Cleaning and disinfecting machine for medical equipment and instruments, anesthetic tubes, catheters, and endoscopes

Claim 1

A cleaning and sterilizing apparatus for medical equipment and instruments, including anesthetic tubes, catheters, and endoscopes, comprising: a transporting, storing, and cleaning vessel which receives articles to be cleaned and sterilized; a feed line for supplying cleansing liquid to said vessel; a compressed air supply line; a cleansing liquid supply line for cleansing liquid under pressure; and an output line for discharging spent cleansing liquid from said vessel, wherein: (a) said vessel is constructed so as to be placed in and removed from remaining components of the apparatus; (b) said vessel consists of a pressure chamber and a tubular element which is in fluid communication with said pressure chamber; (c) said pressure chamber has an opening for loading and unloading articles to be cleaned and means tightly closing said opening; (d) said pressure chamber has an inlet having means for coupling to said feed line; (e) said feed line has means for connecting to at least one of said compressed air supply line and said cleansing liquid supply line; (f) said tubular element has an outlet having means for coupling to said outlet line for discharging spent cleansing liquid; (g) said tubular element is constructed so as to define a vacuum system with respect to an inner passage of an article to be cleaned when liquid flows along a gap between an outside surface of the article and an inner wall of said tubular element; (h) a time controlled magnetic valve is provided in each of the compressed air supply line and the cleansing liquid supply line, said magnetic valves being constructed so as to open and close a fluid path from a supply for pressurized cleansing liquid and a supply for pressurized air to said feed line, and (i) means for controlling said time controlled magnetic valves is provided to selectively meter at least one of liquid cleansing agents, and pressurized air into the vessel.