Endoscope reprocessor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788711-B2
Application number	US-201615195010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

An endoscope reprocessor includes: an endoscope housing portion; a medicinal solution tank in which a medicinal solution is stored; a medicinal solution transfer portion that transfers the medicinal solution from the medicinal solution tank to the endoscope housing portion; a comparison portion that compares the concentration of the medicinal solution and a first reference concentration; a first adjustment portion that increases a reaction rate of the medicinal solution in a state in which the concentration of the medicinal solution is lower than the first reference concentration; and a control portion to which the comparison portion and the first adjustment portion are connected, and which drives the first adjustment portion in a case where the comparison portion determines that the concentration of the medicinal solution is lower than the first reference concentration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope reprocessor, comprising:
an endoscope housing in which an endoscope is housed;
a medicinal solution tank that is communicated with the endoscope housing and in which a medicinal solution is stored;
a pump that transfers the medicinal solution from the medicinal solution tank to the endoscope housing;
a first adjustment portion that increases a reaction rate of the medicinal solution in a state in which a concentration of the medicinal solution is lower than a first reference concentration; and
a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:
compare the concentration of the medicinal solution and a second reference concentration that is lower than the first reference concentration; and
drive the first adjustment portion where the concentration of the medicinal solution is higher than the second reference concentration; and

a notification portion that produces a warning, wherein in a case where the concentration of the medicinal solution is lower than the second reference concentration, the controller drives the notification portion;
wherein the first adjustment portion comprises one of a heater that raises a temperature of the medicinal solution to a predetermined temperature, a vibrator that causes the medicinal solution to vibrate inside the endoscope housing or an internal pressure regulator that reduces an internal pressure of the endoscope housing in an airtight state.

2. The endoscope reprocessor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a concentration detector that detects a concentration of the medicinal solution and inputs the concentration of the medicinal solution to the controller.

3. The endoscope reprocessor according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive information regarding a concentration of the medicinal solution that is inputted from an external apparatus that detects the concentration of the medicinal solution.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Ogawa Akihisa

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

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

• A61L2/18 Primary

  Liquid substances · CPC title

• B08B9/023

  Cleaning the external surfaces {(B08B9/021 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B08B3/10

  with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title