Patent ID: 6585934
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: A01N,A61B,A61L,C23F

Abstract:
An apparatus for sterilizing a medical instrument having a lumen, said apparatus comprising:(a) at least one reprocessing bay, each said bay comprising: (i) walls and a door together defining an interior reprocessing chamber, said door providing selective access to said reprocessing chamber; (ii) at least one fluid inlet; (iii) a fluid outlet permitting removal of accumulated fluid in said reprocessing chamber; (iv) a fluid dispensing unit operatively coupled to at least one said fluid inlet for at least one of spraying fluid onto and flushing fluid through a lumen of a medical instrument disposed in said reprocessing chamber, said fluid dispensing unit including a rotating arm unit rotatably mounted to one of said walls so as to be disposed within said reprocessing chamber, said rotating arm unit including at least one rotating arm member having an interior fluid passage fluidly connected to said fluid inlet, a plurality of orifices defined in said rotating arm member, said orifices being in fluid communication with said fluid passage, so that fluid can pass from said fluid inlet, through said fluid passage, through said orifices and into said reprocessing chamber; (b) at least one chemical sterilant component container; (c) at least one sterilant conduit extending between and fluidly coupling said at least one chemical sterilant component container to said reprocessing chamber; (d) at least one water conduit fluidly coupling a water supply to at least one of said reprocessing chamber, said at least one chemical sterilant component container, and the conduits extending therebetween; (e) a transfer control system for selectively transferring at least one chemical sterilant component from said at least one chemical sterilant component container to said reprocessing chamber, and for selectively transferring water from a water supply through said at least one water conduit; (f) a heater for controlling a temperature of said at least one chemical sterilant component; and at least one medical instrument supporting cassette movably mounted within said reprocessing chamber.