Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for use in Sterilizing, Disinfecting, and similar purposes, and for Cultivating Bacteria.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for use in Sterilizing,
Disinfecting, and similar purposes, and for Cultivating Bacteria.
I, EUGENE FOURNIER of 114 rue de Provence, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Pharmaceutical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to apparatus for the sterilisation of surgical instruments,
bandages, apparatus and materials and liquids of all kinds for cultivating microbes
or bacillæ, and for the complete and quick disinfection of hospital-rooms, theatres,
consulting rooms and generally of all contaminated places.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus according to the present invention
arranged specially for dry sterilisation that is to say protected from contact with
steam of various instruments, such for instance, as serum-receiving instrument
etc., which may also be used in sterilising cotton-wool and instruments such as
syringes, surgical instruments etc.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an apparatus for use in the cultivation of bacille.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an apparatus for use in disinfecting rooms,
chambers and the like
Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the safety-valve of the apparatus.
Fig. 5 shows a support to be used for sterilising in a solution of for instance
borate of soda, various instruments or articles which are supported so that they
may be easily manipulated.
Fig. 6 shows a basket for sterilising by steam damp compressed plugs, or
solutions contained in flasks, surgical instruments and generally all apparatus or
objects which may be, without inconvenience, brought into direct contact with
steam.
The apparatus according to the present invention consists of a boiler or vessel A
in a cylindrical support B and closed by a cover D which is made steam-tight by
means of hinged screw-bolts d or otherwise and is provided with a detachable
handle C which enables it to be easily manipulated.
The vessel A rests in its support B over a spirit-lamp L, to which it is secured
by means of hooks or catches so as to leave a certain free space between the
bottom of the support B and the body of the lamp for the passage of air necessary
for combustion.
This boiler A into which a certain quantity of water is admitted is provided with
a safety-valve S having a whistle E which gives a signal when the pressure in the
apparatus has reached the desired point corresponding to the temperature to be
attained, which varies in accordance with the operations to be effected.
The valve is further combined with a stirrup ƒ surrounding its lever arm sliding
on the latter and provided with a heel which when raised and placed on a fixed
part e of the valve holds. the lever of the latter in the dotted position Fig. 4,
in which position the valve not being loaded is lifted and the pressure in the
interior of the boiler relieved, which is necessary to enable the apparatus to be
manipulated for its different purposes.

page_text: The heating of the apparatus is effected by means of a spirit lamp L which
preferably works without a wick and has a central perforated tube J on which is
adjustable a sleeve I having a cup to receive a small quantity of spirits for
heating the vapourising tube J.
This sleeve I may be raised or lowered as desired by means of a lever F in order
to increase or diminish the flame.
The lamp L, beside its central main burner, the construction of which has just
been described, comprises an auxiliary burner K, the wick of which absorbs
liquid from the main reservoir as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but of course it may also
be independent of the lamp L. The construction of the burner K is in both cases
as follows:-
The reservoir supplying the wick () with combustible material has in any desired
point a vertical fixed tube k, in which may move up or down another tube screw-
threaded on the outside and forming a rack driven by a pinion p; the length of the
tube which encloses and holds fast the wick O is such that the lighted end of said
wick which never projects above the upper end of said tube may vary in height
within considerable limits and be placed more or less near the bottom of the
boiler A according to the temperature at which the latter is to be maintained,
which temperature may have previously been produced by the main burner of the
lamp L which may then be extinguished.
It will be understood that under such circumstances the height of the flame of
the wick may be varied, without necessitating the slightest detachment of said
wick from its supporting and guiding tube whereby a perfect and constant
uniformity of the flame without the wick being burnt or carbonised and without
producing any smoke is obtained.
The dry sterilising of instruments or objects is effected by means of a cylindrical
receptacle M which is placed in the boiler A and partly immersed in the water
therein, as shown by way of example in Fig. 1. This receptacle M has at the
bottom, say, three small legs by means of which it rests on the bottom of the
boiler A, and is provided at the top with a cover m, closed hermetically in
any convenient manner, and having an opening, by which the interior of
the receptacle M may communicate with the exterior and which can be completely
closed, during the use of the apparatus, by a screw-plug m¹. This plug is un-
screwed to enable air to enter the receptacle M when the cover of the latter is to
be removed.
Wet sterilisation, in a solution of borate of soda, for example, is effected in the
same or a similar receptacle M into which said solution is poured, the support
shown in Fig. 5 being preferably used.
