Patent ID: 9555143
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61L

Claim:
1. A quality control method for medical devices, comprising the steps of: exposing a plurality of surface positions located in an interior of a medical device to energy emitted from an energy emitter after subjecting the medical device to a cleaning process; measuring energy reflected from each surface position of the plurality of surface positions of the medical device and recording the energy reflected from each surface position of the plurality of surface positions of the interior of the medical device, wherein the reflected energy measured and recorded at each surface position of the plurality of surface positions produces a set of data points, wherein each of the data points corresponds to energy reflectivity from one of the surface positions of the plurality of surface positions, and wherein the data points produce a signature for the condition of the medical device after cleaning; establishing a baseline signature, wherein the baseline signature is established by a second set of data points of energy reflectivity for each surface position of the plurality of surface positions located in the interior of the medical device for a known clean and properly functioning medical device; comparing the signature for the condition of the medical device after cleaning to the baseline signature; determining cleanliness and functioning of the medical device by the variance of the signature of the medical device after cleaning from the baseline signature.