• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
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    • 专利摘要:
    Apparatus and methods for heating and safe infectious and medical waste and removing such waste include a body having a chamber for receiving a medical waste container. The chamber is connected with a filter for biological material that escapes from the waste container during heating. The contaminants are directed to the filter by flowing the gas exiting the container in a preset direction when heated to a temperature of 350 ° F. to 385 ° F. to make the waste biologically safe and not reusable.
    公开号:KR20000070649A
    申请号:KR1019997006898
    申请日:1998-01-22
    公开日:2000-11-25
    发明作者:헬리토마스；슁크에릭；브릭켄조나단
    申请人:시어멀 웨이스트 테크놀러지즈 인코포레이티드；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Infectious medical waste removal apparatus and method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPOSAL OF INFECTIOUS AND MEDICAL WASTE}
    The safe handling and removal of waste derived from various medical and health food facilities is a well known problem. Sharp metal or glass objects and contaminated needles and scalpels that come into contact with fluids in the human body or body should pay special attention to their safe handling. These items include thermoplastics such as those found in syringes or tubes and vials and other objects that come into contact with human fluids.
    Various environmental regulations are in place to prevent the use of conventional waste disposal methods. Practical on-site practices for safeguarding communicable and medical waste are practical but not cost effective. While the prior art describes embodiments of various sterilizations such as electron beam radiation, gamma rays and heat and other electromagnetic energy, there are various problems involved.
    Sterilization methods, for example autoclaving, are labor-intensive tasks and do not solve the underlying problem because human error can be involved. This sterilization method does not change the dangerous properties of "sharp" objects, such as needles or scalpels, and makes syringe tubes or accessories unauthorized or unusable.
    The problems associated with thermoplastic hypodermic needles and syringes are well known. Such dangerous and contaminated materials are difficult to dispose of, and illegal drug users are targeting them. Past disposal techniques required medical equipment to cut the needle from the syringe body after injection. However, this treatment has been found to spread disease through aerial aerosols caused by mechanical shearing action. Contaminated needle tips and syringes need to be treated as regulated waste items and disposed of. Recently, techniques have been developed for storing syringes and needles in "sharp" containers. The sharp container is distributed to a facility that is certified for a "tracking" process that is reasonably costly.
    Conventional devices could break the needle at the point of use through low voltage electrical current. The needle is reduced along with all its contaminants by passing the current through the needle at incandescent temperatures. This treatment results in sterile and incinerated states, but implies the inability to have the ability to secure other commonly used articles such as scalpels, glass glass or the remainder of syringe parts. Other techniques in the art deal with sharp articles by enclosing a needle or scalpel in a gel, resin or thermoplastic article. This technique is described in US Pat. No. 4,662,516 to Baker Senior et al. According to the Baker patent, the thermoplastic bag containing the waste can be melted to the autoclave temperature to enclose the medical waste. However, the by-products of these systems remain dangerous materials for handling purposes. Treated waste is unrecognizable and cannot be sterilized. Needles are very dangerous because they protrude from rigid scalpels that expose them. Autoclade sterilization also relies on "wet heating" which destroys microorganisms by thermally contacting living organisms for a limited time. Autoclave sterilization treatments are not effective when waste is shielded with plastic bags or submerged in solution or molten plastic.
    Another problem not mentioned in these devices is that infectious hazardous fumes are emitted when heating waste materials. These mists include thermoplastic syringes and other chemicals from drugs and human solutions, along with biological contaminants. US Patent 5,240,656 to Shear describes an apparatus and method for treating contaminated plastic waste and also describes the use of carbon filters to remove odors. However, U. S. Patent No. 5,240, 656 does not mention the problem of filtering biological and viral contaminants contained in the mist, nor does it mention the method of directing air towards the filter.
    Heating several different waste materials at one time leads to the problem of uneven heating in the container. This makes the gas emission unpredictable. Some conventional methods cannot handle all forms of medical waste. That is, most conventional systems can handle syringes, but cannot handle soft wastes such as gauze and tape and sterile weaves in a single field system.
