| 摘要 |
<p>A process and apparatus for the ultrasonic cleaning of the interior channel of medical instruments and the cleaning of material from small apertures. The apparatus comprises a wire ultrasonic resonator (11) having a distal end (10) and a proximal end (12), adapted to be inserted at its distal end (10) in axial alignment into or around the instrument (18) to be cleaned and inserted at its proximal end (12) to an ultrasonic transducer (13). The ultrasonic resonator (11) is a solid resonator of a material capable of producing both transverse and longitudinal vibrations in response to ultrasonic transducer (13). The ultrasonic transducer (13) may be of the magnetorestrictive type or of the piezoelectric type. The ultrasonic transducer (13) can be connected to an ultrasonic power generator (16). The solid resonator (11) may be attached at the proximal end to the tip of the ultrasonic transducer (12) by various means. Different embodiments of coupling different types of wire resonators to the ultrasonic transducer (13) horn to allow the ultrasonic waves to be distributed to and along specific lengths of instrument (18). The ultrasonic generator and resonator may be used in many different applications, including but not limited to, cleaning brain shunts, facilitating the removal of pacemaker leads, and cleaning investment case moldings. Further, the ultrasonic generator and resonator can be used in drilling and coring applications.</p> |
