US 12,036,048 B2
Holding apparatus and product monitoring system
Roland-Alois Högerle, Tuttlingen (DE); and Stephanie Auber, Tuttlingen (DE)
Assigned to Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen (DE)
Appl. No. 17/289,308
Filed by Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 28, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/079342
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 28, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/089142, PCT Pub. Date May 7, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 126 969.2 (DE), filed on Oct. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0008155 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 50/20 (2016.01); A61B 90/70 (2016.01); A61L 2/18 (2006.01); A61L 2/28 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 50/20 (2016.02) [A61B 90/70 (2016.02); A61L 2/18 (2013.01); A61L 2/28 (2013.01); A61L 2202/17 (2013.01); A61L 2202/24 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A holding apparatus for use inside an area to be cleaned and inside an area to be sterilized, and for holding at least one sterilizable medical product during a cleaning process and during a cleaning oil process, as well as for storing the medical product before and after the cleaning process and the cleaning oil process, wherein:
the holding apparatus has a data processing device connected to at least one temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature during the cleaning process and the cleaning oil process in a signal-conducting manner, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is arranged at the holding apparatus and is configured to detect and forward a temperature course or a temperature curve to the data processing device;
the data processing device has a storage device on which cleaning information is storable;
the cleaning information is retrievable or readable from the storage device by an evaluation device operable to determine a cleaning profile of the medical product based on the cleaning information;
the data processing device is configured to detect both the cleaning process and the cleaning oil process via the temperature course or the temperature curve, wherein the data processing device is configured to detect that the cleaning oil process is being performed based on an abrupt drop in the temperature detected by the at least one temperature sensor, and wherein the data processing device is configured to draw conclusions as to whether the cleaning oil process has been suitably carried out;
the holding apparatus further comprises a signal generator configured to output an acoustical or visual signal; and
the data processing device is configured to drive the signal generator to generate:
a first acoustical or visual signal indicating to a user that the cleaning process is completed;
a second acoustical or visual signal after the first acoustical or visual signal reminding the user that the cleaning oil process needs to be completed; and
a third acoustical or visual signal after the second acoustical or visual signal indicating to the user that the cleaning oil process is completed.