    The present invention relates to the removal of infectious waste and medical waste, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for safely storing and sterilizing medical and infectious waste by heat treatment.
    1 is a side view of the present invention with a medical waste container;
    2 is a side view of the present invention with a closure device in a sealed position.
    3 is a plan view of the present invention with the closure device in position;
    4 shows the electrical connection of the invention in a preferred embodiment.
    5 shows air negative pressure formed by the cooling apparatus of the present invention.
    6 shows air flow through the apparatus of the present invention, viewed from the side;
    7 is a plan view illustrating cooling of the air flow through the device.
    8 is a side view illustrating cooling of the air stream.
    9 is a plan view of the present invention showing a filter air flow and a filter.
    The present invention provides an apparatus and method for heat treating medical waste with an on-site medical waste treatment system. These systems can handle all forms of infectious medical waste except human and animal body parts and radioactive and chemical waste. The medical waste is heated to a temperature of 350 [deg.] F. to 385 [deg.] F. to melt the plastic portion of the waste, making it impossible to disqualify or reuse sharp materials and soft / red bags. In addition, this single field system ensures that all gases released from thermal waste containers flow along established passageways so that the operating environment outside the system is not contaminated by air biological and chemical contamination. This is done by a filter located between the treatment container and the outlet, preferably an antiviral / antibacterial and odor deodorizing filter. Finally, the problem of unpredictable and uneven gas release from undetermined heating of undetermined waste is solved by a reservoir that provides an additional safety volume against gas expansion in the chamber in which the canister is located.
    An apparatus for heat treatment of medical waste comprises a body having an inner housing, the inner housing forming a chamber for receiving a container of medical waste. This chamber is connected to an antibacterial / antiviral filter to remove biological and chemical contaminants from the exhaust gas and all gases exiting the container during heating. After the waste container is placed in the chamber, the container in the chamber is sealed by an airtight device so that a heating source heats the chamber from 350 ° F. to 385 ° F. to disable or sterilize the medical waste. The cooling device is located in the body part to help the established air and gas flow to form a discharge through the filter. This is done by creating underpressure in the chamber and the containment where the container is located. The negative pressure helps to prevent the discharge flow from the body part.
    The present invention provides a method for heat treatment of medical waste. Such methods include accumulating waste in the container, closing the lid, and heating the container to 350 ° F. to 385 ° F. while the container lid is sealed to the container base. The exhaust gas from the heating step is filtered with an antibacterial / antiviral filter. The method further includes providing a reservoir as an additional space in view of sudden uneven gas emissions generated according to undetermined waste components. In addition, the method allows the gas generated by container heating to flow into the set passage by forming an air underpressure in the chamber supporting the closure device and the container.
    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood by the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
    It provides a medical waste heat treatment method and apparatus that can overcome the disadvantages of the prior art of the present invention. The present invention is an on-site medical waste treatment system capable of treating all types of infectious medical waste except human body parts and radioactive waste and chemical waste (according to state control). In general, medical waste is composed of plastics, cartons, aluminum, glass and the like in different states. The present invention heats infectious medical waste to a set temperature of 350 ° F. to 385 ° F. to melt all plastic portions of the waste. In the case of sharp materials (eg, syringes, sutures, IV tubes), the present invention makes it possible to dispose of the sharp material and dispose of it as general waste by making it impossible to reuse. For soft wastes such as gauze, carton balls and gowns, or "red bag" wastes, exposing this type of waste to the amount of heat released is to disinfect the waste, thus allowing it to be disposed of as general waste.
    The present invention provides the advantages of a single field system that handles the disposal or sterilization of all forms of controlled medical waste. This can be achieved by allowing the exhaust gas from the heated container to flow through the established passage. In addition, a filter, preferably an antiviral / antibacterial / charcoal filter, is disposed between the treatment vessel and the outlet. Emissions are made through the filter by creating an underpressure of air in the chamber and containment where the waste container is located to ensure removal of airborne contaminants. The present invention also provides a method for dealing with unpredictable gas "burps" that may be generated when a waste load of undetermined components is heated.
