Endoscope cleaning and inspection system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023035411-A1
Application number	US-202217938452-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for endoscope cleaning and inspection are disclosed. In an example, an endoscope cleaning and inspection unit includes cleaning and testing capabilities operated via control equipment and a display screen, to operate leak testing equipment, flush control equipment, and optical inspection equipment for leak testing, flushing, rinsing, and inspection of an endoscope interior chamber (lumen) and exterior surfaces. In a further example, the endoscope cleaning and inspection unit may further operate and receive information from a borescope imaging device or a magnification imaging device, using an imaging sensor to capture images of an endoscope lumen or surface respectively, as captured or output on the display screen. Further embodiments provide for control, monitoring, data collection, data input, and data output with such imaging devices via the endoscope cleaning and inspection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An endoscope cleaning and inspection system, comprising:
an endoscope testing and cleaning unit, adapted to couple to a subject endoscope, the testing and cleaning unit including:
a display screen;
a control unit; and
a fluid connector arranged to removably couple with a port of the subject endoscope via a tube, to access an internal lumen within the subject endoscope;
leak testing equipment comprising a pump and pressure sensor configured to, under control of the control unit, perform a leak test of the internal lumen of the subject endoscope using fluid pressure; flush control equipment comprising a pump, pressure sensor, and detergent container, the equipment configured to, under control of the control unit, perform a chemical flushing of the internal lumen of the subject endoscope using a chemical fluid; and optical inspection equipment comprising an imaging element operably coupled to the testing and cleaning unit, the equipment configured to capture digital imaging of an inspected area of the subject endoscope; wherein the endoscope testing and cleaning unit is adapted to receive and output a result of the leak test, a result of the chemical flushing, and a result of the digital imaging on the display screen.

2 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the optical inspection equipment comprises a borescope imaging device external to the testing and cleaning unit, the borescope imaging device including:
a flexible elongate member including a digital imaging sensor, the flexible elongate member shaped and sized to pass through the internal lumen of the subject endoscope; and an imaging unit coupled to a proximate end of the flexible elongate member, the imaging unit configured to provide light into the internal lumen via the flexible elongate member and receive the digital imaging of the internal lumen from the digital imaging sensor.

3 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 2 , wherein the testing and cleaning unit further comprises an electrical connection port to operably couple to the borescope imaging device, to receive the digital imaging via an electrical connection port of the borescope imaging device.

4 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 2 , wherein the borescope imaging device further comprises a control button, the control button operable to control a capture of the digital imaging from the digital imaging sensor.

5 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the optical inspection equipment comprises a magnification imaging device external to the testing and cleaning unit, the magnification imaging device including:
a housing including a handle; a digital imaging sensor disposed on a first side of the housing and configured to capture the digital imaging; and imaging control circuitry configured to capture the digital imaging of a surface of the subject endoscope and provide magnification of the digital imaging to the testing and cleaning unit.

6 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 5 , wherein the magnification imaging device further comprises a monitoring display screen exposed from a portion of the housing of the magnification imaging device, wherein the imaging control circuitry is adapted to output a representation of the magnification of the digital imaging on the monitoring display screen.

7 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 5 , wherein the magnification imaging device further comprises a control button exposed from a portion of the housing of the magnification imaging device, the control button operable to control a capture of the digital imaging and control the magnification of the digital imaging.

8 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 5 , wherein the magnification imaging device further comprises a lighting device exposed from a portion of the housing of the magnification imaging device, the lighting device located adjacent to the digital imaging sensor, and wherein the lighting device is controllable to illuminate an area captured with the digital imaging.

9 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 5 , wherein the testing and cleaning unit further comprises an electrical connection port to operably couple to the magnification imaging device, to receive the digital imaging via an electrical connection port of the magnification imaging device.

10 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the display screen of the testing and cleaning unit is a touch screen, wherein the touch screen is configured to receive user input to control the leak test, chemical flushing, and output of the digital imaging.

11 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is coupled to a user input device to change an operation state of the leak test, the chemical flushing, or output of the digital imaging, using the respective equipment.

12 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes detection circuitry to perform automatic control of the leak test, the chemical flushing, and the digital imaging, using the respective equipment.

13 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the display screen, the leak testing equipment, and the flush control equipment are hosted within a common housing of the testing and cleaning unit, and wherein the display screen is exposed at least in part from the common housing.

14 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an input device to capture an identifier of the subject endoscope.

15 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 14 , wherein the input device comprises a barcode scanner or an RFID scanner, to obtain an identifier included in a barcode or RFID tag on the subject endoscope.

16 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 14 , further comprising:
communication circuitry to communicate the result of the leak test and the result of the chemical flushing for the subject endoscope to a racking system, to track the results based on the identifier of the subject endoscope.

17 . The cleaning and inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing circuitry to execute logic for control and monitoring of the leak test, the chemical flushing, and the digital imaging, in respective stages; wherein the processing circuitry is adapted to provide output, to the display screen, of a status of the monitoring of the leak test, the chemical flushing, and the digital imaging, in the respective stages.

Assignees

• Medivators Inc

Inventors

• Jackson Mark
• Korth Joshua J

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

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

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• G01N21/8851

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• A61B1/125

  using fluid circuits · CPC title

• G01M3/38

  by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) · CPC title