Cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device for medical or dental instruments

Abstract

A cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device for at least one medical or dental instrument comprising a housing, a treatment chamber for receiving the at least one medical or dental instrument, a media supply for feeding and/or discharging media into the treatment chamber and a control unit operable to control and/or regulate a cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization process, wherein the control unit comprises a wireless communication device to communicate with remote accessories of the cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device and wherein the wireless communication device is capable of creating a wireless local area network allowing the remote accessories to communicate with the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device.

Claims

1. A cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device for at least one medical or dental instrument comprising a housing, a treatment chamber for receiving the at least one medical or dental instrument, a media supply for feeding media into or discharging media out of the treatment chamber, and a control unit operable to control or regulate a cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization process, wherein the control unit comprises a wireless communication device to communicate with at least one remote accessory of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device, wherein the wireless communication device is designed to create a wireless local area network allowing the at least one remote accessory to communicate with the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

2. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is non-detachably connected to the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

3. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is detachably connected to the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

4. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 3, wherein the wireless communication device is encapsulated in a housing to protect it from mechanical or chemical damage.

5. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless access point designed to allow the at least one remote accessory to connect to the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

6. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises an internet bridge configured to provide internet access for the cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or or sterilization device and/or or for the at least one accessory.

7. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 6, wherein the internet bridge comprises a cellular modem which is non-detachably or detachably connected to the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

8. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to activate the wireless communication device.

9. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to automatically communicate with the at least one connected remote accessory depending on a process parameter or process state of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

10. The cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to create the wireless local area network according the Wi-Fi standard.

11. An apparatus for cleaning, disinfecting, caring or sterilizing at least one medical or dental instrument comprising a cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device capable of creating a wireless local area network according to claim 1, and at least one accessory for the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device, wherein the at least one accessory comprises a wireless network interface to provide access to the wireless local area network in order to communicate with the control unit of the cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization device.

12. The apparatus to claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface is non-detachably connected to the at least one accessory.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface is detachably connected to the at least one accessory.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one accessory, in particular the wireless network interface, is designed to communicate with control units of multiple cleaning, disinfecting, care or sterilization devices simultaneously.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one accessory comprises at least one of: a rack or tray for holding the medical instrument, a printer, a pouch sealing device, a water supply or distiller, an adapter for the instrument, a test kit to evaluate a reprocessing process, an evaluation unit, a second cleaning, disinfection and care device, a dental unit, a mobile phone, or a remote display.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the reprocessing device, in particular a sterilization device, which is capable of creating a wireless local area network, and an accessory, in particular a mobile or smart phone, for monitoring and/or operating the sterilization device.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the reprocessing device, in particular an enlarged detail of a sterilization device as shown in FIG. 1, of the wireless communication device, which is detachably connected to the sterilization device, and a remote evaluation unit.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device, in particular a reprocessing device, which cleans, cares and sterilizes medical, in particular dental instruments, wherein a variety of accessories communicate with the reprocessing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 schematically shows a reprocessing device, in particular a sterilization device 1, which is capable of creating a wireless local area network 11, and an accessory, in particular a mobile phone or smart phone 6, for monitoring and/or operating the device 1. The sterilization device 1 comprises a housing 2 in which a sterilization chamber (not shown) is arranged. The chamber is defined by a casing and an air-tight door 15. In order to withstand pressure differences between the inside of the chamber and the outside the chamber and the door 15 are preferably made of stainless steel. The chamber comprises several inlet and outlet openings, which are connected to a media supply for feeding and/or discharging media, such as steam, air and so on. The media supply may comprise in particular, among other things, a certain number of channels to convey the above mentioned media, containers for the sterilization agents or waste water, connections to fluid sources, in particular to an air or water sources, and components, such as heating elements, a condenser, fluid or evacuation pumps, a filter and so on. Furthermore, the media supply comprises actuators, for example valves or sensors, such as temperature, pressure, conductivity, flow or concentration sensors.

(5) In addition to the media supply, the device comprises a control unit 4, which is arranged in the sterilization device 1 to control and/or regulate a sterilization process. The control unit 4 preferably comprises a processor, a memory unit, a display 16, in particular a touch screen, a communication interface, and a connection to a power source, to the above mentioned technical components, to the several sensors of the media supply and to additional sensors, which are arranged in or are connect to the sterilization chamber and/or to the technical components to monitor the operation of the sterilization device 1. Further, the control unit 4 comprises a wireless communication device 5, which is capable of creating a wireless local area network 11, in particular according to the Wi-Fi standard, to communicate with the smart phone 6. According to the first embodiment, the wireless communication device 5 is non-detachably connected to the control unit 4 of the sterilization device 1, which is positioned in the housing 2 of the sterilization device 1. The wireless communication device 5 itself comprises a wireless access point to create the wireless local area network 11.

(6) The smart phone 6 comprises a wireless network interface to provide access to the wireless local area network 11 in order to communicate with the control unit 4 of the sterilization device 1. In this embodiment the wireless network interface is non-detachably connected to the smart phone 6, in particular integrated into the smart phone 6 in form of an interface card.