    1 and 9 show the device 10 of the present invention. 1 and 9 are side and top views of canister 26 located in apparatus 10. The device 10 of the present invention includes a body portion 12 and a sealing device 40. The body portion 12 includes an outer housing 14 and an inner housing 20. The inner cell 25 is provided between the outer housing 14 and the inner housing 20. The outer housing 14 and the inner housing 20 cooperate with each other to form a first chamber 18 in the body portion 12. The inner housing 20 and the inner cell 25 cooperate with each other to form a second chamber 225. The inner housing 20 also forms a third chamber 24 in the body portion 12 of the device 10. The third chamber 24 houses a container 26 filled with medical waste 128 of the type described above. In FIG. 1, the closure device 40 is shown in an open position when the canister 26 is positioned in the third chamber 24, so that the canister 26 can be sterilized and medical waste is unacceptable. do.
    1 shows a reservoir 30 and a filter 38 which may be a tube. The reservoir 30 extends into the first chamber 18 through the inner housing 20 and the opening 32. The reservoir 30 serves to provide a safe space for gas from the third chamber 34 and the container 26, which may occur upon heating of the waste 28. In addition, the reservoir 30 takes the form of a tube. Such tubes are referred to as buff tubes because they provide an unexpected gas buff that may be generated during heating. The buff tube 30 may be made of metal or silicon rubber or Teflon®. The tube 30 includes an end 35 open in the first chamber 18 to introduce atmospheric air into the third chamber 24. Alternatively, a reservoir such as, for example, an expandable bag may be used.
    The filter 38 is connected to the third chamber 24 through the inner housing 20 by tubes 34 and channels or other transmission and connection devices. Filter 38 is an antibiotic material filter capable of filtering viral and bacterial materials. Examples of such filters include the FILTREAT® form and antiviral / antibacterial filters produced by 3M, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Charcoal material is a good filter material that can be used for the filter 38. Two-phase antiviral / antibacterial-charcoal filters have the ability to deodorize airborne viruses or bacteria present in the edges generated from heated medical waste. The filter 38 treats the exhaust gas from the third chamber 24 when the container 26 is heated.
    Apparatus 10 of the present invention includes an exhaust system and air flow device 50 used for filter 38 and reservoir 30. The air flow device / exhaust system 50 ensures that the air flow through the first chamber 18 is directed in a set direction. The air flow device / exhaust system 50 introduces outside air through a plurality of openings 48 on the base of the body portion 12 of the device 10. This air flow system 50 creates air underpressure in the space between the waste container 26 and the inner housing 20, ie the third chamber 24, when the lid 40 is closed. In this way, the system 50 prevents hazardous fumes or infectious microbes from leaving the device 10 when the waste 28 is heated and sterilized. The air flow system 50 also serves to cool the outer housing wall 16 and the filter 38.
    The body portion 12 of the present invention is formed of a rigid material such as stainless steel or metal or plastic that can withstand sterilization heating ranges and cycles. The body portion 12 is 19 inches in diameter, 13 inches in depth, 12¼ in width in the preferred embodiment, but other devices may be produced.
    2 and 3, in the device 10 of the invention, the sealing device 40 is sealed, in which case the device is in operation. The container 26 containing the medical waste 28 is located in a cylindrical third chamber, which is not limited to the cylindrical one. The container 26 is a deformed metal can equipped with a special cap 46 which is filled with cans 26 with waste 28 and which is fitted with a sealed vent on site. The container has, but is not limited to, a waste collection opening having a 6 gallon capacity of about 6½ inches wide and 8 inches high and 2¼ inches in diameter and a pin sized vent 27 on the cap 46. The closure device 40 is moved from the initial open position of FIG. 1 to the closed position. The closure device 40 is attached to the upper surface 70 of the outer housing 14 by mounting devices 42a, 42b. These mounting devices 42a, 42b are pivoted or elastic so that the lid can be moved from the first open position to the second closed position. However, sliding devices, screws on caps and covers, and other mounting devices 42 known in the art are also within the scope of the present invention. Additional mounting devices or locking devices 74 may be provided along the mounting devices 42a and 42b to ensure that the lid 41 remains in the closed position.
