Apparatus for facilitating medical waste disposal

• US 7,296,688 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• 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., Danta, Randall C., Corey, Alan D., Regla, Peter, Mallett, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooks; Matthew L.
• Application Number:
  US11/417,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 209583-930, 600/604, 607/2, 206366-370, 705/1, 220/346, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 209/702
• 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 system comprising:

a plurality of container compartments, each container compartment configured to receive a removable container;

a plurality of removable containers, wherein each of said removable containers comprises an opening;

a movable lid coupled with each of said removable containers;

wherein the removable containers are configured to be placed within the container compartments,

wherein each of the removable containers is associated with at least one of a plurality of medical waste categories,

wherein the movable lid is movable to an open position; and

wherein the movable lid is movable to a closed locked position;

a manual input device configured to receive information on a medical waste item;

a control system configured to classify said waste item based on the information received from the manual input device;

wherein the control system is further configured to assign the medical waste item to at least one medical waste category; and

wherein the control system is further configured to identify one of the removable containers based on the medical waste category;

wherein the control system is further configured to allow the movable lid coupled to the identified removable container to move to the open position; and

wherein the control system is further configured to lock the movable lid in a closed position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said containers comprises a translucent portion.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said moveable lid is coupled to said removable container via a hinging mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said moveable lid is coupled to said removable container via a sliding mechanism.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said containers is disposable or reusable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the manual input device comprises a touch screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the manual input device comprises a keyboard.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a barcode scanner that reads a barcode located on said medical waste item.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said containers comprises a viewing window configured to allow a user to visually determine a contents of the container.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the level of waste within at least one of said containers.

11. The system of claim 1, further

comprising a machine-readable key located on at least one of the removable containers, wherein said key is configured to indicate the container'"'"'s waste category type to the system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key is optically readable.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key is alphanumeric.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key is graphical.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key comprises a color.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key is magnetically readable.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key comprises at least one microchip.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable key comprises a physical feature associated with the container.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the physical feature is molded into the container.