Medical/surgical waste collection unit including waste containers of different storage volumes with inter-container transfer valve and independently controlled vacuum levels

A waste collection unit for use in a medical/surgical procedure, said unit including:

• a first waste container having a port for receiving a first suction line through which medical/surgical waste is drawn into said first waste container;
• a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with said first waste container and configured to monitor the pressure in said first waste container and to generate a first pressure signal representative of the monitored pressure;
• a second waste container having a port for receiving a second suction line through which medical/surgical waste is drawn into said second waste container;
• a second pressure sensor in fluid communication with said second waste container and configured to monitor the pressure in said second waste container and to generate a second pressure signal representative of the monitored pressure;
• a transfer valve disposed between said waste containers for selectively allowing flow between said waste containers;
• a single vacuum source;
• and
• a vacuum regulating assembly including:
• a first vacuum valve connected between said vacuum source and said first waste container configured to selectively connect said first waste container to said vacuum source;
• a second vacuum valve connected between said vacuum source and said second waste container configured to selectively connect said second waste container to said vacuum source;
• and
• a control assembly that receives the first pressure signal and the second pressure signal and that is connected to said vacuum valves for regulating said vacuum valves, said control assembly configured to, based on the received pressure signals, control said vacuum valves so that said vacuum valves independently connect said waste containers to said vacuum source so that vacuums at different levels are simultaneously developed in each of said waste containers so that material can be drawn through the first suction line at a first vacuum level and, simultaneously therewith, material can be drawn through the second suction line at a second vacuum level.

A waste collection unit for collecting medical waste, said unit including:

• a cart having wheels;
• a single vacuum pump mounted to said cart;
• a first waste container having a port for receiving a first suction line through which medical/surgical waste is drawn into said first waste container;
• a first pressure sensor in fluid communication with said first waste container and configured to monitor the pressure in said first waste container and to generate a first pressure signal representative of the monitored pressure;
• a second waste container having a port for receiving a second suction line through which medical/surgical waste is drawn into said second waste container, said second waste container being located below said first waste container;
• a second pressure sensor in fluid communication with said second waste container and configured to monitor the pressure in said second waste container and to generate a second pressure signal representative of the monitored pressure;
• a vacuum control assembly connected at one end to said vacuum pump and at a second end to said waste containers and connected to receive the pressure signals, said vacuum controller configured to, when said vacuum pump is actuated, independently connect said vacuum pump to both said first waste container and said second waste container so that simultaneously separate vacuums are drawn on each of said waste containers, the vacuums being at different levels based on the received pressure signals so that, simultaneously material can be drawn through the first suction line at a first vacuum level and material can be drawn through the second suction line at a second vacuum level different from the first vacuum level;
• a transfer valve disposed between said waste containers for selectively allowing gravity flow from said first waste container to said second waste container;
• a discharge outlet connected to said second waste container that is located below said second waste container through which material from said second waste container can be discharged, said discharge outlet including a valve for regulating flow through said outlet.