Method for assessing and guaranteeing a thermal hygiene effect

Abstract

A method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene effect on items to be washed which are accommodated in a washing chamber of a single-chamber dishwasher or items to be cleaned which are accommodated in a cleaning chamber of a cleaning and disinfecting machine, with a temperature sensor being permanently assigned to the washing chamber or the cleaning chamber. The thermal hygiene effect produced by the temperature and action time acting on the items to be washed or the items to be cleaned is detected by means of the temperature sensor and a control system, and the heat equivalent values are calculated from this information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for assessing and guaranteeing a microbial reduction on items to be cleaned which are accommodated in a cleaning chamber of a cleaning and disinfecting machine, with a temperature sensor being permanently installed in the cleaning chamber, wherein the microbial reduction on the items to be cleaned is detected by means of the temperature sensor and a control system, wherein the temperature inside the cleaning chamber and action time acting are detected and wherein corresponding heat equivalent values are calculated in order to assess the microbial reduction during the entire program run and wherein a cleaning process is terminated in response to a preset value of heat equivalents being reached, the cleaning process comprising each program step in the entire program run,
 wherein the temperature sensor is calibrated according to an NSF-3 standard test method or A 0  values of EN ISO 15883, annex A.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the microbial reduction is assessed by the control system on the basis of the NSF standard 3 regulation whose values for heat equivalents HUE are stored in a data memory of the control system. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the microbial reduction is assessed by the control system of the cleaning and disinfecting machine in accordance with the A 0  values of EN ISO 15883, annex A. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a program step, which runs within the cleaning chamber in order to guarantee that the microbial reduction is achieved, is terminated after a preset value of heat equivalents, which has to be reached at the minimum, according to NSF 3 standard or EN ISP 15883 is reached. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the end of the program step is indicated by a visual signal. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the end of the program step is indicated by an acoustic signal. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein an appliance door to the cleaning chamber of the cleaning and disinfecting machine is locked when a program run starts and is released again after a value for the heat equivalents which is preset in the control system is reached. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the value for the heat equivalents which is actually reached in each case is indicated to the user by means of a visual display during the program run within the cleaning chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reaching of the A 0  value of EN ISO 15883, annex A, is indicated to the user of the cleaning and disinfecting machine by means of an acoustic signal during the program run within the cleaning chamber. 
     
     
         10 . A cleaning and disinfecting machine for carrying out the method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is permanently installed in a first temperature-sensor position or a second temperature-sensor position in the cleaning chamber of the cleaning and disinfecting machine. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning and disinfecting machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor is accommodated in the upper region of the cleaning chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning and disinfecting machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor is arranged opposite the appliance door, on the rear face of the cleaning chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A method for assessing and guaranteeing a microbial reduction on items to be cleaned comprising:
 providing a cleaning machine having a cleaning chamber and a controller;   permanently installing a temperature sensor in the cleaning chamber, the temperature sensor being calibrated according_to an NSF-3 standard test method or A 0  values of EN ISO 15883, annex A, the temperature sensor being connected to the controller and the controller storing a table containing values of the NSF-3 standard test method or the A 0  values of EN ISO 15883, annex A;   placing at least one item to be cleaned in the cleaning chamber;   measuring a temperature of the cleaning chamber during a cleaning process using the temperature sensor;   calculating heat equivalent values from the measured temperature and a cleaning time and determining the microbial reduction from the calculated heat equivalents; and   terminating a cleaning process when a preset value of heat equivalents is reached, the cleaning process comprising each program step in the entire program run.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , including controlling the cleaning machine based on the calculated heat equivalent values. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 providing a cleaning machine having a cleaning chamber and a controller;   permanently installing a fixed temperature sensor in the cleaning chamber, the temperature sensor being connected to the controller and the controller storing a table containing values of the NSF-3 standard test method;   placing at least one item to be cleaned in the cleaning chamber;   measuring a temperature of the cleaning chamber during a cleaning process using the temperature sensor;   calculating heat equivalent values from the measured temperature and a cleaning time;   comparing the calculated heat equivalent values with the values of the NSF-3 standard stored in the table; and   controlling and terminating a cleaning process based on the comparing.