Device for disinfecting medical instruments

A device for disinfecting medical instruments such as endoscopes and accessories comprises a tub containing disinfectant fluid into which may be dipped a perforated basket with endoscopes and accessories placed therein, which may after the disinfecting action be lifted out of the disinfectant fluid, and after longitudinal displacement relative to the tub may be supported by means of lateral projections for the draining off of residual disinfectant fluid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a device for disinfecting medical instruments such 
as endoscopes and accessories comprising a perforated basket for reception 
of the endoscopes and accessories and for dipping into a tub containing a 
disinfectant fluid and closable by a lid. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Endoscopes and accessories must be thoroughly disinfected or sterilised 
prior to being used. Until now, this is performed in such a manner that 
the instruments placed in a perforated basket are dipped into a tub 
containing disinfectant fluid and are lifted out with the basket after 
disinfection. In this connection, it is necessary that the extracted 
perforated basket containing the instruments must be held above the tub by 
hand until the disinfectant fluid has drained completely off the basket 
and the instruments. The personnel is not available for other activities 
during this time, and it may happen moreover that the draining period 
required is not adhered to upon holding the basket still by hand, so that 
the endoscope is placed too early in a bath neutralising the disinfectant 
fluid. Under particular circumstances, this may necessitate premature 
replacement of the neutralising fluid, or adequate neutralisation of the 
residual disinfectant drops may not be obtained, which may lead to trouble 
for the patient. Since the instruments are placed approximately 
horizontally in the disinfectant fluid container, an incomplete 
disinfecting action could be possible moreover, owing to complete wetting 
of the instrument surfaces and inner wall surfaces because of adhering gas 
bubbles. It has also been unavoidable until now that the instruments 
together with the perforated basket are laid temporarily on a contaminated 
surface, e.g. for draining or repositioning of the instruments, which 
could lead to a renewed entrainment of germs. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide a disinfecting device which 
allows personnel to be kept free for other activities after the 
disinfecting operation and during the draining period of the perforated 
basket containing the instruments, while accomplishing a complete 
disinfecting operation without appreciable quantities of disinfectant 
fluid being left behind on or within the instrument after the disinfecting 
operation. 
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the sidewalls 
of the perforated basket are provided with projections which in a 
longitudinally directed position of the basket with respect to the tub 
after being lifted out of the disinfectant fluid, rest on inner 
projections of the tub sidewalls to form support means for holding the 
basket above the fluid for draining. At least three pairs of projections 
are needed to give the required stability. The immersed perforated basket 
containing the instruments may after performing the disinfecting operation 
be lifted out of the disinfectant fluid and supported in the tub, so that 
it is possible to adhere to the minimum period needed for draining of the 
disinfectant fluid off the perforated basket and instruments, without an 
operative having the perform a task, and so that following the draining 
operation, a total neutralisation of the disinfectant fluid residues may 
then be performed in any case, without the need for premature replacement 
of this fluid. 
The tub and the basket are preferably substantially rectangular in plan 
view, with two of said projections on each longitudinal side. Other 
configurations can however be contemplated, for example a projection on 
one end wall and a projection on each sidewall near the opposite end. 
The invention is described in the following with other advantageous 
features, with reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A device for disinfecting instruments and accessories comprises a 
rectangular tub 1 having an upper peripheral flange 2 forming a groove, 
which may comprise handle excisions or recesses. The two sidewalls of the 
tub each provided close to their extremities with inwardly directed 
projections 3 which are advantageously notched at their upper extremity. 
A perforated basket 4 receiving an endoscope and accessories is placed in 
this tub which is filled with a disinfectant fluid up to a particular 
level, and dipped into the disinfectant fluid. Upon being placed in the 
tub 1, the perforated basket rests with a peripheral flange 5 forming a 
draining groove on a peripheral flange 2 of the tub 1 equally forming a 
draining groove. Any disinfecting fluid which may spill over during 
carrying runs back into the tub through the grooves 2 and 5. This is then 
followed by closure by putting on a lid 6 provided with a peripheral rim 
6a, which is provided with a central handle and embossments, one 
embossment receiving a device 7, e.g. consisting of discs rotatable with 
respect to each other, whereby it is possible to record periods, e.g. of 
days, weeks and months. 
Once the period required for disinfection has elapsed, the perforated 
basket 4 containing the instruments is lifted out of the tub 1 above the 
level of disinfectant fluid, and is then supported after a relative 
longitudinal displacement with outer lateral projections 8 on the 
projections 3 of the inner sidewalls of the tub. To this end, the lower 
extremities of the projections 8 engage in the notches of the projections 
3, and the perforated basket 4 is thereby secured against longitudinal 
displacements in the raised position. In this relative position of the 
perforated basket 4 with respect to the tub 1, the end surface 4a of the 
perforated basket bears against the facing end surface 1a of the tub. The 
possibility of relative displacement of the basket 4 should to this end be 
at least equal to the width of the projections 3 and 8. 
The perforated basket 4 remains in the lifted position until substantially 
all of the disinfectant fluid has drained off the instruments and the 
basket into the tub 1 below. This period may be indicated by means of the 
device 7. 
To accelerate the draining of the disinfectant fluid off the perforated 
basket and the instruments, it is advantageous to allow the base 4b of the 
perforated basket to extend slopingly with respect to the horizontal from 
one end of the basket to the other so that disinfectant fluid may thereby 
drip off downwards by faster draining off the instruments and the 
perforated basket.