Patent ID: 7708938
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: A61B,A61L

Abstract:
1. A process for measuring and controlling the circulation of fluids in endoscope channels comprising: placing at least one endoscope into a tank; coupling one or more inlet channels of the endoscope to a hermetic chamber having a known volume and one or more valves, the hermetic chamber being equipped with a low level sensor and a high level sensor, and an upper portion of the hermetic chamber being connected to a connection solenoid valve that allows air to evacuate when the hermetic chamber is being filled; filling the hermetic chamber and valves to a high level position, thereby saturating the tank and inlet channels with a fluid from at least one fluid supply, wherein the filling is performed by a circulation pump arranged upstream of the hermetic chamber and which is configured to agitate contents of the tank; pressurizing the hermetic chamber using a filtered air compressor; controlling and recording a time for a fluid flow under pressure within the hermetic chamber to travel from the high level position to a designated low level position when at least one of the valves is open to at least a respective one of the one or more inlet channels; and confirming that the fluids are circulating in each portion of each channel of the endoscope, that the at least respective one of the one or more inlet channels are properly coupled to the at least one of the valves, and that none of the respective one or more channels are closed.