JPH0367A - Operating method for gas sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The method of operating a gas sterilizer according to the present invention is a method for sterilizing a gas sterilizer used in hospitals and various research institutes to sterilize various articles. This is to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

(Prior art) In order to prevent infections caused by bacteria attached to surgical tools, laboratory tools, etc., used surgical tools, laboratory tools, etc. are stored in hospitals and various research institutes as shown schematically in Figure 1. Sterilization using a gas sterilizer is commonly used for boat fishing.

This gas sterilizer supplies sterilizing gas such as ethylene oxide gas (EOG) from a gas cylinder 2 into a sterilization container 1 that can be sealed while storing objects to be sterilized, such as surgical tools and laboratory tools. It is configured to sterilize sterilized objects.

In FIG. 1, 3 is provided in the middle of the gas supply pipe 4,
A gas valve 5 for opening and closing the flow path in the gas supply pipe 4 is provided with an exhaust pipe 7 which can freely exhaust the gas in the sterilization container 1 by installing a vacuum pump 6 in the middle. An intake pipe 10 for sucking clean air that has passed through a filter 9 into the sterilization container 1 when the air valve 8 is opened, sends water vapor into the sterilization container i when the steam valve 11 provided in the middle is opened. It is a steam supply pipe for

When an object to be sterilized is sterilized using the gas sterilizer configured as described above, the object to be sterilized is stored in the sterilization container 1, and after the opening of the sterilization container 1 is airtightly closed, Sterilization is performed using a sterilization cycle as shown in FIG.

That is, first, the air in the sterilization container 1 is discharged by operating the vacuum pump 6, and then the steam valve 11 is opened while the vacuum pump 6 remains in operation to send water vapor into the sterilization container 1.

Through this operation, the air existing inside the object to be sterilized is discharged, and the sterilizing gas that is later sent into the sterilization container 1 can freely enter the inside of the object to be sterilized. A certain amount of moisture is provided, and the 1111 stainability between the object to be sterilized and the sterilizing gas is improved, and at the same time, the object to be sterilized is heated, so that the sterilization process by the sterilizing gas can be performed effectively.

After the above work is completed, the vacuum pump 6 is stopped, and the steam valve 1 is
At the same time, the gas valve 3 is opened to fill the sterilization container 1 with sterilization gas, and the objects to be sterilized stored in the sterilization container 1 are sterilized.

After completing the sterilization process for the specified time, sterilize the container! After discharging the sterilizing gas from inside, a cleaning operation is performed to remove the sterilizing gas adhering to the objects to be sterilized.

In this cleaning work, first, the vacuum pump 6 is operated with the air valve 8 and the steam valve 11 closed, and the sterilized container 1 is
After the internal pressure has been sufficiently reduced, the steam valve 11 is opened for a short period of time, and steam is sent into the sterilization container 1 a predetermined number of times, thereby eliminating the sterilization gas that has entered the inside of the object to be sterilized. After that, the air valve 8 is opened while the vacuum pump 6 is operating, and clean air is circulated inside the sterilization container 1, so-called aeration.

After the cleaning work as described above is completed, the sterilization container 1 is opened and the sterilized object is taken out.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, when performing sterilization work using the above-mentioned gas sterilizer, conventional problems have occurred as described below.

That is, when water vapor is sent into the sterilization container 1 in order to moisten the object to be sterilized stored in the sterilization container i and at the same time to warm the object to be sterilized, this water vapor condenses in the sterilization container 1. It is unavoidable that the drainage generated as a result of this process accumulates at the bottom of the sterilization container 1.

Sterilizing gas such as EOG is soluble in water, so if you leave this kind of drain as is and proceed to the next sterilization step,
A part of the sterilizing gas sent into the sterilizing container 1 dissolves into the drain.

Since the sterilizing gas dissolved in the drain is of no use in sterilizing the object to be sterilized, the presence of the drain in the sterilization container 1 leads to a corresponding waste of sterilizing gas.

The method of operating a gas sterilizer of the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A method of operating a gas sterilizer of the present invention sterilizes the objects to be sterilized by feeding sterilizing gas into a sealed sterilization container containing the objects to be sterilized. This is how to operate a gas sterilizer.

In the operating method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. By operating the sterilization container 1, the air inside the sterilization container 1 is exhausted.

