DISINFECTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING DISINFECTION CYCLES

Abstract

A disinfection device for performing disinfection cycles of water from at least one water circuit of an apparatus, in particular a hypothermia device. The disinfection device includes at least one disinfection circuit for passing through the water from the water circuit having at least one electrolysis cell designed as a flow-through cell for the in situ generation of oxidizing agents. The water circuit is connected to the disinfection circuit to form a common circuit. Electronics control the disinfection cycles. Power is supplied to the components of the provided disinfection circuits.

Claims

1. A disinfection device for performing disinfection cycles of water from at least one water circuit of an apparatus, in particular a hypothermia device, comprising: at least one disinfection circuit through which the water from the water circuit passes through, the at least one disinfection circuit having at least one electrolysis cell designed as a flow-through cell for the in situ generation of oxidizing agents; means for connecting the water circuit to the disinfection circuit to form a common circuit; electronics for controlling the disinfection cycles; and means for supplying power to the components of the provided disinfection circuits.

2. The disinfection device according to claim 1, further comprising a pump for repeatedly passing the water through the water circuit and the disinfection circuit within a disinfection cycle.

3. The disinfection device according to claim 1, further comprising a flow measurement sensor for the disinfection circuit.

4. The disinfection device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature measurement sensor for the disinfection circuit.

5. The disinfection device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for measuring the electrical conductivity for the disinfection circuit.

6. The disinfection device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing having a display having control elements and display elements.

7. The disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the electronics control a disinfection cycle taking into account measured data, such as the water temperature and the flow rate.

8. The disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the electronics control a disinfection cycle on the basis of empirically determined data from experiments and/or measurement data from at least one sensor which measures the concentration of oxidizing agent in the water.

9. The disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the flow-through cell has an electrode packet having two edge-side contact electrodes supplied with DC voltage.

10. The disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the flow-through cell has an electrode packet having two edge-side contact electrodes supplied with DC voltage and at least one bipolar electrode which is arranged between the contact electrodes and spaced therefrom.

11. The disinfection device according to claim 10, wherein the bipolar electrode is a diamond particle electrode which has doped, preferably boron-doped, diamond particles which are embedded in one layer and without mutual contact with one another in a non-conductive plastic carrier layer and are exposed on both sides of said carrier layer.

12. The disinfection device according to claim 1, wherein the disinfection device is capable of being used with and connected with a hypothermia device.

13. A method for performing disinfection cycles of water of at least one water circuit of an apparatus, in particular a hypothermia device, in a disinfection circuit of a disinfection device, the water circuit being connected to the disinfection circuit into a common circuit and the water being pumped out of the water circuit through the disinfection circuit, the method comprising: passing the water in the disinfection circuit through an electrolysis cell designed as a flow-through cell, in which oxidizing agents are generated in electrochemical reactions and in situ; and pumping the water several times within a disinfection cycle through the circuit formed by the water circuit and the disinfection circuit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the temperature and the flow rate of the water are measured in the disinfection circuit.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the disinfection cycle is controlled electronically such that the water is pumped through the water circuit and the disinfection circuit within a disinfection cycle until it is safely disinfected.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the disinfection cycle is controlled taking into account measured data such as water temperature and flow rate.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the disinfection cycle is controlled taking into account empirically determined data from experiments and/or measurement data from at least one sensor which measures the concentration of oxidizing agent in the water.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein in that the water to be disinfected is at least largely free of hardeners.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein in that the water to be disinfected has an electrical conductivity of at least 1 mS/cm.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least one salt, for example, NaCl, KCl, K.sub.2SO.sub.4, Na.sub.2SO.sub.4, K.sub.2CO.sub.3 and/or Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, is dissolved in the water to be disinfected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Further features, advantages and embodiments of the invention are now described in more detail with reference to the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment. Shown are

