Concentration meter and endoscope reprocessor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829422-B2
Application number	US-201615368923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A concentration meter invention includes a housing having a cavity, an electrode accommodated in the cavity, a permeation membrane that has a measurement surface that contacts a measurement target, a releasing surface that releases the measurement target that enters from the measurement surface into the cavity, and a plurality of holes that open to the measurement surface and the releasing surface, and are for the measurement target to enter, and seals the cavity, an internal liquid that is sealed in the cavity, and contacts the electrode and the permeation membrane, an adjustment section that applies a mechanical load to the permeation membrane so that opening areas of the holes in at least the measurement surface reversibly increase or decrease, and a control section that is connected to the adjustment section, and controls change of strength of the mechanical load that is applied to the permeation membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A concentration meter, comprising:
a housing having a cavity;
an electrode accommodated in the cavity;
a permeation membrane configured to have a measurement surface that contacts a measurement target, a releasing surface configured to release the measurement target that enters from the measurement surface into the cavity, and a plurality of holes configured to open to the measurement surface and the releasing surface, and are for the measurement target to enter, and seals the cavity;
an internal liquid that is sealed in the cavity, and contacts the electrode and the permeation membrane;
a main body connection section configured for electrically connecting the electrode to an endoscope reprocessor main body;
an adjustment section configured to apply a mechanical load to the permeation membrane so that opening areas of the holes in at least the measurement surface reversibly increase or decrease; and
a control section configured to be connected to the adjustment section, and controls change of strength of the mechanical load that is applied to the permeation membrane, or presence or absence of the mechanical load that is applied to the permeation membrane.

2. The concentration meter according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment section changes a tensile force that is applied to the permeation membrane.

3. The concentration meter according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment section applies the tensile force isotropically to the permeation membrane.

4. The concentration meter according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment section applies the tensile force to the permeation membrane along a single axis.

5. The concentration meter according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment section comprises:
the housing and
an outer frame configured to hold the permeation membrane, and extend the permeation membrane and cancel extension by being disposed at an outer circumference of the housing and advancing and retreating along the housing.

6. The concentration meter according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment section deforms the measurement surface having the permeation membrane into a shape of a concave surface or a shape having a convex surface.

7. The concentration meter according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment section applies a shearing stress to the permeation membrane.

8. An endoscope reprocessor, comprising:
the concentration meter according to claim 1 ;
a medicinal solution tank configured to store a medicinal solution including the measurement target;
a holding portion configured to hold the housing so that the permeation membrane is immersed in the medicinal solution in the medicinal solution tank; and
an electric contact point configured to be connected to the main body connection section.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Onishi Hideto

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

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

• G01N27/416

  Systems (G01N27/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N15/0618 Primary

  of the filter type (G01N15/0643 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N15/0656

  using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods (by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12) · CPC title

• A61L2/18

  Liquid substances · CPC title