    The cap detection device 44 is provided to ensure the presence of the cap 46 on the container 26. The cap detection device prevents the device from operating if the cap 46 is not detected on the canister 26. The cap detection device 44 includes a microswitch 76 having an arm. The microswitch 76 is electrically connected to the "on" and "off" positions by conventional circuitry known in the art. When the closure device 40 is moved to the closed position, the cap detection device 44 falls to the downward position and contacts the cap 46 on the canister 26. Upon contact with the cap 46, the cap detection device 44 stops its downward movement and trips the microswitch 76. If the cap 46 is not found in the container, the cap detecting device continues to move downward. This prevents the device 10 from operating because the microswitch and the arm are not tripped to the "on" position.
    The heating source 80 heats the medical waste to the required temperature during operation and is located in the third chamber 24. The heating source 80 may include a heater band extending to the outer circumference of the inner housing 20. An electrothermal material may be used as the heater band. The band is fixed to the inner housing 20 by self-adhesive baking or ring clamps. In a preferred embodiment, the heating source 80 is an electric band heater having a power of 700 to 1000 watts. This heating source 80 is located anywhere on the outer circumference of the inner housing 20 in the body portion 12. For example, the heating plate is located at the base of the third chamber 24. In addition to electrical heating, standard heating sources known in the art may be used.
    In this way, the medical waste accumulates in the container 26 and is then sealed on site. The container 26 is located in the third chamber 24 of the device 10 when the closure device 40 is in the open position. Since the third chamber 24 is slightly larger than a can of about 7 inches, an open space area will exist between the can 26 and the inner housing 20. This space is less than 1.5 inches. Once the container 26 is in place, the lid 41 moves to the closed position to ensure that the canister 26 with medical waste 28 is sealed in place in the third chamber 24. Thus, the cam detection device 44, the mounting device 42, and the locking device 74 are properly positioned at the correct position. When the heating source 80 is heated to an appropriate temperature for sterilization to render the medical waste unusable, the user of the device can control the container 26 via the control panel 78 and display shown in FIG. have. The container 26 and waste 28 are heated to a temperature of 350 ° F. to 385 ° F. to be sterilized.
    Typical treatment cycle times for waste in cans are about 2 to 1.5 hours. The apparatus takes about 20 minutes to heat from room temperature to 350 ° F. after container 26 is placed in the system. After the required temperature is reached, the waste is heated at that temperature for about 90 minutes. The lid 41 is supported in the closed position and the locked position until a safe operating temperature is reached. The container 26 is cooled to a safe operating temperature of about 115 ° F. before it is removed. This cooling takes about 40 minutes.
    4 shows an existing electrical connection of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The system receives 110 volts from an external power source electrically connected to power switch 130. From the power switch 130, an electrical connection is made to the line filter 132 and the power supply 142. Line filter 132 allows current to flow through each of the four circuits. This circuit includes a heat control circuit 134, an airflow device circuit 136, a latch circuit 138 having a lid 138, and a stamp heater circuit 140. The stamp heater (not shown) generates a label for the container indicating that the waste in container 26 has been sterilized and cannot be reused. This label is generated only when the heating cycle is completed successfully.
    From the line filter 132, a direct connection of the direct current voltage of the system 144 with the power supply 142 is made. The system reset switch 146 is electrically connected to the system voltage 144, and the reset switch is supplied to the microcontroller 150. The microcontroller 150 receives a series of inputs 151 that are electrically connected to a series of outputs 170 through the microcontroller 150. In addition, the microcontroller 150 is connected to the micro switch 76 which acts as a stabilizer together with the cap detection device 44 to control the power flowing into the device. An LCD display panel 78 is also connected to the microcontroller 150.
