Personal use syringe dispensing and collecting system

• US 5,245,117 A
• Filed: 07/27/1992
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes, David W., Withers L. Andrew
• Original Assignee: Hughes, David W., Withers L. Andrew
• Inventors: Hughes, David W., Withers, L. Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US07/919,826
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 405/128, 405/129, 588/249, 206/366, 206/364, 206/365, 221/102, 221/25
• US Class Current: 588/249
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3205 Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles for sharps A61B50/362; disintegrating apparatus in general B02C, e.g. B02C19/0075, B23H9/001; disposal of medical waste in general B09B3/00; receptacles for refuse disposal in general B65F1/00

Abstract

The container (11) includes a side wall (15) defining a syringe storage chamber (19) where a coiled strip pack (31) of syringes (29) is placed. A central core (35) is place concentrically within the container and forms a collection chamber (20) for used syringes. The side wall (15) includes an outlet opening (30) so that the strip pack (31) can be paid out through the opening (30) and the syringes can be dispensed. The used syringes (29) will be pushed, needle-first through the central opening (26) and into the collection chamber (20), whereby when all the syringes in the strip pack are used and deposited into the collection chamber, the entire container can be disposed of, as by burning.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing and retrieving hypodermic needle syringes comprising:

placing a strip pack of unused syringes contained in a series of blister packs in the form of a coil in a container having a side wall and end walls,

pulling out at a time in sequence each blister pack and its unused syringe of the strip pack from an opening in the side wall of the container; and

inserting used syringes into the container through an opening in the end wall of the container into the center of the coil as the unused needle syringes are depleted from the container.

2. The method of dispensing and retrieving syringes of claim 1 and further including the step of:

after at least some of the unused syringes of the strip pack have been pulled from the container and after the step of inserting the used syringes into the container, burning the container and the used syringes contained in the container.

3. The method of dispensing and retrieving syringes of claim 1 and further including the step of:

after at least some of the unused syringes of the strip pack have been pulled from the container and after the step of inserting the used syringes into the container, disposing of the container by depositing the container and the used syringes contained in the container in a landfill area.

4. The method of dispensing and retrieving syringes of claim 1 and further including the step of:

after at least some of the unused syringes of the strip pack have been pulled from the container and after the step of inserting the used syringes into the container, sterilizing the container by heating the container and the used syringes contained in the container to a temperature sufficient to sterilize the used syringes.

5. The method of claim 1 and the step of placing a strip pack of unused syringes in a container comprises arranging a strip pack of needle syringes in a coil within the container and wherein the step of pulling in sequence each unused syringe of the strip pack from an opening of the container comprises pulling the outer free end of the strip pack coil of unused syringes through the opening of the container.

6. A method of dispensing and retrieving hypodermic syringes comprising:

placing a strip pack of unused syringes in a container,

removing in sequence each unused syringe from one end of the strip pack from the container so that more space is created in the container at the other end of the strip pack,

using the syringes removed from the container, and

inserting used syringes back into the container at the other end of the strip pack.

7. A method of dispensing and retrieving products, comprising:

placing a series of blister packs arranged in a connected series of blister packs in a cylindrical container, with the blister packs each containing unused products, and with the series of blister packs arranged in a coil,

withdrawing one at a time blister packs and their unused products through an opening in the cylindrical wall of the container,

using the product withdrawn from the container, and

inserting used products from the container back into the container through an opening in the end wall of the container and into the central part of the coiled strip pack, so that the used products from the container progressively occupy the space in the container vacated by the unused products.

8. The method of dispensing and retrieving products of claim 7 and wherein the products are needle syringes, and wherein the step of inserting used products into the container comprises pushing the needle syringes needle-first through an opening in the end wall of the container and into the central portion of the coiled blister packs so that the needles of the used syringes in the container face away from the opening in the end wall and the coiled strip pack shields the used syringes in the container from the opening in the cylindrical wall of the container.

9. A method of dispensing products from a container and retrieving products in the container, comprising:

withdrawing one at a time from a container a series of unused products connected together in a coiled strip of unused products through an opening in the side wall of the container, and

inserting used products from the container back into the container through an opening in the end wall of the container and into the central portion of the coiled strip of unused products so that the used products from the container progressively occupy the space in the container vacated by the unused products and the strip of unused products shields the used products from the opening in the side wall of the container.