US 5,710,404 A · Portable hand-held device for incinerating needles

Abstract

A portable hand-held device facilitates incineration of needles such as those used in hypodermic syringes. Incineration of such needles precludes the spread of diseases and the possibility of contamination of personnel handling such needles. The device includes two electrodes that are interconnected to complete the circuit when a needle is inserted into a recess in the device. A groove in the guide for the hand-held device allows full insertion of the a syringe to facilitate complete incineration of the needle, leaving little or no residue behind. An ambient temperature sensor senses the temperature adjacent the electrodes and cuts off power when the temperature exceeds a pre-set level.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A portable hand-held device for incinerating needles comprising:

a) a compact housing sized to be hand-held;
b) a chamber within said housing containing two adjacent electrodes one fixed in position and the other flexible, such electrodes connected into an electric circuit therewithin;
c) a generally cylindrical guideway leading from said chamber to an opening accessible external to said housing, the guideway receiving a portion of the flexible electrode;
d) a power supply connectable to said electrodes;
and
e) an ambient temperature sensor within said chamber, said sensor sensing temperature in said chamber and, responsive to sensing of temperature above a pre-set threshold, said sensor causing opening of a switch in said circuit to disconnect said power supply from said electrodes.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable hand-held device for incinerating needles

Life of this patent

Portable hand-held device for incinerating needles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13