    The series of input units 151 connected to the output unit 170 through the microcontroller 150 may be summarized as follows. The cover detection switch 152, the cover latch switch 154, and the label detection switch 1 are all connected to the microcontroller 150. As summarized, each of these switches is each named for its controlling device. A series of thermal couples 156a, 256b are provided to the microcontroller 150 as input 151. A pair of ten pairs 156a and 256b are provided in the inner housing member 20. These column pairs 156a and 256b are continuously electrically connected to the scale amplifier 168 and the microcontroller 150 by the multiple circuit MUX 166. Reference column pair 158 is electrically connected to scale amplifier 168 to compensate amplifier 168 for ambient temperature. In addition, the air temperature heat pair 160 and the stamp heat pair 162 are connected to the MUX 166 connected to the scale amplifier and the microcontroller.
    The output unit 170 is connected to the inner housing 20, the exhaust fans 50a and 50b, the stamp solenoid 172, and the stamp heater 174 for a label dispenser (not shown) through the hard relays 176a to 176f. Electrical connections.
    In FIG. 3, waste 28 in canister 26 will include thermoplastic material from an article such as a syringe. This material melts during the heating step. Upon hardening, these molten materials are biologically sterile and have an integral mass at which the sharp edges and sharp edges and points of the syringes and tubes and needles are at least partially surrounded by resin. Thus, waste 28 becomes unauthenticable or unusable due to sterilization following heating and curing treatment. This cured mass is in cooperation with the container cap 46 to be larger than the collection opening on the container 26 to help prevent removal of the mass from the container 26, which collection dimension has a dimension smaller than the overall container width. .
    Waste 28 may also include non-thermoplastics and soft or "red bag" waste. Heat is made from this type of sterile waste, allowing the waste to be disposed of as general waste.
    In order to understand the advantages and functions of the buff tube 30, it is to be understood that when heating medical waste or any waste for objects contained in foreign matter, the material is not heated in sequence. Waste may not be uniformly or uniformly heated in heterogeneous composites and local volumes in the container 26. By this uneven heating operation, the device 10 is designed to deal with the unforeseen heating operation and gas expansion problems that can occur, such as alcohol evaporation described below.
    Canister 26 has a vent 27 that allows gas flow out of the canister during the heating operation. This gas initially flows towards the filter 38 because of a predetermined air passage and then fills the space in the third chamber 24 directly surrounding the container 26. By the filling of the third chamber 24, gas is introduced into the buff tube 30. The buff tube 30 provides additional safety space for the gas vented from the container 26. Buff tube 30 provides the system 10 with the ability to handle heating operations that conflict with a given medical waste load. Different thermal conductivity, different exhaust gases from randomly associated wastes and non-uniform heating operations, and optional reactions frequently result in the release of unpredictable buffs of gas from the container 26. Buff tube 30 has a volume inside the tube that is sufficient to handle this contradictory gas flow, and provides a safe volume space through which the aeration gas can be expanded. In a preferred embodiment, the buff tube 30 has an inner diameter of 1/8 inch, an outer diameter of 1/4 inch, and is about 8 inches long.
    By altering the tube, the opening 32 can be connected to a reservoir or other additional gas storage area where excess gas can be stored until the system can perform a discharge operation. The reservoir or tube offers the advantage of eliminating the need for a large third chamber 24 that may be needed to deal with the disparity of the discharge volume. Thus, less heat is required to heat the air space surrounding the container 26 in the third chamber 24.
    Therefore, the container 26 is heated at the time of operation, and the waste 28 is unevenly heated. Within the waste 28 there will be pockets of materials of different densities that are heated to different times and temperatures. For example, if the alcohol pocket is heated in the medical waste 28, it will start venting gas behind the surrounding material because of the low temperature of the alcohol. This fact results in a rapid, high volume of gas flow in which gases and harmful fumes escape from the top of the third chamber 24 or pass through the filter 38 in a very haste or disperse. In order to accommodate this suddenly increasing gas flow rate from the container 26, a buff tube 30 is provided.
