The present invention relates to an endoscope reprocessor for the automated reprocessing of an endoscope. In particular, the present invention relates to an endoscope reprocessor having a rack for holding an endoscope. The invention also relates to an endoscope reprocessor which minimizes the degradation and consumption of disinfectant and is able to shorten the reprocessing time.
In the present specification, “reprocessing” an endoscope refers to performing a cleaning and disinfecting process on an endoscope, which process includes specifically a step for cleaning an endoscope with a liquid detergent (cleaning step), a step for disinfecting with a liquid disinfectant the endoscope that has been cleaned with detergent (disinfecting step), and a step for rinsing the endoscope that has been disinfected with disinfectant (rinsing step). The term “cleaning” refers to the cleansing or washing of an endoscope with a liquid detergent that is carried out in the cleaning step.
As is commonly known, the endoscope is an instrument used to insert a tube into the human body or another living body and carry out diagnosis, sample collection and treatment within the body, particularly on internal organs.
The endoscope is basically composed of an insertion tube which is inserted into the body, a control unit for controlling the insertion tube and for controlling air and water supply, etc. in the endoscope, a connector which connects to an air supply and suction pump (light guide (LG) connector), and a universal cord (LG soft portion) which connects the connector with the control unit and the insertion tube.
Endoscopes are generally not disposable, single-use devices; rather, they are used repeatedly and on more than one patient. For an endoscope to be repeatedly used in this way, it must be meticulously reprocessed after each use in order to prevent endoscopically transmitted bacterial infections. To this end, various types of endoscope reprocessors for the automated reprocessing of endoscopes have been developed for commercial use.
Such apparatuses for reprocessing endoscopes include, for example, the endoscope reprocessor described in JP 2003-135396 A.
JP 2003-135396 A describes an apparatus for reprocessing an endoscope inside a basin, which apparatus is characterized by having a tray which is insertably disposed at the interior of the basin and on which the endoscope is set. The reprocessor of JP 2003-135396 A is used to reprocess an endoscope by setting the endoscope on the tray outside of the basin, inserting the tray into the basin, and circulating liquid detergent and liquid disinfectant inside the basin.
Another example of a known endoscope reprocessor is the apparatus disclosed in JP 2006-68095 A wherein, after the insertion tube and the universal cord of the endoscope have been coiled and the endoscope has been placed in a basin, the endoscope is reprocessed by circulating liquid detergent and liquid disinfectant over a pathway that includes the basin (or by immersion only in the case of the disinfectant).
Such an endoscope reprocessor generally reprocesses an endoscope by carrying out a cleaning step in which the endoscope is cleaned with a liquid detergent and may also be rinsed with water, a disinfecting step in which the endoscope is disinfected with a liquid disinfectant, and a rinsing step in which the endoscope is rinsed with water such as tap water to remove disinfectant and the like.
JP 10-305011 A discloses an endoscope reprocessor which reprocesses only the insertion tube of the endoscope. The insertion tube is placed in a tubular main body of the reprocessor, following which a cleaning step that involves rinsing with water and the use of a liquid detergent and a disinfecting step that involves the use of a liquid disinfectant are carried out, after which drying is carried out by the passage of pressurized air.
In the respective steps carried out in an endoscope reprocessor, i.e., the cleaning step, disinfecting step and rinsing step, reprocessing is carried out by circulating the reprocessing liquids not only over the exterior of the endoscope, but also inside the channels at the interior of the endoscope, such as the forceps channel and the air/water channel.
Owing to the difficulty of discharging liquids from these channels inside the endoscope, after reprocessing is finished, the reprocessing liquids are forced out by introducing air into the channels. Once reprocessing is completed, reprocessing liquids remaining inside the basin which houses the endoscope are drained from the basin gravitationally or with a drain pump.