TUBULAR MEDICAL DEVICE CLEANING BALL AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

The present invention relates to: a tubular medical device cleaning ball; and a manufacturing method therefor and, more specifically, to: a tubular medical device cleaning ball capable of cleaning a tubular medical device by being injected together with a cleaning solution without using a separate brush and the like in order to clean the tubular medical device inserted into the human body during minimally invasive surgery; and a manufacturing method therefor. To this end, the cleaning ball is manufactured as a sphere having surface roughness and a cavity therein.

Claims

1. A cleaning ball for a tubular medical device, comprising: a hemispherical upper cap (110) and a hemispherical lower cap (120), which are made of a textile fabric material having surface roughness and have the same size and shape to form a spherical shape having a hollow (101) therein, wherein the upper cap and the lower cap are press-worked and integrally formed, and have a flange (102) protruded along the pressed bonding portion, wherein the cleaning ball is introduced together with a washing solution (11) into a tubular medical device (10) and then is discharged while scraping and removing residues (13) deposited on an inner peripheral surface of the tubular medical device (10).

2. The cleaning ball according to claim 1, wherein the hollow (101) includes a polymer (130) having elasticity so as to maintain a ball shape inside the hollow.

3. The cleaning ball according to claim 2, wherein the polymer (130) is any one of elastomer, sodium polyacrylate or polyacrylic acid ester.

4. The cleaning ball according to claim 2, wherein the polymer (130) is surrounded by an expanding agent (140) that absorbs water and is expanded.

5. The cleaning ball according to claim 1, wherein the upper cap (110) and the lower cap (120) have different surface roughnesses, respectively.

6. A method of manufacturing a cleaning ball for a tubular medical device, wherein the cleaning ball is made of a textile fabric material having surface roughness, has a spherical shape including a hollow (101) therein, is introduced together with a washing solution (11) into a tubular medical device (10) and then is discharged while scraping and removing residues (13) deposited on an inner peripheral surface of the tubular medical device (10), comprising: a cap type base formation step (S1) which includes: placing a textile fabric (F) having desired surface roughness and area between a top mold (200a) and a bottom mold (200b), wherein a recessed part (201) and a protrusion part (202) correspondingly engaged with each other are formed in the top and bottom molds, respectively; and press-working the textile fabric (F) to form an upper cap base (150) and a lower cap base (160), wherein each of the bases has a plurality of hemispheres formed on a surface thereof; a top and bottom alignment step (S2) which includes aligning the upper cap base (150) and the lower cap base (160) formed in the base formation step (S1) such that hemispheres correspond to each other to form a hollow (101) in the center of the bases; and a molding and cutting step (S3) which includes compressing the upper cap base (150) and the lower cap base (160) aligned in the top and bottom alignment step (S2) through a press (300) and cutting the same, thereby manufacturing the cleaning ball (100) in a spherical shape which includes a hollow (101) in the center thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the top and bottom alignment step (S2) includes positioning a polymer layer (170) such that a polymer (130) having elasticity is included in the hollow (101) so as to maintain the spherical shape.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the top and bottom alignment step (S2) includes positioning an expanding agent layer (180a) or (180b), which is made of a material expanded by water absorption, so as to surround the polymer (130) with an expanding agent (140).

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the molding and cutting step (S3) includes an ultrasonic bonding process or a bonding process using an adhesive in order to bond the upper cap base (150) and the lower cap base (160) before compressing and cutting.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein an upper cap (110) formed of the hemispherical upper cap base (150) and a lower cap (120) formed of the hemispherical lower cap base (160) further include a flange protruded and formed by compressing a bonding portion of the bases.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1a is a schematic view illustrating cleaning of a tubular medical device according to the conventional art.

[0044] FIG. 1b is a schematic view showing the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device employed in the conventional art.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIGS. 4 to 6 are schematic views and a flowchart illustrating a manufacturing method of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a state of use of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention.

BEST MODE

[0049] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device and the manufacturing method of the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Then, a detailed description of known functions and configurations in relation to the following description of the present invention will be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.

[0051] In addition, a tubular medical device 10 shown in the drawings has an inlet A and an outlet B which are located at different sites. However, this is intended as only one example for convenience of description and the tubular medical device 10 may of course have the inlet A and the outlet B at the same position, depending upon a shape of the tubular medical device.

[0052] Further, with regard to the description of the present invention, the same elements as described in the conventional art will be defined and explained to have the same reference numerals.

[0053] First, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention, while FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] As shown in the drawings, the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device according to the present invention is made of a textile fabric material having surface roughness and has a spherical shape including a hollow 101 therein.

[0055] The cleaning ball 100 is introduced together with a washing solution 11 into a tubular medical device 10 and then is discharged to the outside while scraping and removing residues 13 deposited on an inner peripheral surface of the tubular medical device 10.