    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter 38 is a dual charcoal filter. The gas first enters the antibacterial / antiviral microbial and biological portion 39 of the filter 38 and then passes through the charcoal portion 43 of the filter 38. In order for the charcoal filter to be an effective filter medium, it needs to be filtered slowly around the charcoal so that the charcoal is sufficient to capture and absorb odors. Alcohol, a substance commonly found in medical wastes, has a low vaporization point. As vaporization of alcohol in the operation of the present invention, if the filter is cooled, the alcohol will condense rapidly in the filter. Therefore, the temperature of the filter should be maintained at a higher point than the condensation point of the alcohol to prevent the condensation in the filter. Alcohol and charcoal have a natural affinity such that the alcohol being recondensed surrounds the charcoal and prevents the absorption of odors by the charcoal. Maintaining the filter temperature and maintaining the alcohol condensation, a portion of the heat generated from the third chamber 24 allows for re-radiation into the filter 38. This fact is achieved by allowing radiant heat from the third chamber 24 to exit through the cell 25 to heat the filter cartridge 38 and by inhibiting the flow of cooling air around the filter 38. The inner cell 25 surrounds the third chamber 3 on all sides in the preferred embodiment. The inner cell 25 can act as a baffle, provide a zone for stabilizing the item, and define a passage through which air can be blown to cool the third chamber. Various insulation materials are installed in the inner cell 25 and in the device with a 1/2 inch ceramic blanket made of Insulwool, which is commercially available in ceramic supply houses. The insulation is to maintain the device at an acceptable operating temperature.
    In optional waste loads, viruses or bacteria may be given to fly prior to waste loads reaching a "kill" temperature. Thus, the zone of antiviral / antibacterial material and its use has captured all flying myrus and bacteria and eliminated the possibility. Once the temperature reaches the "kill" zone, the device can disinfect the filter 38 in each cycle.
    The exhaust gas passes in a predetermined control direction through an exhaust system / air flowr 50 that maintains harmful fumes and infectious microorganisms in the third chamber 24, the tube 34, and the filter 38. In this manner, the capture of flying viruses and / or bacteria into the air stream within the present invention requires biological material to pass through the filter 38 before the filter 38 reaches the exhaust system / air flowr 50. I can guarantee it.
    2, 5, and 6, the exhaust system / air flowr 50 can be seen more easily. Firstly in FIG. 5, the airflower 50 consists of a pair of fans 50a, 50b located on the backside 60 of the device 10. The first fan 50a cools the outer housing and also provides air underpressure to ensure air and gas flow through the filter 38. The first fan 50a operates continuously while the device is in use. These fans preferably operate at a ratio of 15-25 c.f.m with water of 0.075 inch capacity. This creates a slow air flow that is sufficient for the filter to operate effectively. A fairly large flow rate prevents the charcoal / filter from becoming fully effective due to contaminants that do not remain in the filter for a time sufficient to be absorbed. Therefore, the longer the latency time of the contaminants in the filter 38, the greater the filter efficiency and the pollutant treatment capacity. The second fan 50b takes outside air and cools the third chamber 24 after the heating cycle. Such a fan is preferably 25-35c.f.m. It works at a rate. Fans are commercially available from many manufacturers.
    6 shows three different controlled air flows. The first air stream 52 includes the majority of air passing through the system. The first fan 50a draws air from the outside of the device 10 through a plurality of pressure control vents 48 arranged at the base of the body 12. The first chamber controlled air stream 52 is drawn through the vent 48 into the first chamber 18 in a direction towards the air flowr 50. Likewise, air flowr 50a creates air underpressure on top of the device 10 and container 26 passing through filter 38. The air negative pressure 54 is connected with the first chamber controlled air flow 52 and passes through the exhaust and air flowr 50 at point 56. This predetermined first chamber controlled air stream 52 ensures that the working environment surrounding the device 10 is maintained without harmful fumes and microorganisms that may be released from the container 26 during heating.
