System for disposal of contaminated medical products

A sharps disposal system for automatic detachment of a cannula assembly from a holder, said cannula assembly including a hub and a cannula extending through the hub and affixed thereto, said system comprising:

• holder means for releasably holding a cannula assembly through cooperation with the hub thereof;
• and
• a sharps receptacle having a hollow base and a cover on said base, said cover having a cannula assembly passage aperture and a release structure for aligning said holder with said aperture and for engaging said holder means such that the cannula assembly detaches from said holder means and enters into said sharps receptacle via said aperture as said holder means is placed into said release structure;
• wherein said release structure extends upwardly from said cover and is in spaced relationship to said aperture in said cover.

A sharps disposal system for automatic detachment of a needle assembly from a holder, the needle assembly including an elongated member affixed to said hub, said system comprising:

• a needle holder, said needle holder having a hollow body with an end wall at a closed first end thereof, said end wall having an aperture therethrough, said hollow body also having an open second end disposed opposite to said first end for receiving a fluid container within said hollow body;
• housing means abutting said first end of said hollow body for maintaining at least a portion of an actuation mechanism within said holder, said housing means including means defining an aperture therethrough which is generally coaxial with said aperture of said needle holder end wall;
• and
• an actuation mechanism for releasably mounting a threaded needle assembly hub to said holder with one end of the needle extending forwardly of said actuation mechanism for venipuncture and the other end extending rearwardly into said hollow body for cooperation with a fluid container received in said body, said actuation mechanism including:
• first and second threaded halves mounted within said housing means for removably mounting the needle assembly hub upon threading of the hub into said actuation mechanism, at least one of said first and second threaded halves being movable between a hub-mounting position, and a retracted position;
• means for pivotably mounting at least one of said first and second threaded halves within said housing means;
• and
• actuation means slidably mounted to said housing means for movement between an initial position wherein at least one of said first and second threaded halves is urged into said cannula-mounting position, and a secondary position wherein at least one of said first and second threaded halves is urged into said retracted position;
• and
• a sharps receptacle having a base and a cover on said base, said cover comprises a needle passage aperture and a release structure for aligning said holder with said aperture and for operatively engaging said actuation means such that the needle assembly detaches from said actuation mechanism and enters into said sharps receptacle as a result of placement of said holder into said release structure;
• and wherein said release structure extends upwardly from said cover and is in spaced relationship to said needle passage aperture.

A sharps disposal system for automatic detachment of a cannula assembly from a holder, the cannula assembly including a hub, said system comprising:

• a needle holder, said needle holder having a hollow body with an end wall at a closed first end thereof, said end wall having an aperture therethrough, said hollow body also having an open second end opposite to said first end for receiving a fluid container within said hollow body;
• housing means affixed to and abutting said first end of said hollow body for maintaining at least a portion of an actuation mechanism within said holder, said housing means including means defining an aperture therethrough which is generally coaxial with said aperture of said holder end wall;
• and
• an actuation mechanism positioned in said housing means for detachably mounting a cannula assembly hub to said holder with one end of the cannula extending forwardly of said actuation mechanism for venipuncture and the other end extending rearwardly into said hollow body for engagement with a fluid container received therein, said actuation mechanism including:
• first and second mounting jaws rotatably mounted within said housing means for removably mounting the cannula assembly hub upon insertion of the hub into said actuation mechanism, said first and second mounting jaws being pivotable between a mounting position wherein said mounting jaws cooperate to define a passageway complementary in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of the cannula assembly hub, and a retracted position wherein said mounting jaws cooperate to define an opening larger than the cannula assembly hub;
• a pivot axle for rotatably mounting said first and second mounting jaws within said housing means;
• and
• actuation means for urging said first and second mounting jaws between said cannula assembly-mounting and retracted positions, said actuation means being slidably mounted to said housing means for linear reciprocal movement between an initial position wherein said first and second mounting jaws are urged into said mounting position, and a second position wherein said first and second mounting jaws are urged into said retracted position;
• a sharps receptacle having a base and a cover, said cover comprising a needle passage aperture and a release structure for aligning said holder with said aperture and for engaging said actuation means such that the cannula assembly detaches from said holder in response to placement of said holder into said release structure;
• and
• wherein said release structure extends upwardly from said cover and is in spaced relation to said needle passage aperture.

Apparatus for significantly impeding rotation in only one direction of the hub of a needle subassembly which is threadably engaged by a needle holder, said apparatus comprising:

• a container for receiving detached needle subassemblies after disengagement thereof from the holder;
• a top affixed to said container;
• and
• an unwinder aperture in said top, said unwinder aperture being elongated and having a centerline which extends between a pair of oppositely disposed narrow ends, said narrow ends being interconnected by a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate sides having the same radius, each of said arcuate sides including a segment which defines a plurality of teeth, said toothed segments adjoining respective narrow ends of said aperture on opposite sides of the centerline, said toothed segments extending from said respective opposite narrow aperture ends along opposite sides of said aperture for a distance which is less than half of the length of the included side.