Patent ID: 7824608

Claim:
A dewatering method for concurrently washing/disinfecting a plurality of endoscopes each having a plurality of channels of different diameters including a first channel and a second channel and then for concurrently dewatering the plurality of channels of the plurality of endoscopes, the dewatering method comprising: a step of continuously supplying high-pressure air for the dewatering to each of the plurality of channels in each of the plurality of endoscopes for a predetermined first period from a plurality of ports supplying the air for the dewatering via one of a plurality of tubes connecting with one of the huts and each of the first and second channels of one of the plurality of endoscopes, and the other of a plurality of tubes connecting with the other of the plurality of ports and each of the first and second channels of the other of the plurality of endoscopes; a step of stopping supply of the air to each of the plurality of channels in each of the plurality of endoscopes for a predetermined second period from the plurality of ports via the plurality of tubes by closing a valve; a step of repeating a cycle consisting of the supplying step and the stopping step, for a predetermined number of times; and the first period and the second period having a predetermined ratio intermittently opening or closing the valve at a predetermined period; wherein the predetermined ratio is set based on an air-supplying period necessary to move a droplet in the second channel by continuously supplying the air and an air-stopping period necessary to move the droplet in the first channel by a pressure accompanied with starting supply of the air.