This support is constituted by a cross F with a base G, a central belt H and a
ring or handle F' and receives the various objects to be sterilised, which are suit-
ably arranged on the base G and retained at a suitable height by the central
belt H.
By means of this support and its ring F the objects to be sterilised may be put
into or removed from the receptacle M without necessitating dipping the hands
into the sterilizing liquid or solution.
Finally, the cylinder M, beside the above-mentioned functions, may be used
when not used for sterilising independently of the boiler as a receptacle for trans-
porting previously sterilised compresses, water-absorbing cotton-wool and instru-
ments. In such cases the absolute air-tight closing of the receptacle M may be
ensured by a rubber washer enclosing in an air-tight manner the joint between the
cover m and the receptacle.
For all these different cases of sterilisation, the receptacle M is placed in the
boiler A and the cover D being secured on the latter by means of the bolts d, the
lamp L is lighted by pouring into the cup i a small quantity of alcohol which is
then lighted this alcohol heats the tube J causing the alcohol of the lamp L to
be vapourised. These vapours escaping through the holes of the tube J are lighted
by contact with the flame in the cup i; and by afterwards regulating the height of
2

page_text: the sleeve I by means of the lever F, the intensity of the flame is regulated in
accordance with the degree of heat desired.
By maintaining this heat at the desired intensity a pressure of several atmospheres
will e generated in the boiler A and the heat being transmitted through the walls
of the receptacle M destroys all the germs which may have been on the instruments
to be sterilised.
As soon as the pressure has reached the degree to which the safety-valve S has
been set by means of its weight P, the latter is raised and the whistle E sounds,
thereby giving a signal for moderating the flame of the lamp.
When it is deemed that the heat has acted long enough for complete sterilisation,
the steam is allowed to escape through the valve S which is unloaded for this
purpose by raising its lever by means of the stirrup as shown dotted in Fig. 4;
when the whole of the steam has escaped the cover ) is unfastened and the
receptacle M removed from the boiler A. Having sufficiently unscrewed the
plug m to enable air to enter the receptacle M, the latter may now be opene
and the objects contained in it removed, whether they be placed in it directly or
on the support F, as previously described.
When the apparatus is to be used for cultivating microbes, the same receptacle
can be utilised, only with a cover N having a stuffing box through which passes
a thermometer T as shown in Fig. 2; the test-tubes or receptacles containing serum
or liquid for cultivating being placed in the receptacle M, the latter is then placed
in water in the boiler A.
In this case, as the temperature need not be more than 35 to 40°, the boiler A
may be an open one, that is to say it is not closed by a cover and the lamp L is
replaced by the auxiliary lamp K the height of the flame of which is regulated as
described, so as to obtain the desired constant temperature which can be easily
observed on the thermometer T.
For sterilising lint for bandages, wet compresses, phials containing liquids,
instruments, syringes and other objects which are not injured by humidity, the
basket R is used, as herein before described, said basket standing with its feet r on
the bottom of the boiler A which in such cases contains only a very small quantity
of water. The boiler A is then closed by its cover D) and heated as has been
described with reference to Fig. 1. The lint and other objects previously
introduced into the basket R are thus sterilised by direct contact with steam.
Finally the apparatus according to the present invention may be applied for
producing disinfecting vapours for disinfecting rooms, chambers and the like in
which case the apparatus is combined with the device illustrated in Fig. 3.
The cylinder Û which receives the solutions producing the disinfectant vapours
_for instance, a concentrated solution of formic aldehyde or formaldehyde (CH,O)
is closed at both ends that is to say has no removable cover. At the lower end it
is provided with legs by means of which it rests on the bottom of the boiler A.
At the top this cylinder is provided with a part q into the interior of which is
screwed a cylindrical sleeve s provided with a central passage s² which may
gradually widen out towards the top. Into said socket is screwed a pipe provided
with a cock t and having two passages 2 and 3; the passage 2 leading into the
passage and the passage to an orifice through the sleeves and the part q
and communicating with the upper part of the boiler A where the steam produced
by the heat collects.
The lower end of the part T screwed into the sleeve s makes an absolutely tight
joint at t near the lower end of the passage in the said sleeve, so that t² can
communicate only with the interior of the receptacle U, while 3 can communicate
only with the interior of the boiler A.
A cover D has a hole through which the sleeve s may pass. The tight joint
between the sleeve and the cover is effected by means of two packing rings r and
the lower one r being at the same time used to render the junction of the part
and the receptacle U air-tight; a nut s' screwed on the sleeves tightens the whole
and renders the joints between the different parts described air-tight.