    Regardless of the cooling function during substantial processing of the waste 28, the first chamber controlled air stream 52 serves multiple functions. The first chamber controlled air stream 52 is generated by a fan 50a located in the plenum 62 which is integral to the system. Plenum 62 is a frame that divides filter 38 and is spaced from first chamber 18 and surrounding fan 50. Air flow through the plenum 62 is provided from two sources. Most of the air flow is first chamber control air 52 that passes through a series of fairly large pressure control vents 64 around the plenum 62 and near the fan inlet. This first chamber controlled air 52 in solids mixes well with most of the gas passing through the charcoal filter 38 to prevent unsafe high alcohol condensation. Residual air through plenum 62 is generally very small and derived from the purge air stream as described below.
    The second function of the first chamber controlled air stream 52 maintains the outer housing 14 at an acceptable temperature. In addition, the filtration canister 38 is maintained in an air flow plenum 62 closest to the inner housing 20. Part of the treatment heat is radiated into the plenum cavity 66 to raise the temperature of the canister. This regasses some initial process condensate and prevents condensation in the filter 38 in the later stages of the process.
    The second air stream 90 of the present invention is purified air. It is formed of air passing through both stages of the filter 38 after passing through the inner part of the third chamber 24. This purge air 90 passes through the large exhaust tube at the top of the apparatus and into the main air stream in the plenum 62 before passing through the exhaust 56 through the large capacity charcoal filter canister 38.
    The purge air intake zone 35 includes, for example, the reservoir opening, the purge air 90, the inner housing 20 and the canister from the bottom to the top to ensure that an envelope of clean air surrounds the container 26. Between 26 permits to sweep the volume space in the third chamber 24. This envelope of clean purge air 90 surrounding the container 26 in relation to the reservoir 30 may be provided with an additional ballast that absorbs the gas release pressure spikes created by the explosion of any boiling material. ballast) function. Purified air 90 acts as a conveying means for delivering gaseous products from the top of the container to the filter 38. Purified air 90 in a sweep operation may also be such that no odor remaining in the device 10 remains at the end of the medical waste heat treatment.
    Although the volume of the purge air 90 is very small, it is considerably larger than the volume of the emitted gas product. This fact allows the release gas to reach the filter and prevents the buildup of excessively generated release gas above the container 26. Thus, the high evaporation of medical waste of arbitrary items, such as alcohol, which may be partially condensed on the filter canister 38 and initiated to be driven off, may result in a flow of heated purge air 90 passed through the device 10. It can be re-evaporated in combination with the heated filter canister 38. The ratio of clean air to filtered steam is a high ratio which helps to maintain low odor levels.
    The third air stream of the present invention is a cooling down air stream 96 as shown in FIGS. This air stream 96 is created by the second fan 50b which is transmitted to the outside air 94 through the tube 97 into the second chamber 22. The cooling down air stream 96 cools the second chamber 22, the inner housing 20, and the inner cell 25 after the heating cycle and passes through the opening 99 at the base of the inner cell 25. It then exits the device as exhaust at air flow outlet 98.
    The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, and is not limited thereto, and one of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the appended claims.
    权利要求:
    Claims (28)
    [1" claim-type="Currently amended] An apparatus for heat treating medical waste,
    A body portion containing a chamber for receiving a medical waste container and connected to a filtration device for biological material;
    A heating source for heating the chamber and the container to make medical waste biologically safe;
    And an air flow device for directing the discharge from the container to the filtration device.
    [2" claim-type="Currently amended] The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filtration apparatus is a double filter.
    [3" claim-type="Currently amended] 3. The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the double filter includes a first component having an antibacterial / antiviral material and a second component having an odor deodorizing material.
    [4" claim-type="Currently amended] 2. The waste heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir extending from the inner housing to provide gas expansion from the container generated upon heating the medical waste.
    [5" claim-type="Currently amended] 5. The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reservoir provides an air volume for purifying the chamber.
