Apparatus for disposing of hypodermic needles

A needle incineration apparatus for disposing of hypodermic needles comprising:

• a disposable cartridge having a wall formed with an insertion aperture through which a needle to be destroyed may be introduced into the apparatus, there being a permanently closed debris compartment within the cartridge,
• two spaced electrodes mounted in the cartridge within the permanently closed debris compartment and defining a gap between the electrodes, the gap being aligned with the insertion aperture,
• a main housing to which the disposable cartridge is separably attached,
• a power supply disposed within the main housing and connected to the electrodes for applying a voltage across the electrodes to destroy needles introduced through the insertion aperture into the gap to contact the two electrodes, and
• a vibrator means for vibrating at least one of the electrodes to inhibit build up of a deposit on the electrodes.

In or for use in a needle incineration apparatus having an electrical power supply disposed within a main housing, a cartridge releasably fitted to the main housing and comprising:

• a container having an internal sealed debris compartment and a wall formed with an insertion aperture for enabling a needle to be inserted into the debris compartment,
• a bellows of elastomeric material fitted to the insertion aperture,
• a conical guide member mounted centrally to the bellows and having a central hole for passage of the needle into the debris compartment,
• two electrodes disposed within the debris compartment to be contacted by the needle when it is inserted into the debris compartment through the insertion aperture, and
• at least one electrical connector on the exterior of the container for connecting the electrodes in the debris compartment to the electrical power supply in the main housing when the cartridge is fitted to the housing.

In or for use in a needle incineration apparatus having an electrical power supply disposed within a main housing, a cartridge releasably fitted to the main housing and comprising:

• a container having an internal sealed debris compartment and a wall formed with an insertion aperture for enabling a needle to be inserted into the debris compartment,
• two electrodes disposed within the debris compartment to be contacted by the needle when it is inserted into the debris compartment through the insertion aperture, and
• at least one electrical connector on the exterior of the container for connecting the electrodes in the debris compartment to the electrical power supply in the main housing when the cartridge is fitted to the housing,
• wherein one of the electrodes is mounted in such a manner as to be movable towards the other electrode to close the gap between the electrodes as the end of a needle is reached, the movable electrode being pivotably mounted within the cartridge.

In or for use in a needle incineration apparatus having an electrical power supply disposed within a main housing, a cartridge releasably fitted to the main housing and comprising:

• a container having an internal sealed debris compartment and a wall formed with an insertion aperture for enabling a needle to be inserted into the debris compartment,
• two electrodes disposed within the debris compartment to be contacted by the needle when it is inserted into the debris compartment through the insertion aperture, and
• at least one electrical connector on the exterior of the container for connecting the electrodes in the debris compartment to the electrical power supply in the main housing when the cartridge is fitted to the housing,
• and wherein the cartridge has a transparent wall section to enable visual inspection of debris within the debris compartment.

In or for use in a needle incineration apparatus having an electrical power supply disposed within a main housing, a cartridge releasably fitted to the main housing and comprising;

• a container having an internal sealed debris compartment and a wall formed with an insertion aperture for enabling a needle to be inserted into the debris compartment,
• two electrodes disposed within the debris compartment to be contacted by the needle when it is inserted into the debris compartment through the insertion aperture, and
• at least one electrical connector on the exterior of the container for connecting the electrodes in the debris compartment to the electrical power supply in the main housing when the cartridge is fitted to the housing, and
• a sensing means for sensing level of debris within the debris compartment, the sensing means comprising two additional spaced electrodes of which at least one is positioned in the cartridge near a maximum level of debris, the connector on the exterior of the cartridge serving to connect the sensing means to a circuit within the main housing of the needle incineration apparatus for measuring electrical resistance between the sensor electrodes.

In or for use in a needle incineration apparatus having an electrical power supply disposed within a main housing, a cartridge releasably fitted to the main housing and comprising:

• a container having an internal permanently closed debris compartment and a wall formed with an insertion aperture for enabling a needle to be inserted into the debris compartment,
• two electrodes disposed within the debris compartment to be contacted by the needle when it is inserted into the debris compartment through the insertion aperture,
• at least one electrical connector on the exterior of the container for connecting the electrodes in the debris compartment to the electrical power supply in the main housing when the cartridge is fitted to the housing, and
• a vibrator means within the container for vibrating at least one of the electrodes to inhibit build up of a deposit on the electrodes,
• and wherein the connector on the exterior of the container serves further to connect the vibrator means to receive an excitation voltage.