EP0865546B1

EP0865546B1 - Method and apparatus for the collection and the disposal of the dejections from patients confined to bed in sanitary institutes

Info

Publication number: EP0865546B1
Application number: EP96941815A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefano Gambassi
Original assignee: Esafarma Sas Mondovecchio di Bennati A
Current assignee: Esafarma Sas Mondovecchio di Bennati A
Priority date: 1995-12-06
Filing date: 1996-12-06
Publication date: 2001-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-06
Also published as: EP0865546A1; ATE199422T1; ITFI950251A0; IT1278805B1; DE69611933T2; WO1997021000A1; AU1109097A; DE69611933D1; ITFI950251A1

Abstract

Method for the collection and the disposal of the dejections from patients confined to bed comprising the use of a film of polyvinyl alcohol to line the collection pad and the treatment of the wrapper containing the dejection with hot water at a temperature not lower than 60 DEG C simultaneously submitting it to a mechanical mincing. The suspension thus obtained can be disposed of through the sewer system. The apparatus to implement the method comprises a container (10) with a blade mixer (12), in which the wrapper is immersed with hot water produced by an external heater (16).

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a method for the collection and the disposal of the dejections from patients confined to bed in sanitary institutes.

This invention also relates to a collection wrapper that allows the implementation of such a method.

Description of the prior art

As is well known, for the collection of dejections of patients who - because of sickness or otherwise - are confined to bed, several typed of containers are used, such as bedpans, urinals and so forth, that are made of different materials (metal, plastic, glass). In order to avoid the necessity of sterilization of these containers after each use, disposable containers have been suggested; however, these are quite expensive both to stock and to dispose of because they are not biodegradable. Alternatively, it has been suggested that polyethylene bags can be applied to such containers; but this does not solve the problem of disposal either, because these bags are also not biodegradable. The use of bags made of polyvinyl alcohol has also been suggested, since these are completely biodegradable. Even in this case, however, it is still necessary to collect this waste to send it out for disposal, since discarding it directly into the drain to the sewer would cause blockage because the process of biological degradation is slow.

A biodegradable wrapper according to the prior art, usable for covering a container for collecting dejections of patients, is disclosed in US-A-3 654 928. It suffers from the disadvantages mentioned in the description, namely slow degradation.

For these reasons, in hospitals and other sanitary institutes in general, the problem of the collection and the disposal of the dejections from bedridden in-patients weighs heavily upon the total budget.

Therefore, the principal aim of this invention is to provide a method that allows the collection and treatment of such dejections in order to be able to dispose of them directly through the drain.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrapper suitable to implement the above-mentioned method.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, the procedure consists of the use of wrappers made completely or partially of a hot-water-soluble film of polyvinyl alcohol to be used as lining for the containers used for the collection of the dejections, and then to treat the wrappers containing the dejections with hot water at a temperature above 60°C while at the same time subjecting them to a mechanical mincing action. In this way, the complete degradation of the polymeric film and the mincing of the water insoluble material is achieved, so that the suspension can be disposed of through the drain without risk of blockage.

For this purpose, a hot-water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol film can be used, such as CD80ESA2 MAVISOL, which is available on the market and has the following characteristics:
Mechanical Resistance (20°-40°C and 40-80% UR)

tensile strength (ISO 527 at 50 mm/') 25-80 n/mm²
% ultimate elongation (ISO 527) 100-300%
shear modulus at 10% 30-120 n/mm²

Specific weight (at 20°C and 50% UR) 1.25 g/cm³

This material has the property of retaining even when in contact, with water a mechanical resistance sufficient to allow its use as an external lining for bags or other soft containers for water solutions, in spite of the fact that it softens progressively in going from 20°C to 50°C. Passing from 50°C to 80°C, the film loses consistency and rapidly deforms, transforming into a filamentary, gelatinous substance that dissolves completely in solution by 80°C. Once the film is completely dissolved in the solution, it remains dissolved also when the temperature of the liquid has been cooled back to room temperature.

This material is almost completely biodegradable and is physiologically harmless.

The apparatus which performs the method according to this invention includes a container equipped with a mixing blade inside which is loaded the wrapper made completely or partially of polyvinyl alcohol and containing the dejections; this container is to be connected to a system producing hot water at a temperature above 60°C, and it can also be connected to a drainage system.

