Interactive safe for disposal of medical needles

Abstract

A closed automatic system for removing (for facilitating the removal) and safely storing potentially contaminated medical (or other) needles in which the operator only uses one hand to operate the system. The system has a counter which counts the number of actuations of the needle sensor. When a predetermined limit is reached the device signals the operator that the safe is nearly full. A further fixed number of needles can then be removed, when that limit is reached, a fuse on the safe is blown causing the system to be inoperative until a new box is installed. Removal of the box also causes the fuse to be blown and the circuit is disabled until a new box is inserted. The safe storage box contains a tab which when fixed in the locked position can not be opened except upon the application of substantial force with a tool. The system uses a Motorola 705 EPROM or similar microcontroller. (Motorola product literature is incorporated by reference herein.)

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.