System for determining achievement degree of sterilization process, determination apparatus, measurement apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022226529-A1
Application number	US-202017607099-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A determination system includes: type determination means for acquiring determination information for determining a type of an indicator that has a discoloration area, a color of which changes according to an achievement degree of a sterilization process, and determining the type of the indicator; measurement means for measuring color information regarding the discoloration area; and achievement degree determination means for determining the achievement degree of the sterilization process based on the color information regarding the discoloration area measured by the measurement means, according to a determination criterion corresponding to the type of the indicator determined by the type determination means.

First claim

1 . A determination system comprising:
a type determination unit configured to acquire determination information for determining a type of an indicator that has a discoloration area, a color of which changes according to an achievement degree of a sterilization process, and to determine the type of the indicator; a measurement unit configured to measure color information regarding the discoloration area; and an achievement degree determination unit configured to determine the achievement degree of the sterilization process based on the color information regarding the discoloration area measured by the measurement unit, according to a determination criterion corresponding to the type of the indicator determined by the type determination unit.

2 . The determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the type determination unit acquires the determination information by optically reading an identification pattern that is provided on the indicator and indicates the type of the indicator, or by communicating with a wireless tag that is provided on the indicator and stores the determination information.

3 . The determination system according to claim 2 , wherein the type determination unit determines a position of the discoloration area of the indicator based on the determined type of the indicator and a position of the identification pattern on the indicator, or a position of the wireless tag on the indicator, and
wherein the measurement unit measures the color information regarding the discoloration area based on the position of the discoloration area of the indicator determined by the type determination unit.

4 . The determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination information is color information regarding a surface of the indicator in a predetermined range measured by the measurement unit.

5 . The determination system according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined range is a range that includes an identification pattern that is provided on the indicator and indicates the type of the indicator.

6 . The determination system according to claim 4 , wherein the type determination unit determines a position of the discoloration area of the indicator based on the determined type of the indicator and the color information regarding the predetermined range of the indicator measured by the measurement unit.

7 . The determination system according to claim 6 , wherein the measurement unit measures the color information regarding the discoloration area based on the position of the discoloration area of the indicator determined by the type determination unit.

8 . The determination system according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined range is a range that includes a portion of the discoloration area, and
wherein the achievement degree determination unit (i) determines color information corresponding to the discoloration area from the color information regarding the predetermined range based on the position of the discoloration area of the indicator determined by the type determination unit and (ii) determines the achievement degree of the sterilization process based on the color information corresponding to the discoloration area.

9 . The determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit measures the color information while a relative positional relationship between the measurement unit and the indicator is changing.

10 . The determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit and the type determination unit are provided in a measurement apparatus, and
wherein the achievement degree determination unit is provided in a determination apparatus that is configured to communicate with the measurement apparatus.

11 . The determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit is provided in a measurement apparatus, and the type determination unit and the achievement degree determination unit are provided in a determination apparatus that is configured to communicate with the measurement apparatus.

12 . A determination apparatus comprising:
a type determination unit configured to acquire determination information for determining a type of an indicator that has a discoloration area, a color of which changes according to an achievement degree of a sterilization process, and to determine the type of the indicator; a reception unit configured to receive color information regarding a surface of the indicator in a predetermined range that includes at least a portion of the discoloration area; and an achievement degree determination unit configured to determine the achievement degree of the sterilization process based on the color information regarding the discoloration area received by the reception unit, according to a determination criterion corresponding to the type of the indicator determined by the type determination unit.

13 . The determination apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the type determination unit acquires the determination information by optically reading an identification pattern that is provided on the indicator and indicates the type of the indicator, or by communicating with a wireless tag that is provided on the indicator and stores the determination information.

14 . The determination apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the determination information is color information regarding a surface of the indicator in the predetermined range received by the reception unit.

15 . The determination apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined range is a range that includes an identification pattern that is provided on the indicator and indicates the type of the indicator.

16 . The determination apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the type determination unit (i) determines color information corresponding to the discoloration area from the color information regarding the predetermined range based on the determined type of the indicator and the color information regarding the predetermined range of the indicator received by the reception unit and (ii) determines the achievement degree of the sterilization process based on the color information corresponding to the discoloration area.

17 . A measurement apparatus comprising:
a position determination unit configured to acquire determination information for determining a position of a discoloration area, a color of which changes according to an achievement degree of a sterilization process, of an indicator, and determining the position of the discoloration area of the indicator; a measurement unit configured to measure color information regarding the discoloration area based on the position of the discoloration area determined by the position determination unit; and an output unit configured to output the color information regarding the discoloration area measured by the measurement unit.

18 . A measurement apparatus comprising:
a position determination unit configured to acquire determination information for determining a position of a discoloration area, a color of which changes according to an achievement degree of a sterilization process, of an indicator, and determining the position of the discoloration area of the indicator; a measurement unit configured to measure color information regarding a surface of the indicator in a predetermined range that includes at least a portion of the discoloration area; and an output unit configured to determine color information corresponding to the discoloration area, from the color information regarding the predetermined range of the indicator me

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kitamura Toshifumi

Classifications

• G01N31/226

  for investigating the degree of sterilisation · CPC title

• A61L2/28 Primary

  Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation or disinfection, e.g. indicators which change colour · CPC title

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title