US 5,124,126 A · Medical/dental office waste disposal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the disposal of solid and liquid medical waste that is to be ultimately autoclaved prior to final disposal, to be used in conjunction with existing equipment already present in medical facilities. The device provides an apparatus capable of collecting solid medical waste while permitting the exit of liquid medical waste. An outer shell includes removable porous holding apparatus inserted therein for holding and compacting solid waste for subsequent autoclaving, while simultaneously permitting the exit of liquid waste into a separate collection vessel for subsequent autoclaving. Alternatively, a porous inner shell is placed within an outer shell to define a drainage chamber, for draining liquid waste separated from the solid waste that is introduced into the inner chamber, so that the liquid medical waste may be externally collected for autoclaving. The solid waste is compacted within the inner chamber and released from the device, via an integral mechanism, for collection in an external cannister prior to autoclaving.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for the disposal of medical waste and separation thereof into liquid and solid components to permit separate autoclave of said liquid and solid components, including the steps of:

(a) introducing, through an open top end medical waste, containing both liquid and solid components into the interior of a disposal unit having an outer chamber and a perforated inner chamber with said outer chamber to define a drainage chamber between said outer chamber and said perforated inner chamber that extends around the periphery of said perforated inner chamber, said disposal unit further including a slidable drawer slidably positioned flush with the bottom surface of said perforated inner chamber;
(b) separating the liquid component out of said medical waste by allowing the liquid component to flow through perforations in said perforated inner chamber and into said drainage chamber for collection by an external liquid collector vessel in communication with said drainage chamber;
(c) compacting the medical waste introduced into the interior of said disposal unit to form a solid compacted medical waste component;
(d) ejecting the solid compacted medical waste component by horizontally sliding said slidable drawer to allow the solid compacted medical waste component to drop into a separate collection vessel.

1 more element

An apparatus for the disposal of medical waste, and separation thereof into solid and liquid components for separate autoclaving of solid and liquid components comprising:

(a) an outer chamber, said outer chamber having an outer surface, an inner surface, an open top end, an open bottom end, and a hollowed interior;
(b) a perforated inner chamber, said perforated inner chamber having an outer surface, an inner surface, an open top end, an open bottom end, and a hollowed interior, said perforated inner chamber placed within the hollowed interior of said outer chamber such that a space is created between the outer surface of said perforated inner chamber and the inner surface of said outer chamber, said space which defines a drainage chamber around the periphery of said perforated inner chamber;
(c) a supporting structure for supporting said outer chamber and perforated inner chamber;
(d) a bottom plate horizontally affixed to said supporting structure, for supporting the open bottom ends of said outer chamber and said perforated inner chamber, said bottom plate having a recessed portion with an opening therethrough substantially coaxial with the hollowed interior of said perforated inner chamber;
(e) a drawer slidably positioned within and substantially conforming to the dimensions of said recessed portion of said bottom plate, said drawer dimensioned to cover said opening when said drawer is slid within said recessed portion, said drawer having a top surface substantially flush with the top surface of said bottom plate;
(f) a top plate horizontally affixed to said supporting structure;
and
(g) compaction means for compacting medical waste contained within said perforated inner chamber against said drawer, said compaction means pivotally affixed to said top plate.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Medical/dental office waste disposal

Life of this patent

Medical/dental office waste disposal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11