Method and apparatus for cleaning medical instruments and for detecting residue thereon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11759100-B2
Application number	US-202016830329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A method for cleaning a medical instrument and for detecting residue thereon is provided in which method a non-sterile or conventionally sterilized medical instrument is exposed to pressure below 100 hPa, and, subsequently, exposed to at least one gas reactive to the residue.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning a medical instrument and for detecting residue thereon, comprising:
(a) obtaining a non-sterile or conventionally sterilized medical instrument;
(b) loading said medical instrument into a deposition and/or analysis apparatus;
(c) exposing said medical instrument to pressure below 100 hPa,
(d) exposing said medical instrument to at least one gas reactive to the residue,
wherein, during at least steps at (c) and/or (d), the residue is detected and/or quantified, by at least one sensor device, in at least a part of a gas flow evacuated from the deposition and/or analysis apparatus during steps (c) and (d) in an uninterrupted manner,
wherein, in a condition that concentration of the residue detected and/or quantified at (c) and/or (d) exceeds a predetermined threshold, the medical instrument is reverted to a procedure of cleaning and/or sterilization by conventional methods, and
wherein, in a condition that concentration of the residue detected and/or quantified at (d) pertains to a predetermined level, the medical instrument is subjected to disposal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument thus obtained is pre-applied, at least partly, with a chemically deposited coating.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a coating is pre-applied onto at least a part of said medical instrument by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument is exposed, at (c) to a pressure below 10 hPa.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, at (d), said at least one gas contains a chemical substance reactive to the residue.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument is a multi-part medical instrument.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, during at least steps at (c) and/or (d), the at least one sensor device is configured to detect and/or quantify an amount of at least one gaseous compound reactive to the residue and/or of the products of chemical reactions between the at least one gaseous compound and the residue, respectively.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed sequentially or simultaneously.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument is exposed, at (c) to a pressure below 1 hPa.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument is exposed, at (c) to a pressure below 0.1 hPa.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical instrument is an endoscope device.

Assignees

• Picosun Oy

Inventors

• Pudas Marko

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

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

• A61L2/202 Primary

  Ozone · CPC title

• A61B1/121 Primary

  provided with means for cleaning post-use · CPC title

• A61B1/126 Primary

  provided with means for cleaning in-use · CPC title

• B08B7/00

  Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass · CPC title