Compact endoscope cleaning apparatus

Claim 1

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a scope of an endoscope insertable into a biological body under medical examination, comprising: an elongated cleaning vessel including a top end portion and a bottom end portion positioned opposite to each other along a longitudinal axis thereof, a scope insertion hole formed in said top end portion, through which said scope of the endoscope is insertable, whereby a substantially entire length of said scope is stored within said elongated cleaning vessel in a vertical direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, a cleaning-fluid conducting hole formed in a first portion adjacent to said top end portion, through which cleaning fluid is conducted into said elongated cleaning vessel, and, an exhaust hole formed in a second portion adjacent to said bottom end portion, through which effluent of the cleaning fluid is exhausted form the elongated cleaning vessel, said elongated cleaning vessel being constructed of a pair of semi-cylindrical vessel halves extending along the longitudinal axis thereof, and said semi-cylindrical vessel halves being hinged with each other so as to be opened for allowing said scope to be inserted into said cleaning vessel.