Disposable container for use in a waste sorting system

• US 20050119915A1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Vesta Medical LLC (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Davidner, Alan A., Mallett, Scott R., Danta, Randall C., Corey, Alan D., Regla, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0059 parallel to the lid plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/006 perpendicular to the lid plane, e.g. by a downward movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/185 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0805 automatically, e.g. by means of magnetic, optical or photoelectric detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/15 Mayo stands; Tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/18 Cupboards; Drawers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/36 for collecting or disposing of used articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3412 according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/28 Frames, Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 : Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 : Municipal solid waste sorting

Abstract

A system for disposing of medical waste is generally configured to sort waste items into a plurality of disposable containers according to applicable rules and regulations governing the handling and/or disposal of such items. In some embodiments, a system comprises sorting stations, each of which houses a number of disposable containers. Each station can identify an item of waste, determine the most appropriate container for the item, and facilitate disposal of the item in the appropriate container.

Claims

1. A disposable container for use in a medical waste system, the disposable container comprising:

a plurality of walls defining an internal space;

an opening configured to provide access to the internal space;

an automatically operable door configured to selectively occlude and reveal the opening, the door being configured to be operated by a machine in which the container is placed;

a machine-readable identification key on at least a portion of the container, the machine-readable identification key bearing a container type which defines a category of waste to be placed in the container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the door is further configured to be automatically mechanically locked.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein at least two of the walls are substantially translucent.

4. The container of claim 1, further comprising a transparent viewing window configured to allow a user to visually determine a contents of the container.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the viewing window extends substantially the entire height of the container to allow a user to visually determine a fill level of the container.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene and high molecular weight polyethylene.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is configured to interface with a fill-level sensor.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the machine readable identification key is optically-readable.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the machine readable key is magnetically-readable.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the machine readable key is an RFID tag.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the machine readable key is integrally molded with a portion of the container.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the container type is selected from the group consisting of:

sharps containers, chemotherapy agent containers, infectious waste containers, ignitable waste containers, hazardous P-list waste containers, hazardous U-list waste containers, toxic pharmaceutical waste containers, non-toxic pharmaceutical waste containers, chemotherapy sharps containers, corrosive waste containers, and reactive waste containers.

13. A disposable container for use in a medical waste system, the container comprising:

a plurality of walls defining an internal space;

an opening configured to provide access to the internal space;

a flange extending from a portion of the container, the flange comprising a pattern of holes configured to indicate a container type which defines at least one category of waste to be placed in the container.

14. The container of claim 13, wherein the flange extends laterally from the container.

15. The container of claim 13, wherein the flange extends from an upper portion of the container.

16. The container of claim 13, further comprising a door integrally formed with the container.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the door is located adjacent the flange.

18. The container of claim 13, wherein the container type is selected from the group consisting of:

sharps containers, chemotherapy agent containers, infectious waste containers, ignitable waste containers, hazardous P-list waste containers, hazardous U-list waste containers, toxic pharmaceutical waste containers, non-toxic pharmaceutical waste containers, chemotherapy sharps containers, corrosive waste containers, and reactive waste containers.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of disposable containers of different types, each container type corresponding to a category of medical waste;

each container comprising a machine-readable key configured to indicate the container'"'"'s type to a sorting machine; and

each container comprising an automatically-operable gate configured to selectively occlude and reveal an opening of the container, the gate being further configured to be automatically locked.

20. The container of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable key is optically readable.

21. The container of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable key is alphanumeric.

22. The container of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable key is graphical.

23. The container of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable key is a color detectable by a sorting station.

24. The container of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable key is magnetically readable.

25. A container for use in a medical waste system, the container comprising:

means for defining an internal space;

aperture means for providing access to the internal space;

openable means for selectively occluding and revealing the opening, the openable means being operable by an automated machine;

a key means for indicating a container type to the machine.

26. A disposable container for use in a medical waste system, the container comprising:

a means for defining an internal space;

a means for provide access to the internal space;

a flange means for extending from a portion of the container and for indicating a category of waste to be placed in the container.

27. A method of using a disposable container comprising:

receiving a disposable container in a sorting machine;

reading an identification key on the container, the identification key defining a category of waste to be placed in the container;

directing a user to place a plurality of waste items in the container; and

alerting a user when the container is full.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a volume of the container occupied by waste items.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising determining a fill level of waste items within the container.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising determining a weight of waste items within the container.

31. A method of using a disposable container comprising:

receiving a plurality of disposable containers in a sorting machine, each container corresponding to a waste category;

reading an identification key on each container, the identification key defining a category of waste to be placed in the container;

determining which of the waste categories to which an item of waste belongs;

providing access to a selected one of the containers; and

directing a user to place the waste item in the selected container.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising alerting a user when the container is full.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein directing a user to place the waste item in the selected container comprises opening a door to provide access to the container.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein directing a user to place the waste item in the selected container comprises moving a container relative to a portion of a sorting machine.

35. A method of using a disposable container for sorting and disposing of medical waste, the method comprising:

placing a plurality of containers in a sorting machine, each container comprising an opening configured to provide access to an internal space; and

operating said machine to;

read an identification key from each container to determine a category of waste to be placed in each container; and

automatically operate a door to selectively occlude and reveal the opening.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein automatically operating a door comprises driving a gear engaging a portion of the door.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein automatically operating a door comprises driving a friction wheel engaging a portion of the door.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein automatically operating a door comprises pivoting the door relative to the opening.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein automatically operating a door comprises sliding the door relative to the container opening.