Brief description of the drawings

More details and other advantages of the method according to this invention will become clear from the following description of a possible embodiment. This form, which is to be intended only as an example and not a limitation, is illustrated in the enclosed drawings as follows:

figure 1 shows a bedpan lined with a wrapper made of polyvinyl alcohol according to this invention;
figure 2 schematically shows an apparatus for the treatment of the wrapper containing the dejections that implements the method of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment

The method according to this invention foresees the use of wrappers as lining for containers for the collection of the dejections of bedridden patients - for example, a bedpan. In this case the wrapper is preferably made of a lacquered thermoplastic hot-water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol film coupled with a pure cellulose foil on the external side to avoid that the polyvinyl alcohol film attaches to the patient's skin.

As shown in Figure 1, the wrapper, indicated as 1, shaped as an envelope with one of the longitudinal sides open, is adapted to the bedpan 2 so as to cover it completely and is attached to it by means of two strips 3 that are exposed by pulling them out at the moment of the use. The dejections never reach so high a temperature as to set at risk the mechanical resistance of the polyvinyl alcohol film; therefore, they can be collected in the wrapper without any danger of breaking and brought into contact with hot water at a temperature above 60°C, preferably 80°C. In these conditions the polyvinyl alcohol is degraded and dissolves in water. The dissolution is quite rapid if combined with a mechanical stirring action that allows also the mincing of the biodegradable parts, such as the cellulose foil, contributing to create the best conditions for disposal through drains.

The treatment of the wrapper containing the dejections at a temperature of 80°C, besides making possible its dissolution, also achieves the almost complete sterilization of the dejections itself. In fact, at this temperature most of the bacteria and viruses are destroyed, thus improving the hygienic conditions and reducing the risk of contamination. Moreover, with the method of this invention the cost of the disposal of hospital waste, which is actually one of the largest items in the budget specifications of sanitary enterprises, can be reduced by a considerable amount.

According to the method proposed by this invention, for the treatment of the wrappers containing the dejections with hot water, it is particularly convenient to use the apparatus that is schematically illustrated in Figure 2. It includes a container 10 with a conical bottom, inside which is situated a rotating blade 11 connected via a shaft 12 to a motor 13. The container 10 has an opening that can be covered with a lid 15, through which the wrapper containing the dejections is introduced. The water heater 16 is connected to the container 10 by a tube 17 equipped with an electric valve 18. The water heater 16 is attached to the plumbing via a pipe 20 equipped with an electric valve 21. The container 10 is also connected to the plumbing by another pipe 22 equipped with an electric valve 23 to allow cleaning after use. Inside the water heater 16 there are installed heating elements 24 such as, for example, an electric resistance. The bottom of the container 10 can be connected to the sewage system available in the area by a drain 25 equipped with an electric valve 26.

For use, after introducing the wrapper with the dejections in the container 10 through the opening 14, the operator will start simultaneously both the water inflow and the motor 13. After a predetermined interval of time, usually a few minutes, the polymeric part of the wrapper is completely dissolved and the wrapper itself is completely minced, and so the warm water inflow is stopped and the motor 13 turned off while the electric valve 26 opens up allowing the drainage of the suspension present inside the container 10. After this, the container 10 is rinsed by opening the electric valve 23 and flushing it with cold water for a predetermined interval of time.

The functioning of the device may conveniently be made completely automatic by means of a control unit 27, which may include a microprocessor managing the several phases of the treatment, so that the operator needs only introduce the wrapper with the dejections and start the device from the control panel of the unit 27.

The device described by this invention can be directly attached to a drain or adapted to discharge through a WC or any other opening to the sewer.

The procedure according to this invention for the collection and disposal of human dejections from bedridden in-patients and the related device for their treatment can be subjected to changes and modifications while maintaining the legal protection due to the invention itself.

Claims

A method for the collection and disposal of human dejections from bedridden in-patients in sanitary structures characterized by the following steps:

collection of the dejections inside a wrapper (1) composed of a polyvinyl alcohol film coupled with a pure cellulose foil, said wrapper being applied over a container (2) for such dejections;

treatment of said wrapper (1) containing the dejections with hot water at a temperature not lower than 60°C and simultaneous mechanical mincing action;

discharge into the drain of the obtained suspension.
The method according to claim 1, characterized by a temperature of the water for the treatment of 80°C.
The method according to the previous claims, wherein said film of polyvinyl alcohol is also lacquered.
A wrapper (1) for covering a container for collecting dejections from patients confined to bed characterised in that it is formed by a layer of pure cellulose coupled to a film of polyvinyl alcohol soluble in hot water, whereby the wrapper can be degraded after use by a mechanical treatment in hot water and disposed of through a sewer system.
The wrapper according to claim 4, wherein said film is lacquered.