page_text: The passages and are continued through the upper part of the cock t, the
plug of which is constructed in such manner that by turning it into its three
positions it causes (1) complete closing (2) opening of the passage and closing
of the passage 3 (3) opening of the passage and the closing of the passage t².
The upper part of the cock t is continued by means of a pipe u of desired length
the two pipes being screwed together; inside the tube u is arranged a fine tube u
joined to and forming a continuation of the passage t2. The tube projects a
little beyond the upper end of the pipe u and is fitted at the point with a hollow
ball u³ which is secured on to its end and rests on the edge of the upper edge of the
tube u, said edge being provided with openings v¹. The tube u¹ enters into the
ball and ends near its centre. The continuation of this tube is constituted by
a similar tube v separated from the first and attached to the upper end of the ball u³
the lower end of the tube being level with the inner wall of the ball. A hole u²
at the lower part of the pipe u ensures automatic draining of the condensed steam
that may be produced during the working of the apparatus.
Disinfection by means of this apparatus combined with the devices just described
is effected in the following manner:-
A sufficient quantity of concentrated solution of formic aldehyde or of other
disinfectant, being placed in the receptacle U immersed in the water in the
boiler A, and the cock t having been closed and the lamp lighted the pressure in
said boiler is raised to any desired point being regulated in advance by the safety
valve S, the whistle E of which will blow as soon as said pressure is attained; at
this moment the plug of the cock is turned so as to open communication of the
passages 3 and consequently to bring the interior of the pipe u in communication
by means of passages 3 and t with the interior of the boiler A. This operation
causes the steam from the boiler A to enter the pipe u and to heat the latter thus
preventing the disinfecting vapours from becoming condensed in it. The steam
from the pipe u escapes through its upper opening heating at the same time the
ball for the same purpose as in the tube ', the condensation water which may
be formed by this steam being drained through the lower orifice 2 of the tube u,
as has been hereinbefore described.
When it is considered that the tube u¹ and the sphere u³ are sufficiently hot, the
plug of the cock t is again turned so as to establish communication between the
passages 2. In this position of the plug the passages no longer communicate and
the passage
of the steam from the boiler A is prevented. The disinfecting vapours
of formic aldehyde, or other substance thus produced under pressure in the
receptacle U escapes through the tube and which forms the continuation of the
former above the ball ³. The condensed vapours, if there be any, collect in
the interior of the sphere ³ under the level of the upper end of the tube w¹, and if
the heat produced by the passage of these vapours is not sufficient to prevent them
from condensing these condensed products may be expelled by turning the plug t
from time to time so as to produce again a circulating of steam in the pipe u,
whereby the ball ³ will be sufficiently heated to vapourise the condensed products
that may be contained therein.
The pipe and the tube u with the ball 3 and the continuation must be of
such length that the pipe which must be strong but elastic can when desired be
introduced through openings such for instance as key-holes, to enable the
disinfectant vapours to be introduced under pressure and in great quantities into
the places to be disinfected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:-
1. Apparatus for use for disinfecting and similar purposes consisting of a boiler,
as A, heated by a lamp, as L, having a main burner with flame adjuster for the
initial heating and a secondary burner or lamp for maintaining the boiler at the
desired temperature, said secondary burner comprising an adjustable tube, as 1,

page_text: enclosing a wick the boiler having an adjustable safety valve provided with a
discharge lever, as f, and with a warning whistle in combination with an inner
receptacle as M, having a cover provided with a screw plug for dry sterilisation
substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the character described an inner vessel, as M, provided with
a cross shaped support F to enable the apparatus and different objects to be
conveniently held and manipulated for " wet sterilisation substantially as
described.
i
33
3. In apparatus of the character described the use of the inner vessel, as M, of a
basket R to contain objects which may be sterilised in direct contact with steam,
substantially as described.
4. In apparatus of the character described an inner vessel, as U, containing
disinfectant material capable of producing energetic disinfectant vapours, in which
vapours are generated under pressure by heating the boiler A, in combination with
a pipe having two independent passages and a cock as t, one passage enabling steam
to pass for the purpose of heating the tube distributing disinfectant vapours
before they begin to circulate the other passage being in communication at one end
with the vapour vessel and at the other end with a ball, as w³, in which condensed
vapours may collect, and with a continuation as the end of which may be
introduced into any suitable aperture for distributing the disinfecting vapours
into the places to be treated, substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
apparatus for use in disinfecting, sterilising or like purposes, substantially as
described and illustrated in Figure 1, or in Figure 2, or in Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.