Medical waste disposal system
AssigneeMedical Safetec, Inc.
InventorsDavid B. Mennel, Joseph H. Wilson, Martin E. Elliott, Gary D. Gann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical waste disposal system is provided for disposing of biologically contaminated waste material situated inside a rigid, form-stable container. The disposal system includes a processing unit for shredding the waste material into a shredded mass and for transporting the shredded mass into a disintegrator. The disintegrator mixes the shredded mass with a liquid disinfectant solution to disinfect the shredded mass and disintegrates the shredded mass into an unrecognizable particulate waste material.
Claims23
A waste disposal system for disposing of biologically contaminated waste material situated inside a self-supporting, form-stable container, the system comprising
- means for processing the entire container and any waste material therein, the processing means including an input for receiving the container, means for shredding the container and the waste material therein to form a shredded mass, and an output for discharging the shredded mass from the processing means, the shredding means feeding the shredded mass through the output of the processing means,
- means for disintegrating the shredded mass into a particulate waste material, the disintegrating means including an input coupled to the output of the processing means for receiving the shredded mass from the output of the processing means,
- wherein the shredding means includes a trough portion and a rotatable auger screw situated within the trough portion for shredding the container into the shredded mass, the trough portion including an output opening coupled to the input of the disintegrating means.
A waste disposal system for reducing the cross-sectional area of a rigid, form-stable container containing biologically contaminated waste into a shredded mass which is then inserted into a disintegrator, the system comprising
- a trough portion formed to include an input means for receiving the waste-filled container and an output aperture for discharging the shredded mass from the trough portion,
- a rotatable auger screw having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axis of rotation, the auger screw being situated inside the trough portion for shredding the waste-filled container and contaminated waste therein into a shredded mass and for transporting the shredded mass in a direction along the axis of rotation toward the output aperture of the trough portion to discharge the shredded mass from the trough portion into a disintegration means for disintegrating the shredded mass,
- means coupled to the proximal end of the auger screw for rotating the auger screw in a predetermined direction about its axis of rotation,
- a hopper including an outer side wall defining an elongated container input channel having a longitudinal axis therethrough, the side wall being formed to include an input opening for loading the container into the hopper,
- means for coupling the hopper to the input means of the trough portion to align the longitudinal axis of the input channel substantially perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the auger screw, and
- means for moving the container along the longitudinal axis of the input channel toward the auger screw to force the container against the auger screw and to retain the container in engagement with the auger screw until the entire container is shredded.
A waste disposal system for disposing of biologically contaminated waste material situated inside the self-supporting, form-stable container, the system comprising
- a trough portion formed to include an input and an output,
- a rotatable auger screw having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axis of rotation, the auger screw being situated inside the trough portion for tearing the container to reduce the cross-sectional area of the waste-filled container to form a shredded mass of the container and waste material contained therein and for transporting the shredded mass in a direction along the axis of rotation toward the output of the trough portion to discharge the shredded mass from the output of the trough portion,
- means coupled to the proximal end of the auger screw for rotating the auger screw in a predetermined direction about its axis of rotation,
- a rotary hammermill for disintegrating the shredded mass into particulate waste material, the hammermill including an input coupled to the output of the trough portion for receiving the shredded mass from the trough portion,
- means coupled to the input of the trough portion for receiving the waste-filled container, and
- means situated inside the container receiving means for forcing the container against the auger screw to shred the container and contaminated waste into a shredded mass and to retain the container and waste in engagement with the auger screw until the entire container and waste is shredded into the shredded mass.
A waste disposal system for shredding biologically contaminated waste situated inside a rigid, form-stable container into a shredded mass which is then inserted into a disintegrator, the system comprising
- a trough portion formed to include an input for receiving the waste-filled container and an output aperture for discharging the shredded mass from the trough portion,
- a rotatable auger screw having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axis of rotation, the auger screw being situated inside the trough portion for shredding the waste-filled container along with the waste situated inside of the container into a shredded mass and for transporting the shredded mass in a direction along the axis of rotation toward the output aperture of the trough portion to discharge the shredded mass from the trough portion,
- disintegrator means receiving the shredded mass from the output aperture for disintegrating the shredded mass,
- means coupled to the proximal end of the auger screw for rotating the auger screw in a predetermined direction about its axis of rotation,
- hopper means defining an enclosed housing coupled to the input of the trough portion, the hopper means including input means for receiving the container inside the enclosed housing, and
- ram means situated inside the hopper means for applying a biasing force to the container to force the container against the auger screw and to retain the container in engagement with the auger screw until the auger screw shreds the entire container and the waste situated therein into the shredded mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.