[0023] FIG. 1 a schematic structure of a disinfection device,

[0024] FIGS. 2 and 3 views of an embodiment of an electrolysis cell designed as a flow-through cell and

[0025] FIG. 4 a sectional representation along the sectional plane marked line in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of an embodiment of a disinfection device according to the invention as an additional device, in particular for a hypothermia device 1. The hypothermia device 1 is a multi-circuit heating-cooling device for the controlled temperature control of independent water circuits and can be any hypothermia device from the prior art. The hypothermia device indicated in FIG. 1 works, for example, with two independent water circuits, such as a patient circuit and a cardioplegia circuit, and therefore contains two water tanks 2, 2′ indicated in FIG. 1. In order to prevent the process water from becoming contaminated and the associated formation of biofilms on the tank walls and the walls of the hose lines through which the process water flows, the process water should in particular be disinfected daily.

[0027] The disinfection device according to the invention is placed on the hypothermia device 1 and is preferably fixed using mounting brackets or the like provided therefor. The disinfection device therefore has a correspondingly designed housing 3, which is only indicated in FIG. 1, on the outside of the housing 3 couplings 5 for connecting to the ends of the hoses 6, 6′ and 7, 7′ of the hypothermia device 1 and a display 4 having control elements and display elements. The display 4 and the couplings 5 are only indicated in FIG. 1. The couplings 5 are marked or designated accordingly so that the inlet hoses 6, 6′ and return hoses 7, 7′ belonging to the two water circuits of the hypothermia device 1 on the disinfection device can be connected to the correct or assigned couplings.

[0028] The disinfection device shown in the example according to FIG. 1 contains two disinfection circuits corresponding to the number of water circuits of the hypothermia device 1. The two disinfection circuits each have, in the flow direction of the water to be disinfected, a flow sensor D.sub.1, D.sub.2 for measuring the flow, a temperature measurement sensor T.sub.1, T.sub.2, a pump P.sub.1, P.sub.2 and an electrolysis cell designed as a flow-through cell 10, 10′ and connecting hoses 18.

[0029] In an alternative embodiment, the disinfection device has a single disinfection circuit matched to the hypothermia device. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the pump provided in the disinfection circuit, a circulation pump which may be present in the hypothermia device can be used.

[0030] Flow sensors L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 are optionally provided in the disinfection circuits, in particular in front of sensors D.sub.1 and D.sub.2, for measuring the conductivity of the water flowing through. The sensors D.sub.1, D.sub.2, L.sub.1, L.sub.2, T.sub.1, T.sub.2, the pumps P.sub.1, P.sub.2 and the two flow-through cells 10, 10′ are connected to electronics 8 for controlling the disinfection cycles. The electronics 8 and the individual components of the disinfection device are supplied with voltage via a power supply unit 9.

[0031] FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate the structure of an embodiment of a flow-through cell 10, 10′. Every flow-through cell 10, 10′ has a housing 11 made of two housing parts 11a which are firmly connected to one another, in particular welded to one another. In the housing 11 is located an electrode packet 12 having two edge-side contact electrodes 13, 13′ and a bipolar electrode 14, in particular a diamond particle electrode, located between the contact electrodes 13, 13′. Each frame-like spacer 15 made of electrically insulating material separates the two contact electrodes 13, 13′ from the bipolar central electrode 14. All electrodes 13, 13′ and 14 are, in particular, thin, rectangular plates having essentially matching dimensions.

[0032] The edge-side contact electrodes 13, 13′ consist, for example, of platinum-coated or mixed oxide-coated titanium, of diamond electrodes produced by means of CVD technology, or of another electrochemically stable electrode material. The spacers 15 consist of a chemically resistant, electrically non-conductive plastic, for example, PP (polypropylene), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). The diamond particle electrode 14 is in particular a conventional diamond particle electrode as is known, for example, from EP 2 004 880 B1. This diamond particle electrode consists of doped diamond particles, which are embedded in one layer and without mutual contact with one another in a non-conductive plastic carrier layer and are exposed on both sides of said carrier layer. The electrical contacting of the contact electrodes 13, 13′ takes place, for example, on the contact tabs 16 which are formed with the contact electrodes 13, 13′ and which are guided liquid-tight through the housing 11 outwards by means of a seal or a sealing material. The housing 11 is further provided with two connections 17 having flow openings, to which the hoses 18 running inside the disinfection device and connecting the individual components to one another are connected.

