Syringe destruction
AssigneeNeedlesmart Limited
InventorClifford Ian Kirby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for destroying syringes-needle assemblies is disclosed, the invention comprising a cradle for holding the syringe and a hub grip for gripping the hub of a needle affixed to the syringe. The apparatus comprises means for destroying the needle for example, by passing a current through it to soften/melt it, whilst at the same time, applying an axial compressive force to blunt and compress the needle. The hub grip is moveable relative to the cradle so that the needle can be pulled, unscrewed or otherwise detached from the syringe. The apparatus is preferably automated, and thus enables the destroyed needle and syringe to be separated, and therefore disposed of in separate waste streams without manual intervention.
Claims20
A syringe processing apparatus for syringe disposal, the syringe comprising a main body and a hypodermic needle affixed thereto, the main body comprising a spigot to which a hub that supports a needle part of the hypodermic needle is affixed, the syringe processing apparatus comprising:
- a needle destruction assembly for destroying the needle part of the hypodermic needle, the needle destruction assembly comprising a conductive clamping electrode adapted to clamp the needle part of the hypodermic needle at a point between the hub and its tip, a conductive tip electrode for contacting the tip of the needle part of the hypodermic needle, the tip electrode being driven to move coaxially with an axis of the needle part of the hypodermic needle, means for applying a voltage between the clamping electrode and the tip electrode as the tip electrode is advanced towards the hub, such that resistive heating of the needle occurs in conjunction with axial compression exerted by the tip electrode on the needle, which softens/melts the tip of the needle, thereby blunting and sterilising the needle tip,
- the apparatus further comprising:
- a cradle for supporting and holding the main body and being driven to move the main body along a locus that is parallel with the said axis;
- and
- a hub grip assembly for gripping the hub of the hypodermic needle, which comprises an annular grip part adapted to engage the hub of the hypodermic needle when the cradle is driven along the said axis, wherein
- the cradle and hub grip assembly are relatively moveable so as to separate the hub of the hypodermic needle from the spigot of the main body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.