CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/687,689, filed Jun. 20, 2018. The entire contents of this application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to disinfecting endoscopes.

BACKGROUND

Endoscopes are reusable medical devices. An endoscope should be reprocessed, i.e., decontaminated, between medical procedures in which it is used to avoid causing infection or illness in a subject. Endoscopes are difficult to decontaminate as has been documented in various news stories. See, e.g., Chad Terhune, “Superbug outbreak: UCLA will test new scope-cleaning machine,” LA Times, Jul. 22, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ucla-superbug-scope-testing-20150722-story.html (last visited Oct. 30, 2017). Typically, endoscope reprocessing is performed by a disinfection procedure that includes at least the following steps: removing foreign material from the endoscope, cleaning the endoscope, and disinfecting the endoscope by, among other things, submerging it in a disinfectant capable of substantially killing microorganisms thereon, e.g., infection causing bacteria. One exemplary disinfectant is CIDEX® OPA Solution, manufactured and distributed by Applicant, Advanced Sterilization Products, Division of Ethicon US, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company (“ASP”).

Endoscope reprocessing may be conducted by a healthcare worker, or with the assistance of machinery, such as an endoscope reprocessor, e.g., ASP's EVOTECH® Endoscope Cleaner and Reprocessor.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An endoscope reprocessor is disclosed herein. The endoscope reprocessor may include a basin. The basin may include a drain hole. A tube in a coiled configuration may be fluidly coupled to the drain hole. The tube may include an inlet, an outlet, a wall having an outer surface, and a nozzle. The tube may define a curvilinear axis therethrough.

The nozzle may include an ingress and a base disposed on the outer surface of the tube between the inlet and the outlet. The nozzle may also include a hose barb disposed proximate to the ingress. Fluid may be delivered into the tube through the nozzle. The nozzle may be oriented in various orientations. For example, in spherical coordinates, the nozzle may be oriented with a first polar angle of between approximately zero degrees and approximately ninety degrees from a first reference line that extends perpendicularly from the curvilinear axis and through the base of the nozzle. The polar angle may be approximately zero degrees. Further, the nozzle may be oriented with a first azimuthal angle of between approximately zero degrees and approximately ninety degrees about the first reference line. The first azimuthal angle may be approximately thirty degrees. The nozzle may be oriented at various other orientations, e.g., the first polar angle may be approximately forty-five degrees and the first azimuthal angle may be approximately forty-five degrees.

The tube may be comprised of various segments connected via connector components. The connector components may include a nozzle. For example, the tube may comprise a first tube segment connected to a second tube segment by a connector component including the nozzle.

Further, the connector component may comprise a hollow-wall structure having an outer connector surface and an inner connector surface including a plurality of ports disposed therethrough. The plurality of ports may each have a central axis that is perpendicular to an egress of the port. A hollow may be disposed between the inner connector surface and the outer connector surface such that fluid may be provided into the tube along a fluid path including the ingress of the nozzle, the hollow, and the port. At least one of the plurality of ports may be oriented such that a second polar angle between the central axis of that port and a second reference line that is perpendicular to the curvilinear axis and passes through the port is between about zero degrees and about forty-five degrees.

Also disclosed herein is a method of using an endo scope reprocessor that includes such a tube. An insertion tube of an endoscope, likely in a contaminated state, may be inserted through the tube. Fluid, e.g., a disinfectant, may be delivered through the nozzle while the same or a different fluid is delivered through the tube's inlet. The insertion tube may be floated within the tube by forces exerted by the fluid flowing through the nozzles. The fluid may be provided through the nozzles at a varying flow rate. Thus, the insertion tube may be moved in response to changing forces depending on the flow rate of the fluid. The insertion tube may be removed from the endoscope reprocessor in a disinfected state.

Further modifications to an endoscope reprocessor are disclosed herein. A bracket may be disposed in a basin. The bracket may include an inlet and a plurality of jets, e.g., between two and ten, e.g., three, directed toward one or more focal points. The bracket may be connected to a manifold having a plurality of outlets, e.g., two, three, four, or five. The manifold may be connected to a source of disinfectant fluid. The bracket may also include a clamp. An endoscope may be disposed within the endoscope reprocessor, with the tip of the insertion tube supported by the clamp. The endoscope may include an elevator at the distal end of the elevator channel, i.e., within the tip of the insertion tube. The tip and the elevator may be positioned at the focal point or points, supported by the clamp.

A wire frame may also be provided in the endoscope reprocessor. The bracket and manifold may be attached to the wire frame.

As used herein, the term “curvilinear axis” may be understood to indicate a longitudinal axis of an object that has been configured to have a curved shape. Specifically, a straight tube that has a longitudinal axis may be configured into a coiled shape such that the longitudinal axis becomes a curvilinear axis.

As used herein, the terms “polar angle” and “azimuthal angle” may be understood to indicate polar and azimuthal angles of a spherical-coordinate system.