[0033] The means for disinfection of the water are generated in the operation of the respective disinfection circuit or in the operation of the flow-through cell 10, 10′ in the flow-through cell 10, 10′ by electrochemical conversion of the water itself or of introduced water constituents. In particular, OH radicals are generated at the electrodes, which radicals oxidize organic components in the water or react with salts dissolved in the water and generate oxidizing agents. Oxidizing agent mixtures which neutralize the impurities contained in the water are therefore formed in the in situ operation of the flow-through cell 10, 10′.

[0034] In order to prevent the formation of deposits, for example, lime, in the components of the water circuits of the hypothermia device and the disinfection circuits of the disinfection device, it is advantageous to use water that is free or largely free of hardeners such as calcium or magnesium in the hypothermia device. Such water is, for example, produced using a softening or reverse osmosis system. The water should further have a certain electrical conductivity on the order of at least 1 mS/cm, so that the formation of oxidizing agents is supported in the flow-through cells 10, 10′. At least one salt, for example, NaCl, KCl, K.sub.2SO.sub.4, Na.sub.2SO.sub.4, K.sub.2CO.sub.3 and/or Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, is therefore added to the water when it is filled into the water tanks 2, 2′ of the hypothermia device 1. These salts can be provided in the form of powder or tablets. The amount of salt to be added depends on the known water volume.

[0035] Both disinfection circuits can perform a disinfection cycle simultaneously or in succession when operating the disinfection device. The electronics 8 that can be operated via the display 4 can provide both options as alternatives. In the course of a disinfection cycle, the water is conveyed from one of the tanks 2, 2′ several times via the pumps P.sub.1, P.sub.2 through the water circuits of the hypothermia device and the disinfection circuits of the disinfection device and thus passes through the respective flow-through cell 10, 10′. A common disinfection process having a water volume of eight liters, for example, requires about five minutes. An acoustic or visual signal can indicate the termination of the disinfection process. The electronic controller works in particular on the basis of the results of empirical experiments and taking into account known and available data, such as that of the water temperature and the flow rate. Alternatively or additionally, the electronics control the disinfection cycles on the basis of measurement data from at least one sensor which detects the concentration of oxidizing agent in the water, for example, the concentration of free chlorine, or which measures the redox potential.

[0036] In alternative embodiments of the flow-through electrode, said flow-through electrode has only two contact electrodes and no bipolar electrode, in a further alternative embodiment, two or three bipolar electrodes can be provided in the electrode pack.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0037] 1 . . . hypothermia device [0038] 2, 2′ . . . water tank [0039] 3 . . . housing [0040] 4 . . . display [0041] 5 . . . coupling [0042] 6, 6′ . . . circulation hose [0043] 7, 7′ . . . return hose [0044] 8 . . . electronics [0045] 9 . . . power supply unit [0046] 10, 10′ . . . flow-through cell [0047] 11 . . . housing [0048] 11a . . . housing part [0049] 12 . . . electrode pack [0050] 13, 13′ . . . contact electrode [0051] 14 . . . bipolar electrode [0052] 15 . . . spacers [0053] 16 . . . contact tab [0054] 17 connection [0055] 18 . . . hose [0056] D.sub.1, D.sub.2 . . . flow sensor [0057] L.sub.1, L.sub.2 . . . conductivity sensor [0058] P.sub.1, P.sub.2 . . . pump [0059] T.sub.1, T.sub.2 . . . temperature measuring sensor