support the valve such that the valve pivots in the confluent part.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Takada Hiroo

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• F16K7/04

  constrictable by external radial force · CPC title

• A61L2202/24

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61L2/18

  Liquid substances · CPC title

• B08B9/0321

  using pressurised, pulsating or purging fluid (E04F17/126 takes precedence) · CPC title