Method and apparatus for rendering medical materials safe
First Claim
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1. A method of disinfecting and processing dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste to inactivate pathogens, comprising the steps of:
- comminuting the dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste into comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles having a predetermined size;
placing the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles in a bulk dielectric processing container;
conveying the bulk dielectric processing container with the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles therein through an Opening and into a treatment region of a treatment chamber; and
applying within the treatment region a transverse mode radio-frequency electric field from a pair of parallel plates, the transverse mode radio frequency electric field having a frequency in the range of about 3 megahertz to about 80 megahertz, the transverse mode radio frequency electric field heating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles to a temperature of 85°
C. to 125°
C., the transverse mode radio-frequency electric field substantially penetrating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste particles and exhibiting a square of the electric field strength that varies by no more than a factor of two in the treatment region to produce disinfected comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles without substantially producing ionized gas.
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Abstract
Infectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio-frequency electric field. The medical materials may be comminuted prior to heating. The medical materials are exposed to the radio-frequency electric field in order to heat the medical materials. The medical materials may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be recycled.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of disinfecting and processing dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste to inactivate pathogens, comprising the steps of:
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comminuting the dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste into comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles having a predetermined size; placing the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles in a bulk dielectric processing container; conveying the bulk dielectric processing container with the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles therein through an Opening and into a treatment region of a treatment chamber; and applying within the treatment region a transverse mode radio-frequency electric field from a pair of parallel plates, the transverse mode radio frequency electric field having a frequency in the range of about 3 megahertz to about 80 megahertz, the transverse mode radio frequency electric field heating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles to a temperature of 85°
C. to 125°
C., the transverse mode radio-frequency electric field substantially penetrating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste particles and exhibiting a square of the electric field strength that varies by no more than a factor of two in the treatment region to produce disinfected comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles without substantially producing ionized gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of disinfecting and processing dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste to inactivate pathogens comprising the steps of:
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comminuting the dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste into comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles having a predetermined size; placing one of the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particle types in a bulk dielectric processing container; adding water to the dielectrically heterogeneous comminuted medical waste particles; conveying the bulk dielectric processing container with the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles therein through an opening and into a treatment chamber; and applying within the treatment chamber for about five minutes a transverse mode radio-frequency electric field from a pair of parallel plates, the transverse mode radio-frequency electric field having a frequency in the range of about 3 megahertz to about 80 megahertz, the transverse mode radio-frequency electric field heating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles to a temperature of about 85°
C. to about 125°
C., the transverse mode radio-frequency electric field substantially penetrating the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous bulk medical waste particles and disinfecting the comminuted dielectrically heterogeneous medical waste particles without substantially producing ionized gas. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification