Stethoscope and Hand Sanitizer

Abstract

An apparatus for sanitizing is provided. The apparatus includes a housing having a reservoir for retaining sanitizing fluid. The apparatus also includes a holder disposed beneath the housing. The apparatus further includes an applicator pad received by the holder and adapted to be in selective fluid communication with the reservoir. The applicator pad includes a dome-shaped portion having a substantially hemi-spherical shape configured to extend into an interior region of a bell of a stethoscope head when the bell is placed over the dome-shaped portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a housing having a reservoir for retaining sanitizing fluid; and   an applicator pad adapted to receive sanitizing fluid from the reservoir, the applicator pad comprising a raised portion extending toward the housing and configured to extend at least partially into an interior region of a bell of a stethoscope head when the bell is placed over the raised portion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a dispensing valve facing the applicator pad and configured to dispense the sanitizing fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the applicator pad and the dispensing valve are offset by a dispensing distance, wherein, at the dispensing distance, the sanitizing fluid from the dispensing valve disperses over a dispersion area dimensionally proportional to a wetting area of the applicator pad. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing valve has a dispensing state and a non-dispensing state, the dispensing valve configured to dispense the sanitizing fluid from the dispensing valve on the applicator pad only when the dispensing valve is in the dispensing state. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a lever configured to activate the dispensing valve to transition from the non-dispensing state to the dispensing state. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a passage from the reservoir to the applicator pad. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein activation of the lever dispenses sanitizing fluid through both the dispensing valve and the passage to the applicator pad. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the passage is configured for fluid communication with the applicator pad independently from the dispensing valve. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of levers, each lever of the plurality of levers configured to dispense sanitizing fluid through the passage to the applicator pad. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator pad further comprises a substantially planar portion configured to receive a diaphragm of the stethoscope head when a surface of the diaphragm is placed in contact with the substantially planar portion of the applicator pad. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the substantially planar portion surrounds the raised portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the raised portion includes one of a dome-shaped geometry, a conical geometry, or a frustoconical geometry. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a housing having a reservoir for retaining sanitizing fluid;   a holder disposed beneath the housing, the holder comprising a raised portion configured to extend into an interior region of a bell of a stethoscope head;   an applicator pad received by the holder and adapted to be in fluid communication with the reservoir; and   a dispensing valve configured to dispense the sanitizing fluid to the applicator pad.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the applicator pad has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface facing the dispensing valve, the bottom surface engaging the raised portion of the holder. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the top surface of the applicator pad is substantially planar. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein a portion of the bottom surface is concave. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a lever configured to activate the dispensing valve to transition from a non-dispensing state to a dispensing state. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the applicator pad and the dispensing valve are offset by a dispensing distance, wherein, at the dispensing distance, the sanitizing fluid from the dispensing valve disperses over a dispersion area dimensionally proportional to a wetting area of the applicator pad. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a housing including a reservoir for retaining sanitizing fluid;   an applicator pad coupled to the housing and adapted to receive the sanitizing fluid from the reservoir, the applicator pad operable to form a raised portion configured to extend into an interior region of a bell of a stethoscope head; and   a dispensing valve coupled to the housing adjacent to the applicator pad, the dispensing valve having a non-dispensing state and a dispensing state, the dispensing valve configured to dispense the sanitizing fluid when in the dispensing state.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a holder configured to receive the applicator pad, the holder disposed beneath the housing and comprising a bottom surface configured to form the raised portion.