[0056] More particularly, the cleaning ball 100 is made of a textile fabric material having surface roughness, and is integrally formed by press-working a hemispherical upper cap 110 and a hemispherical lower cap 120, which have the same size and shape, thus resulting in a spherical shape including a hollow 101 therein.

[0057] Further, the pressed portions of the upper cap 110 and the lower cap 120 form a protruding flange 102, wherein the flange 102 may play a role of more easily scraping an inner wall of the tubular medical device 10 so as to remove the residues 13.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3(a), the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device may be formed as a pure empty space wherein a polymer 130 and an expanding agent 140 are not included in the hollow 101.

[0059] The cleaning ball 100 is introduced together with a washing solution into the tubular medical device 10, wherein the washing solution 11 penetrates into the hollow 101 in accordance with material properties of the textile fabric forming the surface of the cleaning ball, thereby expanding the surface of the cleaning ball 100 and increasing a surface area thereof.

[0060] In this case, the washing solution 11 injected and penetrated into the hollow 101 of the cleaning ball 100 has an internal pressure responding to the washing solution outside the cleaning ball, and therefore, the expanded cleaning ball 100 may have an internal pressure responding more or less to an external pressure and an original shape of the cleaning ball 100 may be maintained. Accordingly, the expanded cleaning ball 100 can scrape the inner wall of the tubular medical device due to an increase in surface area, thereby increasing cleaning efficiency.

[0061] Herein, the upper cap 110 and the lower cap 120 have the same surface roughness. However, if necessary, these caps may be formed to have different surface roughnesses using materials having different roughnesses, respectively.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 3(b), the cleaning ball 100 may include a polymer 101a having elasticity in the hollow 101, so as to maintain the original shape thereof regardless of an external pressure when the washing solution is injected into the tubular medical device 10 for cleaning the inside of the same.

[0063] In this case, the polymer 101a fills the hollow 101 and may be present in the form of a single polymer or multiple polymers.

[0064] According to one example, the polymer 101a used herein is usually silicone or rubber and, more particularly, elastomer, sodium polyacrylate or polyacrylic acid ester.

[0065] Such polymer 101a may have inherent elasticity to maintain an original shape thereof or, when the washing solution 11 penetrates into the hollow 101, may absorb the washing solution to thus be expanded or gelled, thereby enabling the cleaning ball 100 to maintain a ball shape regardless of external pressure. On the other hand, the polymer 130 used herein may be a polymer without water absorption and expansion in consideration of production cost and ease of manufacturing.

[0066] Next, referring to FIG. 3(c), if desired, the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device according to another example may comprise the polymer 130 surrounded by an expanding agent 140 which absorbs water and is expanded.

[0067] Preferably, the expanding agent 140 has a higher coefficient of expansion than that of the polymer 130 and may include a material that can sufficiently absorb water and then be expanded.

[0068] During cleaning of the tubular medical device 10, the upper cap 11 and the lower cap 120 forming a surface of the cleaning ball 100 may have an empty space generated between the polymer 130 and the upper cap 110 or the lower cap 120 when the textile fabric absorbs the washing solution and is expanded. In this case, it may be concerned that the space is distorted by external pressure.

[0069] However, if the expanding agent 140 is included, the above problem may be overcome. Accordingly, the expanding agent 140 may comprise a material having a high coefficient of expansion for expansion by water absorption.

[0070] As such, owing to a configuration that is integrally formed by surrounding an outer part of the polymer 130 with the expanding agent 140, the washing solution 11 injected during cleaning of the tubular medical device may be absorbed not only in the textile fabric forming an outer surface of the cleaning ball 100 but also in the expanding agent 140.

[0071] The expanding agent 140 may be expanded while absorbing the washing solution, and then, further expand the upper cap 110 and the lower cap 120 so as to increase an outer surface area. In addition, the expanding agent may endure an external pressure along with the internal polymer 130, thereby facilitating the cleaning ball 110 to maintain a spherical shape.

[0072] Such an expanding agent 140 used herein is preferably agar using Ceylon moss (or agar-agar) and, if it is a material having a high coefficient of expansion for expansion by water absorption, various materials other than the aforementioned one may of course be used.

[0073] If the polymer 130 and the expanding agent 140 are included in the hollow 101 of the cleaning ball 100 according to the present invention, the cleaning ball 100 may have a coefficient of volume expansion due to absorption of the washing solution 11 in a range of 15 to 35% or 20 to 30%.

[0074] Next, a manufacturing method of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention will be described in detail. FIGS. 4 to 6 are schematic views and a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention, while FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a state of use of the cleaning ball for a tubular medical device according to the present invention.

[0075] As described above, the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device according to the present invention is made of a textile fabric material, and is integrally formed by closely contacting the upper cap 110 with the lower cap 120 and press-working the same, thereby being formed to have an overall spherical shape.

