Medical instrument holder and sharps disposal container

• US 5,024,326 A
• Filed: 05/24/1989
• Issued: 06/18/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Devon Industries, Inc. (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Devon Industries, Inc. (Nissha Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sandel, Dan, Gaba, Rodolfo, Horan, Robert T., Ramirez, Bruno J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FIDEI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/356,131
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 206/350, 206/363, 206/365, 206/366, 206/370, 206/380, 206/382, 206/438, 206/570, 206/571, 206/364, 206/564, 206/828, 220/1 T
• US Class Current: 206/366
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/21 Magnetic holders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/311 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0804 Counting number of instruments used; Instrument detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/3001 for sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/362 for sharps

Abstract

A medical instrument holder and sharps disposal device is disclosed wherein a pair of plastic container body halves are provided to be manipulated between opened and closed positions by associated hinge means and a mechanical lock. A medical instrument rest in the form of a one piece molded plastic insert is provided on one of the body halves for positioning medical instruments thereon when the container is in its open position. A cushion of reticulated foam material is provided to receive and envelope the tips of sharps associated with the instruments laid upon the rest. Sharps removal means are provided for assisting in the release of medical instrument sharps from the associated medical instruments. A magnetic means is also provided within one of the container body halves for receiving and holding such removed sharps to facilitate the counting a subsequent disposal thereof within the container when a medical operation has been completed and the sharps and container are to be discarded.

Claims

1. A medical instrument holder and sharps disposal device comprising:

a pair of container body halves having an open position wherein medical instruments and sharps may be positioned thereon and a closed position wherein sharps contained therein may be disposed along with said device;

a medical instrument rest on one of said halves which presents at least one upwardly facing rest surface for receiving portions of a medical instrument rested thereon;

sharps removal means for removing sharps from medical instrument bodies which have been rested upon said rest;

magnetic means within said device for receiving and holding such sharps which have been removed from said instruments for facilitating the counting thereof and subsequent disposal thereof along with said device; and

a sharps tip receiving and protecting member into which the tips of sharps associated with medical instruments rested upon said rest may penetrate to protect a user thereof from the tips of said instruments while they are rested on said device.

2. The medical instrument holder and sharps disposal device of claim 1 wherein said sharps tip receiving and protecting member comprises:

a cushion of a sterilizable reticulated foam material capable of enveloping tips of sharps inserted therein without being damaged thereby.

5. The device of claims 1 or 3 further comprising:

a needle tip receiving cushion positioned below portions of said rest to receive tips of needles placed on said rest.

3. A disposable, sterilizable plastic material device for facilitating the positioning of medical instruments having sharps associated therewith such as syringe needles, scalpel blades and the like during use thereof which facilitates the counting of such sharps and the subsequent disposal thereof, said device comprising:

a first container part having a magnetized material surface with indicia thereon for positioning, retaining and counting sharps laid thereon;

a second container part having an instrument positioning rest extending above an adjacent surface of said second part to facilitate the positioning of a medical instrument on said second part with a portion at least of said instrument extending upwardly away from said adjacent surface;

hinge means for hinging said first and second parts together to facilitate their being positioned in a side by side open position for receiving medical instruments thereon; and

a safety cushion member provided on said second container part and positioned relative said rest so that at least the tip of a sharp associated with a medical instrument positioned on said rest penetrates said member as a protection to any inadvertent puncture of the skin of a person manipulating said instrument and/or device as might otherwise occur if said tip where not so protected.

4. The disposable, sterilizable plastic material device of claim 3 wherein said safety cushion member comprises:

a reticulated foam material presenting a plurality of opening into which the tips of sharps may be received. penetrates said member as a protection to any inadvertent puncture of the skin of a person manipulating said instrument and/or device as might otherwise occur if said tip where not so protected.