(7) According to this first embodiment, one or more process parameters, such as temperature, pressure, quantity of material, moisture, electrical conductivity, operation time, electric energy, is transferable from the sterilization device 1, in particular from the control unit 4, to the remote smart phone 6. Further, process states of the sterilization process, such as Sterilization starts, Sterilization runs, or Sterilization finished can be transmitted from the control unit 4 of the sterilization device 1 to the smart phone 6. Both the process parameters and the process states can be displayed on the touch screen 17 of the smart phone 6. So a user is enabled to remotely monitor the sterilization device 1 without the need to stay next to the reprocessing device 1. Furthermore, according this embodiment, the smart phone 6, in particular the wireless network interface, and the control unit 4 of the sterilization device 1 are designed in such a way that a user is allowed to remotely operate the sterilization device 1, for example to select and/or start a sterilization process. In particular, the smart phone 6 and the wireless network interface are designed to communicate with the control units 4 of multiple cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization devices 1 simultaneously. So it is possible to monitor and control multiple sterilization devices 1 in particular in real time.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization device 1, in particular a detailed view of the sterilization device as shown in FIG. 1. According to this second embodiment the wireless communication device 5 of the control unit 4 is detachably connected to the sterilization device 1. A USB connection 18, 19 is used to connect it to the control unit 4 of the device 1 by a wired connection. In particular, the wireless communication device 5 is formed as an adapter, such as a USB stick, and is encapsulated in a separate housing 12 to protect it from mechanical and chemical damage. The USB stick 12 is connectable to a USB port 18 of the control unit 5 which is arranged at the housing 2 of the sterilization device 1. The adapter 12 includes a wireless access point to create the wireless local area network 11 for monitoring and operating the sterilization device 1.

(9) According to this embodiment the accessory of the sterilization device 1 is a remote evaluation unit 7. The remote evaluation unit 7 monitors multiple process parameters of the sterilization device 1 for a plurality of operation cycles. Therefore the evaluation unit 7 comprises a wireless network interface to provide access to the wireless local area network 11 created by the control unit 4 of the sterilization device 1. A maintenance requirement is detected by the evaluation unit 7 for example, when the parameters follow a trend to a failure of the reprocessing device 1. This enables avoiding a failure or a breakdown of the sterilization device 1. So the wireless communication device 5 of the control unit 4 serves to transmit the monitored process parameters from the sterilization device 1, in particular from the control unit 4, to the remote evaluation unit 7. Therefore the control unit 4 is designed to activate the wireless communication device 5, preferably after each sterilization process to transmit the recorded process parameters. Alternatively, the control unit 4 is designed to automatically communicate with the evaluation unit 7 depending on the monitored process parameters.

(10) Additionally, according to this embodiment the remote evaluation unit 7 is designed to transmit the monitored maintenance requirement to a server of a service center for the sterilization device 1, preferably by a wired connection, such as an Internet bridge 20. So the service center can send a technician to repair or change the sterilization device 1 with the detected technical defect. The monitored maintenance requirement can be also transmitted from the evaluation unit 7 to the sterilization device 1 by the wireless connection 11 to display the user the technical defect. So the wireless local area network 11 allows bidirectional communication between the sterilization device 1 and the remote evaluation unit 7.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a reprocessing device 1, in particular a cleaning, disinfection, care and sterilization device 1, wherein full treatment or processing of the medical instruments occurs without the need to expose such instruments to the outer environment. The reprocessing device 1 comprises a housing 2, preferably made of plastic, with a door 21, which closes a maintenance chamber (not shown) arranged inside of the housing 2. Several connection ports for medical or dental instruments are provided in the chamber. Through the ports cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and care agents can be transported into the interior of the medical instruments based on a media supply as mentioned above. Additionally, through nozzles, which are arranged in the maintenance chamber, the cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and care agents can be spread onto the outside of the medical instruments.

(12) According to this embodiment, a control unit 4 of the reprocessing device 1 comprises a wireless communication device 5, which is capable of creating a wireless local area network 11 allowing the remote accessories 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, in particular a dental unit 10, a printer 8, a remote display 6, a remote evaluation unit 7 and a second cleaning, disinfection and care device 9 to communicate with the control unit 4 of the cleaning, disinfecting, care and sterilization device 1. In this embodiment, the wireless communication device 5 is non-detachably connected to the control unit 4 of the reprocessing device 1.

(13) The wireless network interfaces of the accessories 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 to provide access to the wireless local area network 11 are either non-detachably connected to the accessories 6, 7, 8, 10, in particular connected to the electric components of the accessories, such as to the controller of the dental unit 10, the printer 8, the smart phone 6 or the remote evaluation unit 7, or are detachably connected to the accessories, such as to the control unit of the second cleaning, disinfection and care device 9 using a USB stick 14.

(14) Furthermore, the wireless network interfaces are preferably designed to communicate with control units 4 of multiple cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilization devices 1 simultaneously. For example in this embodiment, the reprocessing device 1 enabling full processing of the medical instruments and a second cleaning, disinfection and care device 9 can be operated and controlled by the same accessory 6, in particular by the smart phone 6 based on the wireless local area network 11 created by the reprocessing device 1 and the wireless network interface housed in the smart phone 6. So the reprocessing device 1, in particular the created wireless local area network 11, preferably allows the accessories 6, 7, 9, 10 to communicate with each other, in particular to transmit data among each other.

(15) To provide internet access for the reprocessing device 1 and for the accessories 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, the control unit 4 of the reprocessing device 1 comprises an internet bridge 13. In this embodiment the internet bridge 13 is comprises a cellular modem, which is detachably connected to the control unit 4 of the reprocessing device 1 by a wired connection 22. Thus it is possible to transmit for example maintenance requirements or service instructions from the reprocessing device 1, in particular from the control unit 4, or from the accessories 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 preferably to a central server of a service center of the manufacturer of the devices.

(16) Within the scope of the present invention it is self-evident that the inventive device for cleaning, disinfecting, care and/or sterilizing medical or dental instruments according to the invention is not limited to the embodiments described here, but instead includes all embodiments which apply or include fundamentally analogous function principles. In addition, all the features of all the embodiments described and depicted here may be combined with one another.