[0076] More specifically, the cleaning ball 100 may be manufactured into a finished product by a base formation step S1, a top and bottom alignment step S2 and a molding and cutting step S3.

[0077] First, the base formation step S1 may be conducted to prepare hemispherical shapes of the upper cap 110 and the lower cap 120 forming the cleaning ball 100, and may include forming an upper cap base 150 and a lower cap base 160 wherein these bases include a plurality of the upper caps 110 and lower caps 120 in a cap form.

[0078] For this purpose, the manufacturing method may include: placing a textile fabric F with desired surface roughness and area between a top mold 200a and a bottom mold 200b wherein a recess part 201 and a protrusion part 202 correspondingly engaged with each other are formed in the top and bottom molds, respectively; and press-working the textile fabric F to form an upper cap base 150 and a lower cap base 160, wherein each of the bases has a plurality of hemispheres formed on a surface thereof.

[0079] According to the aforementioned processes, the textile fabric F in a flat shape is reconstituted into the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 that have protruding embossing faces.

[0080] Herein, both of the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 may be prepared in the same mold or, if necessary, may of course be prepared in a separate mold.

[0081] On the other hand, the textile fabric F has a size and an area sufficient to fully cover a molding face of the top mold 200a and the bottom mold 200b, and may have as many hemispheres, that is, embossed portions, as the number of recessed parts 201 and protrusion parts 202 present in the top mold and the bottom mold, respectively.

[0082] Preferably, the top mold 200a and the bottom mold 200b have multiple recessed parts 201 only or multiple protrusion parts 202 only, along the overall molding face.

[0083] Next, the top and bottom alignment step S2 may include aligning the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 formed in the base formation step S1 such that hemispheres correspond to each other in order to create a hollow 101 in the center of the bases.

[0084] As a result, the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 may have a cleaning ball shape 100 that has the hollow 101 while facing each other.

[0085] When the cleaning ball 100 is manufactured through press-working under conditions as described above, a cleaning ball having an empty hollow space 101 as shown in FIG. 3(a) is produced.

[0086] Further, in order to manufacture the cleaning ball 100 as shown in FIG. 3(b), the top and bottom alignment step S2 may include positioning a polymer layer 170 such that the polymer 130 having elasticity is included in the hollow 101 in order to maintain the spherical shape.

[0087] Herein, the polymer 130 may be present in the form of a single polymer or multiple polymers so as to fill the hollow 101.

[0088] The drawings have illustrated that the polymer 130 could be previously prepared and used in an embossing form having a size with which the polymer 130 can be included in the hollow 101 formed by the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160, without being limited thereto. If necessary, a plate type polymer layer 170 having a desired thickness may of course be prepared in a mold by compression.

[0089] Further, a method for preparation of the polymer 130 is not particularly limited. In the case of silicone, the polymer 130 may of course be prepared by injecting the silicone into the hollow 101 by means of a gun type injector.

[0090] On the other hand, the polymer 130 may have inherent elasticity to maintain an original shape thereof. Otherwise, since the washing solution 11 penetrates into the hollow 101, the polymer may absorb the washing solution and thus be expanded or gelled, thereby facilitating the cleaning ball 100 to maintain a ball shape regardless of external pressure.

[0091] As described above, maintaining the shape of the cleaning ball 100 by the polymer 130 may maximize cleaning efficiency by sufficiently scraping and removing residues out of the tubular medical device 10 while passing through the inside of the tubular medical device 10. Types of the polymer may include, for example, elastomer, sodium polyacrylate or polyacrylic acid ester, as described above.

[0092] Further, in order to manufacture the cleaning ball 100 as shown in FIG. 3(c), the top and bottom alignment step S2 may include placing an expanding agent layer 180a or 180b, which is made of a material expanded by water absorption, on the top and bottom of the polymer layer 170 to surround the polymer 130 with the expanding agent 140.

[0093] Accordingly, the formed expanding agent 140 may absorb the washing solution and then be expanded to endure an external pressure along with the internal polymer 130, thereby helping the cleaning ball 100 to maintain a spherical shape.

[0094] According to one example, the expanding agent layer 180a or 180b used herein may be agar using agar-agar weeds, without being limited thereto. A variety of materials may of course be applied as long as it is a material having a high coefficient of expansion for expansion by water absorption.

[0095] The cleaning ball 100 manufactured by the above method, which includes placing the expanding agent layer in a desired position, may include the polymer 130 and the expanding agent 140 in the hollow 101.

[0096] Subsequently, the molding and cutting step S3 may include compressing the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160, which were aligned in the top and bottom alignment step S2, through a press 300 and cutting the same, thereby manufacturing a spherical shape cleaning ball 100 having a hollow 101 in the center thereof.

