US 5,048,766 AGranted

Apparatus and method for converting infectious waste to non-infectious waste

OwnerMichael J. Gaylor, John Hodgesinventors

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Infectious medical waste is rendered non-infectious by an apparatus that includes a hopper into which the infectious waste is charged, a pair of grinders or other destruction devices that reduce the waste materials to small particles, a first heating station where harmful life forms are destroyed and a cooling station where the ground and heated materials are cooled to a level safe for handling by conventional trash removal personnel. Sharps containers are cut apart by an externally mounted sharps container cutter that cuts the containers apart before they reach the grinders.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for converting infectious waste into non-infectious waste, comprising:

a hopper for receiving waste materials;
said hopper having a charge port and a discharge port;
a first grinder member positioned below said discharge port so that waste materials charged into said hopper fall into said first grinder member under the influence of gravity;
a heating station having a predetermined internal temperature;
boiler means for maintaining said predetermined internal temperature of said heating station;
said heating station having an elongate construction and being upwardly inclined at a predetermined angle from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, said second end being higher than said first end;
said first end of said heating station being positioned in open communication with a discharge port of said first grinder member;
a cooling station having a predetermined internal temperature substantially less than the internal temperature of the heating station;
means for maintaining said predetermined internal temperature of said cooling station;
said cooling station having an elongate construction and being upwardly inclined at a predetermined angle from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, said second end being higher than said first end;
an air look means positioned between said second end of said heating station and said first end of said cooling station;
said second end of said heating station, said air lock means, and said first end of said cooling station being disposed in substantially vertical relation with respect to one another;
a first rotatably mounted auger member positioned within said heating station, rotation of said first auger member being operative to carry waste materials from said first end of said heating station to said second end of said heating station;
a second rotatably mounted auger member positioned within said cooling station, rotation of said second auger member being operative to carry waste materials from said first end of said cooling station to said second end of said cooling station;
said predetermined internal temperature of said heating station being sufficient to destroy infectious life forms;
said predetermined internal temperature of said cooling station being sufficient to cool waste materials to a temperature where said waste materials are safe to handle in the absence of special material handling means;
and
said heating station and said cooling station being disposed in longitudinal alignment with one another to minimize the width of said apparatus so that it is transportable over public highways.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An apparatus for converting infectious waste into non-infectious waste, comprising:

a hopper for receiving waste materials;
said hopper having a charge port and a discharge port;
a first grinder member positioned below said discharge port so that waste materials charged into said hopper fall into said first grinder member under the influence of gravity;
a heating station having a predetermined internal temperature;
boiler means for maintaining said predetermined internal temperature of said heating station;
said heating station having an elongate construction and being upwardly inclined at a predetermined angle from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, said second end being higher than said first end;
said first end of said heating station being positioned in open communication with a discharge port of said first grinder member;
a cooling station having a predetermined internal temperature substantially less than the internal temperature of the heating station;
means for maintaining said predetermined internal temperature of said cooling station;
said cooling station having an elongate construction and being upwardly inclined at a predetermined angle from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, said second end being higher than said first end;
an air look means positioned between said second end of said heating station and said first end of said cooling station;
said second end of said heating station, said air lock means, and said first end of said cooling station being disposed in substantially vertical relation with respect to one another;
a first rotatably mounted auger member positioned within said heating station, rotation of said first auger member being operative to carry waste materials from said first end of said heating station to said second end of said heating station;
a second rotatably mounted auger member positioned within said cooling station, rotation of said second auger member being operative to carry waste materials from said first end of said cooling station to said second end of said cooling station;
said predetermined internal temperature of said heating station being sufficient to destroy infectious life forms;
said predetermined internal temperature of said cooling station being sufficient to cool waste materials to a temperature where said waste materials are safe to handle in the absence of special material handling means;
and
said heating station and said cooling station being disposed in longitudinal alignment with one another to minimize the width of said apparatus so that it is transportable over public highways.

15 more elements