    [6" claim-type="Currently amended] 6. The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said purge air cooperates with an air flow apparatus to direct the discharge to the filtration apparatus.
    [7" claim-type="Currently amended] 2. The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air flow apparatus creates a negative pressure against the container such that the discharge is directed toward the filter.
    [8" claim-type="Currently amended] 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the air flow device directs air from the outer portion of the body to the body portion to maintain the body portion at a set temperature.
    [9" claim-type="Currently amended] The waste heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is heated to a temperature of 350 ° F to 385 ° F.
    [10" claim-type="Currently amended] 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the chamber is heated for at least 90 minutes.
    [11" claim-type="Currently amended] The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating source is located in the body portion.
    [12" claim-type="Currently amended] 2. The waste heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating source is located in a sealed apparatus.
    [13" claim-type="Currently amended] In the heat treatment method of medical waste,
    Heating the container of medical waste to a temperature between 350 ° F. and 385 ° F. to make the waste biologically safe;
    Directing the discharge from the container in a set direction;
    Filtering said discharge with a filtration device.
    [14" claim-type="Currently amended] The waste heat treatment method according to claim 13, wherein the filtration device is a double filter.
    [15" claim-type="Currently amended] 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dual filter comprises a first component having an antibacterial / antiviral material and a second component having a malodor deodorant material.
    [16" claim-type="Currently amended] 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing a reservoir for discharge from the container.
    [17" claim-type="Currently amended] 14. The waste heat treatment method according to claim 13, wherein the discharge is directed in a set direction toward the filtration device by an air flow device.
    [18" claim-type="Currently amended] 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the air flow device creates a negative pressure with respect to the container.
    [19" claim-type="Currently amended] 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the waste comprises a thermoplastic material that is melted in the heating step.
    [20" claim-type="Currently amended] 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising curing the molten thermoplastic material to produce a biologically sterilized unitary mass at least partially surrounded by sharp edges and points.
    [21" claim-type="Currently amended] 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the waste container has an opening and the unitary mass is larger than the opening of the container.
    [22" claim-type="Currently amended] In the heat treatment method of medical waste,
    Providing a chamber containing a medical waste container;
    Heating the container of medical waste to a temperature between 350 ° F. and 385 ° F. to make the waste biologically safe;
    Directing the discharge from the container in a set direction;
    Filtering the discharge with a filtration device;
    Providing a purge air flow through the chamber volume of the chamber to purify the chamber volume of the chamber and direct the discharge from the container to the filtration device,
    And the chamber is larger than the container so that a space volume exists in the chamber after the container is received by the chamber.
    [23" claim-type="Currently amended] 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the filtration device is a double filter.
    [24" claim-type="Currently amended] 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the dual filter comprises a first component having an antibacterial / antiviral material and a second component having a malodor deodorant material.
    [25" claim-type="Currently amended] 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the air flow device creates a negative pressure with respect to the container.
    [26" claim-type="Currently amended] 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the waste comprises a thermoplastic material that is melted by a heating step.
    [27" claim-type="Currently amended] 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising curing the molten thermoplastic material to produce a biologically sterilized unitary mass at least partially surrounded by sharp edges and points.
    [28" claim-type="Currently amended] 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the waste container has an opening and the unitary mass is larger than the opening of the container.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    US5972291A|1999-10-26|
    WO1998033532A2|1998-08-06|
    AU5926098A|1998-08-25|
    EP0963210A2|1999-12-15|
    CA2279327A1|1998-08-06|
    JP2001510363A|2001-07-31|
    AU732684B2|2001-04-26|
    WO1998033532A3|1998-11-05|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    法律状态:
    1997-01-30|Priority to US08/794,214
    1997-01-30|Priority to US8/794,214
    1998-01-22|Application filed by 시어멀 웨이스트 테크놀러지즈 인코포레이티드
    2000-11-25|Publication of KR20000070649A
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US08/794,214|US5972291A|1997-01-30|1997-01-30|Method and apparatus for disposal of infectious and medical waste|
    US8/794,214|1997-01-30|
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