Stethoscopes are the most widely used medical devices in the medical community. They are used by doctors, nurses, and medical students. Stethoscope cleaning has become a standard of care as is handwashing. There is more concern over alcohol swabs cleaning the stethoscopes heads and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has got tough on infection reporting as well as prevention of healthcare-associated infections. There is evidence that stethoscope diaphragms are vectors of potentially pathogenic bacteria. References have included articles and studies in major medical journals in the last 15 to 20 years.

Multiple organisms, especially Staphylococcus species are a growing concern. MRSA which is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a potential killer and this has also been shown to spread between the patients via physician stethoscopes. The spread of MRSA is difficult to control because MRSA does not always cause infection or clinical manifestations. However, good hospital hygiene can curb the rapid spread of this organism. There are a number or surveys that have shown that cleaning with isopropyl alcohol can reduce contamination and this has been recommended by major medical associations. Of growing concern is the stethoscope contamination used in neonatal intensive care units where it has been found that 71% of stethoscopes had bacterial growth and this was reduced to about 30% after cleaning procedure with alcohol.

Due to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services now requiring hospitals to prevent hospital-related infections, healthcare institutions will need to develop extensive programs and protocols for stethoscope disinfection. It is with this background that my product “Aerospray Stethoscope Sterilizer” will come into play. The stethoscope sterilizer will use a disinfectant in the form of an alcohol which could be isopropyl alcohol or an any other volatile organic disinfectant such as aqueous benzalkonium chloride, aqueous Merthiolate, or any other suitable aqueous disinfectant. This product will consist of a casing with 4 pump spray nozzles and a platform for the stethoscope head to slide in. The Aerospray unit features a platform that combines a push button with a holding recess for the stethoscope. The platform is designed to keep the stethoscope in place while moving the product far enough into the unit for optimal cleaning. The pushing mechanism will trigger the nozzle to spray from an alcohol container at the bottom of the apparatus. The spray will be in the mist form covering the bell and the diaphragm of the stethoscope. Once the stethoscope head is pushed in, this push in rolling lever action will simultaneously spray the mist while the stethoscope is going into the apparatus.

Problem

Stethoscopes are the most widely used medical devices in the medical community. They are used by doctors, nurses, and medical students. Stethoscope cleaning has become a standard of care as is handwashing. There is more concern over alcohol swabs cleaning the stethoscopes heads and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has got tough on infection reporting as well as prevention of healthcare-associated infections. There is evidence that stethoscope diaphragms are vectors of potentially pathogenic bacteria. References have included articles and studies in major medical journals in the last 15 to 20 years. Multiple organisms, especially Staphylococcus species are a growing concern. MRSA which is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a potential killer and this has also been shown to spread between the patients via physician stethoscopes. The spread of MRSA is difficult to control because MRSA does not always cause infection or clinical manifestations. However, good hospital hygiene can curb the rapid spread of this organism. There are a number or surveys that have shown that cleaning with isopropyl alcohol can reduce contamination and this has been recommended by major medical associations. Of growing concern is the stethoscope contamination used in neonatal intensive care units where it has been found that 71% of stethoscopes had bacterial growth and this was reduced to about 30% after cleaning procedure with alcohol.

Solution

The product is a Stethoscope Cleaning Unit. The Unit sprays a cleaning material/liquid onto a stethoscope to disinfect the stethoscope. The unit uses spray pumps or aerosol cans to disperse the material onto the stethoscope body. The unit features a platform designed to hold the stethoscope in place while being sprayed. The platform has a recessed area for the stethoscope to rest and a tube grip component that hold the stethoscope tube. The unit is able to be wall mounted or placed on a table. The unit has refillable or a replaceable liquid container. The top portion of the unit features a cover that protects the user from being sprayed. To operate the unit the user places the stethoscope head into the recessed area of the platform. The user places the tube in the tube gripping area. The user pushes the button/ platform into the unit. The platform triggers the spray from multiple nozzles that release the cleaning solution. The user released the button and it returns to it's original position. The user can then remove the cleaned stethoscope. The invention may be shaped differently, such as being rectangular, pyramid-shaped, and/or ball-shaped. The device may be made out of different materials such as metals, wood, plastics, composites, glass, and etc….

Example

Stethoscopes are the most widely used medical devices in the medical community. They are used by doctors, nurses, and medical students. Stethoscope cleaning has become a standard of care as is handwashing. There is more concern over alcohol swabs cleaning the stethoscopes heads and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has got tough on infection reporting as well as prevention of healthcare-associated infections. There is evidence that stethoscope diaphragms are vectors of potentially pathogenic bacteria. References have included articles and studies in major medical journals in the last 15 to 20 years. Multiple organisms, especially Staphylococcus species are a growing concern. MRSA which is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a potential killer and this has also been shown to spread between the patients via physician stethoscopes. The spread of MRSA is difficult to control because MRSA does not always cause infection or clinical manifestations. However, good hospital hygiene can curb the rapid spread of this organism. There are a number or surveys that have shown that cleaning with isopropyl alcohol can reduce contamination and this has been recommended by major medical associations. Of growing concern is the stethoscope contamination used in neonatal intensive care units where it has been found that 71% of stethoscopes had bacterial growth and this was reduced to about 30% after cleaning procedure with alcohol. Due to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services now requiring hospitals to prevent hospital-related infections, healthcare institutions will need to develop extensive programs and protocols for stethoscope disinfection. It is with this background that my product “Aerospray Stethoscope Sterilizer” will come into play. The stethoscope sterilizer will use a disinfectant in the form of an alcohol which could be isopropyl alcohol or an any other volatile organic disinfectant such as aqueous benzalkonium chloride, aqueous Merthiolate, or any other suitable aqueous disinfectant. This product will consist of a casing with 4 pump spray nozzles and a platform for the stethoscope head to slide in. The Aerospray unit features a platform that combines a push button with a holding recess for the stethoscope. The platform is designed to keep the stethoscope in place while moving the product far enough into the unit for optimal cleaning. The pushing mechanism will trigger the nozzle to spray from an alcohol container at the bottom of the apparatus. The spray will be in the mist form covering the bell and the diaphragm of the stethoscope. Once the stethoscope head is pushed in, this push in rolling lever action will simultaneously spray the mist while the stethoscope is going into the apparatus.

Marketplace

BUSINESS MODEL: The apparatus is easy to manufacture in the local Erie area and cartridges will also be provided as part of the initial buy in of the product. Local area hospitals have a combination of a little more than a 1000 hospital beds. With use of the hospital stethoscope at about four to six times a day per patient , cleaning would be required to be done with every visit to the patient totaling about 5000 sprays hits a day. We would have to manufacture the cartridge in a volume that would at least allow changing it on a scheduled basis every month, which would give us at least 12,000 cartridge orders per year. This would be extrapolated and the product should catch on to cover the entire 5000 hospitals in the country. Initial cost would include the apparatus and recurring cost would be the alcohol-filled cartridges. Old cartridges will be reused to fill up alcohol and then be resold. The hospitals will be provided with the apparatus and the alcohol cartridges to begin with and pre-orders will be taken for future cartridges. This product is unique in the fact of having a simple design, an important function as well as great future recurring orders which will make it a sustainable and profitable product.