System of Cleaning an Inside of an Endoscope Channel and Method of Cleaning an Inside of an Endoscope Channel

Abstract

Provided are a system of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel and a method of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel, which allows to reduce a burden on an operator with enhanced safety with infection and contamination and a high cleaning effect. A first cleaning element 11 and a second cleaning element 12 are formed in a rotational symmetry with a given axis, provided with an external diameter larger than an inner diameter of a channel 1 of an endoscope and elastic in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The first cleaning element 11 is provided with a magnetic body. The first cleaning element 11 and the second cleaning element 12 are inserted into the inside of a channel 1 of an endoscope to conform the axial direction with a length direction of the channel 1. Cleaning water is injected into the channel 1 to move the first cleaning element 11 and the second cleaning element 12 inside the channel 1. A magnet of a guiding device 13 configured outside the channel 1 is acted on the magnetic body of the first cleaning element 11 to guide the first cleaning element to a branch channel 1 b.

1 . A system of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to clean the channel inside of an endoscope, comprising;
 a tool of cleaning the inside of the endoscope channel and a guiding device,   wherein the endoscope branches the channel into a plurality of channels;   the tool of cleaning the inside of the endoscope channel is formed in a rotational symmetry with a given axis, provided with an external diameter larger than an inner diameter of the channel in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis at a given location, elastic in a direction perpendicular to the axis and provided with a magnet or magnetic body; and   the guiding device is provided with a magnet or magnetic body configured outside the channel to act on the magnet or magnetic body of the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to guide the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to one of the branch channels.   
   
   
       2 . The system of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel according to  claim 1  comprising;
 a feeding device,   wherein the feeding device comprises a feed section of a cleaning tool, a feed section of cleaning water, a connecting pipe and a switching section, wherein the feed section of the inside of the cleaning tool is configured to accommodate a plurality of the tool of cleaning the endoscope channel and provided with a vent of the cleaning tool capable of discharging the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel one-by-one along the axial direction, the feed section of cleaning water is provided with a feed port of cleaning water capable of feeding cleaning water, the connecting pipe is configured to connect one end thereof with the channel port of an endoscope and the switching section is connected with the vent of the cleaning tool, the feed port of cleaning water and the other end of the connecting pipe to receive one-by-one the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel discharged from the vent of the cleaning tool, allowing to feed together with the cleaning water fed from the feed port of cleaning water from the other end of the connecting pipe to the inside of the channel.   
   
   
       3 . A method of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to clean a channel inside of an endoscope,
 wherein the endoscope branches the channel into a plurality of channels;   and the method comprises the steps of;   inserting a tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel, which is formed in a rotational symmetry with a given axis, provided with an external diameter larger than an inner diameter of the endoscope channel in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis in a given location, elastic in a direction perpendicular to the axis and provided with a magnet or magnetic body through a channel port of the endoscope into the inside of the channel to conform the axial direction with a length direction of the channel;   injecting cleaning water from the channel port to move the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel inside the channel; and   acting a magnet or magnetic body configured outside the channel on the magnet or magnetic body of the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to guide the tool of cleaning the inside of an endoscope channel to one of the branch channels.