[0097] The textile fabrics F forming the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 are bonded to each other by pressure and heat generated during press-working, and the hemispheres facing each other may form a hollow 101 in the center thereof and produce a single cleaning ball 100.

[0098] Further, according to a size of the textile fabric F having the above area and the number of hemispheres, the cleaning ball 100 may be manufactured in plural at the same time.

[0099] On the other hand, if necessary, the molding and cutting step S3 may of course include a separate ultrasonic bonding process and a bonding process using an adhesive at a bonding surface in order to bond the upper cap base 150 and the lower cap base 160 before the cutting process.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 7, a state of use of the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device according to the present invention described above will be reviewed as follows.

[0101] In this regard, the cleaning ball 100 having a hollow 101 filled with the polymer 130 and the expanding agent 140 will be explained for illustrative purpose.

[0102] A tubular medical device 10 used for operation requires cleaning and sterilization depending upon use thereof, and may include residues 13 therein.

[0103] In order to clean the tubular medical device 10, the tubular medical device 10 may be subjected to ultrasonic cleaning or washing by immersing the same in a washing container. Further, in order to completely clean and sterilize the inside of the tubular medical device 10, a washing solution 11 is injected into the tubular medical device 10 through an inlet A and then is discharged through an outlet B, thereby cleaning the same.

[0104] At this time, the washing solution 11 used herein may be saline, water or water containing medicaments for disinfection, without being particularly limited to any one thereof.

[0105] Further, in addition to the washing solution 11 injected through the inlet A, if required, a number of cleaning balls 100 may also be introduced by adding the same to the washing solution.

[0106] The cleaning ball 100 is preferably pre-introduced in a state of being included in the washing solution 11 and, if desired, may of course be introduced separately independently of the washing solution 11.

[0107] As described above, the cleaning ball 100 is preferably made of a textile fabric F, may have surface roughness and be expandable by penetration of the washing solution 11 into the hollow 101.

[0108] Then, at a bonding site between the upper cap 110 and the lower cap 120, a flange 102 protruded by press-working is included. Therefore, the flange 102 as well as a rough potion of the surface of the cleaning ball 100 are introduced into the tubular medical device 10 and then discharged while scraping and removing residues 13 deposited or remaining on an inner wall of the tubular medical device when moving from the inlet A to the outlet B.

[0109] In this case, the cleaning ball 100 can have sufficient strength to maintain the original shape thereof by the washing solution 11 penetrated into the hollow 101 regardless of external pressure, and the polymer 130 included in the hollow has elasticity to thus help the cleaning ball 100 more easily maintain a spherical shape.

[0110] Specifically, in case of a structure including the expanding agent 140, the expanding agent 140 is a material having a high coefficient of expansion for expansion by water absorption, may compress the textile fabric F from the inside to the outside of the cleaning ball, thereby helping the cleaning ball 100 more easily maintain a spherical shape regardless of an external pressure, thus further maximizing cleaning efficiency.

[0111] The cleaning ball 100 configured as described above may more easily remove residues 13 while moving inside the tubular medical device 10.

[0112] Further, the washing solution 11 may form a vortex in accordance with a shape of the tubular medical device 10 or an injection pressure of the washing solution while being injected into the tubular medical device 10, wherein the cleaning ball 100 may perform cleaning while hitting the inner wall of the tubular medical device 10.

[0113] Meanwhile, the cleaning ball 100 may have a size in a range of several mm to several cm depending upon the shape and size of the tubular medical device 10. Although not shown in the drawings, the cleaning ball may be introduced in desired quantity (or numbers) sufficient to fill the entirety of the inner space of the tubular according to the cleaning method. According to one example, a size of the cleaning ball 100 may range from 2 mm to 5 mm according to use thereof, without being particularly limited thereto.

[0114] In this regard, the cleaning ball 100 is expanded and has increased surface area due to penetration of the washing solution 11 into the hollow 101, and may be positioned while fully filling the inner space of the tubular medical device 10.

[0115] Further, the cleaning ball 100 expanded by a pressure of the injected washing solution 11 may move along an inner peripheral surface of the tubular medical device 10 and thus more completely clean the inner wall of the tubular medical device 10.

[0116] In other words, with regard to the cleaning ball 100, the number of introduced cleaning balls may be selected depending upon the shape of the tubular medical device 10. Further, the cleaning ball may be introduced together with the washing solution 11, or otherwise, may be introduced separately.

[0117] Therefore, as described above, the cleaning ball 100 for a tubular medical device according to the present invention may completely remove irritating residues on the human body without blind spots inside the tubular medical device.

[0118] With respect to the present invention as described above, various substitutions, modifications and alterations may be possible by persons having ordinary skill in the art, to which the present invention pertains, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is duly not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and accompanying drawings.