After the air in the sterilization container 1 has been discharged in this way, the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate and the steam valve 11, which had been closed until then, is opened to continue sending steam into the sterilization container 1. While holding the vacuum pump 6, the intake valve 13 in the middle of the intake pipe 12, which constitutes an intake passage that communicates the intake port of the vacuum pump 6 with the atmosphere, is repeatedly opened and closed.

When the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 rises to a predetermined temperature while repeatedly opening and closing the intake valve 13, the next sterilization step is started, and sterilization gas is fed into the sterilization container 1.

More preferably, after the temperature inside the sterilization container 1 has risen to a predetermined temperature and before moving on to the sterilization process, the vacuum pump 6 is operated while the intake valve 13 in the middle of the intake pipe 12 constituting the intake passage is closed. By continuing to do this for a predetermined period of time, the pressure inside the sterilization container 1 is reduced.

(Function) The operating method of the gas sterilizer of the present invention is configured as described above, but when the intake valve 13 provided in the middle of the intake pipe 12 is opened, the intake port of the vacuum pump 6 is The air sucked into the intake pipe 12 is now sent in, and almost no water vapor existing in the sterilization container 1 is sent in.

As a result, the sterilization container 1 is filled with water vapor, raising the temperature of the object to be sterilized, and condensate accumulates at the bottom of the sterilization container 1.

After the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate for a predetermined period of time (for example, one minute) with the intake valve 13 open, the intake valve 13 is closed while the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate.

As a result, the water vapor present in the sterilization container 1 is sucked into the suction port of the vacuum pump 6, but at this time, the drain accumulated at the bottom of the sterilization container 1 is also discharged together with the water vapor. Since the flow of water vapor from the sterilization container 1 to the vacuum pump 6 occurs suddenly as the intake valve 13 is opened, the drain can be efficiently discharged.

With the intake valve 13 closed, for a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 seconds)
Once the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate, the intake valve 13 is opened again while the vacuum pump 6 continues to operate, and the above-described operations are repeated to heat and moisten the object to be sterilized.

Furthermore, as in the invention described in claim 2, after the temperature inside the sterilization container i has risen to a predetermined temperature and before moving on to the sterilization process, the intake valve 13 in the middle of the intake pipe 12 constituting the intake passage is removed. With the door closed, operate the vacuum pump 6 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 3
minutes), the pressure inside the sterilization container 1 is reduced to a second level.
If it is lowered as shown by the chain line in the figure, the small amount of condensate remaining in the sterilization container 1 will also evaporate and be discharged, ensuring that the sterilization gas sent into the sterilization container 1 during the sterilization process is not wasted. It is possible to plan.

At this time, the temperature of the object to be sterilized and the above-mentioned predetermined time are appropriately selected to prevent the object to be sterilized from drying out.

(Effects of the Invention) The method for operating a gas sterilizer of the present invention is structured and operates as described above, so that the amount of condensate remaining in the sterilization container is minimized, and sterilization gas is not wasted due to condensate. In order to prevent this, the amount of sterilizing gas used can be kept low, and the operating cost of the gas sterilizer can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a gas sterilizer operated by the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sterilization cycle. 1: Sterile container, 2: Gas cylinder, 3: Gas valve, 4: Gas supply pipe, 5: Exhaust pipe, 6: Vacuum pump, 7: Intake pipe, 8
: air valve, 9: filter, 10: steam supply pipe, 11: steam valve, 12: intake pipe, 13: intake valve.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A method of operating a gas sterilizer that sterilizes objects to be sterilized by feeding sterilizing gas into a sealed sterilization container with the objects stored therein. By operating a vacuum pump whose suction port is connected to the inside of the sterilized container, the air inside the sterilized container is exhausted, and then water vapor is continued to be sent into the sterilized container while continuing to operate the vacuum pump. While keeping the temperature in the sterilized container, the temperature inside the sterilized container is raised to a predetermined temperature by repeatedly opening and closing the intake passage that allows the inlet of the vacuum pump to communicate with the atmosphere. How to operate a gas sterilizer that supplies gas. (2) Gas sterilization according to claim 1, wherein after the temperature inside the sterilization container rises to a predetermined temperature, the vacuum pump is continuously operated for a predetermined time with the intake passage closed before moving on to the sterilization process. How to operate the device.