Waste sorting system utilizing removable liners

• US 7,660,724 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• 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: Mallett, Scott R., Davidner, Alan A., Benson, James R., Danta, Randall C., Corey, Alan D., Huang, Alec, Regla, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooks; Matthew L.
• Application Number:
  US12/025,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 209583-930, 600/604, 607/2, 206366-370, 705 1- 2, 220/346, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/185 Drawers
• 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 50/36 for collecting or disposing of used articles
• 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: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 Municipal solid waste sorting

Abstract

A liner for use in a waste sorting and disposal system is configured for placement in a container is provided. The liner includes an internal space and an opening that provides access to that internal space. In some embodiments, the liner may also include a machine-readable identification key that is configured to identify a type of waste that the liner may receive. In some embodiments, the machine-readable key is optical, color-coded, alphanumeric or graphical. The liner can include one or more closure members to allow a user to securely seal the liner when it is removed from the container. In some embodiments, the liner can include a flange, lip, hook or other protrusion to secure its position relative to a container.

Claims

1. A sorting system for sorting a plurality of medical waste items, the sorting system comprising:

a control system;

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

a plurality of removable containers;

a plurality of liners;

wherein each of said removable containers is adapted to receive at least one of said liners,

wherein each of said removable containers and said liners has an opening, and

wherein each of the liners comprises a machine-readable identification key associated with at least one of a plurality of waste categories such that the machine-readable identification key identifies the liner to the control system, thereby defining a category of waste to be placed in the liner within the container;

a movable lid adapted to cover each of said removable containers,

wherein the movable lid is movable to an open position and a closed position,

a scanner for receiving barcode information from a waste item; and

at least one key reader within the sorting system that reads the machine-readable identification key on the liner to determine the liner type;

wherein the control system is configured to electronically assign the scanned waste item to at least one waste category based at least in part on the information obtained from the scanner and a database comprising waste item classification information;

wherein the control system is configured to determine the appropriate container based on the waste category to which the scanned waste item is assigned and the liner type;

wherein the control system is further configured to identify the appropriate container to a user by automatically moving the lid adapted to cover the appropriate container to the open position to permit disposal of said waste item; and

wherein the movable lid adapted to cover the appropriate container is configured to lock in the closed position after receipt of the waste item.

2. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein the liners are disposable and the containers are reusable.

3. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable identification key comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the key reader comprises an RFID reader.

4. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one or more of said lids comprises a section that permits visualization of the fill level of the liner within the container associated with said lid.

5. The sorting system of claim 4, wherein the section that permits visualization comprises a translucent or transparent material.

6. The sorting system of claim 4, wherein the section that permits visualization comprises a viewing strip.

7. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein said waste item classification information comprises classification information based on environmental or drug enforcement regulations.

8. The sorting system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device configured to acquire manually-entered information regarding said waste item or liner.

9. The sorting system of claim 8, wherein said input device comprises at least one of a touch screen or keyboard.

10. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said moveable lids is configured to be manually closed.

11. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said liners comprises a sealing member to seal the opening of the liner to facilitate disposal.

12. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said liners comprises polypropylene and has a thickness of about 2 to 6 millimeters.

13. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said liners comprises a polymeric material.

14. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said liners comprises a flexible material.

15. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said liners comprises serialization to permit tracking of the liner.

16. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to generate a manifest for at least one of said liners.

17. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to electronically maintain an electronic log of the identified waste items and the liner to which each of said waste items was disposed.

18. The sorting system of claim 17, wherein the control system is further configured to audit compliance with regulations based on said log.

19. The sorting system of claim 17, wherein the control system is further configured to audit usage or disposal of said waste item based on said log.

20. The sorting system of claim 1, wherein the sorting system is configured to send an alert signal when one of said liners is full so that said full liner can be replaced.

21. The sorting system of claim 1, further comprising a level sensor to detect a fill level of at least one of the liners.

22. A sorting system for sorting a plurality of medical waste items, the sorting system comprising:

a control system;

a plurality of container compartments, each container compartment adapted to receive a container,

wherein each of said containers comprises an outer enclosure and an inner liner;

wherein each of said containers has an opening, and

wherein each of the containers comprises a machine-readable identification key associated with at least one of a plurality of waste categories such that the machine-readable identification key identifies the container to the control system, thereby defining a category of waste to be placed within the container;

a movable lid adapted to cover each of said containers,

wherein the movable lid is movable to an open position and a closed position,

an input device for receiving information from a waste item; and

at least one key reader within the sorting system that reads the machine-readable identification key associated with the container to determine the container type;

wherein the control system is configured to electronically assign the waste item to at least one waste category based at least in part on the information obtained from the input device and a database comprising waste item classification information;

wherein the control system is configured to determine the appropriate container based on the waste category to which the waste item is assigned and the container type;

wherein the control system is further configured to identify the appropriate container to a user by automatically moving the lid adapted to cover the appropriate container to the open position to permit disposal of said waste item; and

wherein the movable lid adapted to cover the appropriate container is configured to lock in the closed position after receipt of the waste item.

23. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said machine-readable identification key is located on said inner liner.

24. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said input device comprises a barcode scanner for receiving barcode information from said waste item.

25. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner is disposable and the outer enclosure is reusable.

26. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the machine readable identification key comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the key reader comprises an RFID reader.

27. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of one or more of said lids comprises a section that permits visualization of the fill level of the container associated with said lid.

28. The sorting system of claim 27, wherein the section that permits visualization comprises a translucent or transparent material.

29. The sorting system of claim 27, wherein the section that permits visualization comprises a viewing strip.

30. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said waste item classification information comprises classification information based on environmental or drug enforcement regulations.

31. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the input device is configured to acquire manually-entered information regarding said waste item or liner.

32. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said input device comprises at least one of a touch screen or keyboard.

33. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said moveable lids is configured to be manually closed.

34. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner comprises a sealing member to seal the opening of the liner to facilitate disposal.

35. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner comprises polypropylene and has a thickness of about 2 to 6 millimeters.

36. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner comprises a polymeric material.

37. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner comprises a flexible material.

38. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein said inner liner comprises serialization to permit tracking of the liner.

39. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the control system is further configured to generate a manifest identify a contents of said inner liner.

40. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the control system is further configured to electronically maintain an electronic log of the identified waste items and the inner liner to which each of said waste items was disposed.

41. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the control system is further configured to audit compliance with regulations based on said log.

42. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the control system is further configured to audit usage or disposal of said waste item based on said log.

43. The sorting system of claim 22, wherein the sorting system is configured to send an alert signal when said inner liner is frill so that said frill liner can be replaced.

44. The sorting system of claim 22, further comprising a level sensor to detect a fill level of said inner liner.