GB2513108A

GB2513108A - Sharps waste regulator device

Info

Publication number: GB2513108A
Application number: GB1306061.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Martin Hercock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-04-04
Filing date: 2013-04-04
Publication date: 2014-10-22
Also published as: GB201306061D0

Abstract

A device to prevent inappropriate objects being placed in sharps containers and to monitor how full a sharps container has become and to prevent further access to said container once a level of fullness has been reached in order to prevent overfilling. The device comprises a means of permitting appropriate waste to pass but rejecting the passage of inappropriate waste and a means of monitoring how full the sharps container is and preventing further access to the sharps once a certain level of fullness has been reached. The device may comprise two moieties with an inner 3 and outer layer 2. The device may be detachable form the container 4 so that it can be reused. The means of allowing the passage of waste may comprise a mechanism, which may use a low range metal detector or an electromagnetic interference device. The fullness measure may comprise a light emitter 15 and receiver 16 system or a sonic or pulsar system.

Description

Sharps Waste Regulator Device This invention relates to a device that will assist in the regulation and control of the generation of sharps waste in healthcare settings, and assist in compliance with legislation that places obligations on S healthcare providers in relation to sharps waste. More specifically, but not exclusively, it will preventS inappropriate waste being placed in sharps containers, and will prevent over-filling of sharps bins that

Background to the invention

There are multiple defined categories of waste streams for managing healthcare waste, and each waste stream has different disposal requirements and accordingly costs a different amount to dispose of.

Waste streams range from domestic waste -unsoiled office paper, hand towels, packaging etc... -that is the cheapest to dispose of(at around £90/tonne), to steam treatable orange bag' clinical waste (soiled dressings, stained gauze etc...) costing around ±340/tonne to dispose of, to sharps waste, costing around £7(JO/tonne.

Sharps waste relates to the collection and safe disposal of used needles, cannulae, and other implements designed to penetrate skin. By its nature this type of waste presents a dangerous hazard and injuries from used sharps ("sharps injuries") are a source of genuine concern for healthcare workers and an important area of focus and potential expenditure for healthcare providers. From a positive source, a sharps injury carries a 33% risk of Hepatitis B transmission, a 3% risk of Hepatitis C transmission and a 93% risk of HIV transmission.

Because of the hazardous nature of sharps waste, it must be handled, stored and disposed olin a way distinct to that of other, less hazardous waste. Sharps containers are specially-designed to minimise the risk of inadvertent penetration and are nonnally multiply located within the clinical environment to allow disposal of sharps at the point of use. Sharps waste is destroyed by incineration, and therefore carries an economic and environmental cost. Furthermore, legislation requires that sharps bins are sealed when they are (at the most) 4 full, in order to minimise the risk of sharps injury for a healthcare worker placing a sharp into the waste container.

However, due to the nature of work in the clinical environment, it is a common problem that non- sharps waste is often placed into sharps containers. Estimates suggest that, in the UK, as much as 20- 30% of waste placed in sharps containers should have been placed in another, cheaper, waste stream.

Most commonly, this includes peripherals' to venepuncture and cannulation such as gauzes, skin :1 swabs, disposablF trays etc... Based on the disposal costs outlined above, this is clearly a source of unnecessary financial expense for healthcare providers, and a means of preventing inappropriate use of sharps containers would be held very desirable, especially in times of financial austerity. A cost-effective method ofreventing inappropriate sharps waste usage could be expected to provide a rapid S return on investment for the purchaser.

It is also important that sharps containers provide a means of preventing accidental spillage of sharps, since clearing such a spillage presents a very clear hazard.

It has been suggested elsewhere that simply providing a sharps container with an aperture in the lid too small for anything but sharps could provide a solution, but this fails for several reasons. Firstly, there would be a tendency for sharps to stack vertically, causing very inefficient use of space.

Secondly, it is nonnally a requirement that syringes containing pharmaceutical residue are destroyed in sharps waste along with the needle used to administer them, and thirdly this method does not actively prevent against spillage.

Systems have been developed such as Sharpsafe' manufactured by FrontierMedical Group, but these in no way prevent inappropriate objects being placed in sharps waste and the problem persists. It also fails to prevent overfilling of the container, since despite the rocking flap' mechanism, further objects can be placed inside with fore; subjecting healthcare workers to the risk of injury. In essence, there is an ongoing non-compliance with safe sharps disposal practice that cuffent designs have failed to solve.

A solution is needed. Ideally, this solution will not only prevent inappropriate usage of sharps waste containers, but will also prevent the waste container being used when it is more than % full. It will also actively guard against accidental spillage of sharps, and will be extremely cost-effective, incuiring no expense overall beyond that already required and preferably providing an overall cash saving for the purchaser through reducing the amount of sharps waste produced.

Summary to the invention

This invention takes the form of a lid designed to reversibly clip onto the top of a sharps container.

More specifically, the lid will have two layers -the inner' layer will be a simple mechanical bather with a manually-closable aperture that will remain bonded to the sharps container after application.

The outer' layer will contain the true workings of the invention, and will be reusable many times, being capable of de-bonding from the inner' layer once the sharps bin is full ready attached to a new inner' layer to be used again.

One aspect of the invention is that the outer' lid will have an aperture that is biased towards the closed position, and will open in the presence of an object appropriate for placement in a sharps container but remain closed in the presence of an inappropriate object. Advantageously, this aperture could utilise a low-range metal detector, or electromagnetic interference detector, or similar to detect S the presence ofa sharp'.

Another aspect of the invention is the presence of a probe or detector that will detect how full the sharps container is, and will prevent the above-described aperture from opening after a certain level of fullness is attained. This prevents over-filling of the container. Advantageously, this detector takes the fonu of a probe that lies beneath the lid, or of an appropriate sensor within the lid. In one embodiment, this detector may take the form of a light source at one side of the inside of the container and a receiver at the other, and the device will disengage the opening capability of the aperture on the outer' lid when the receiver detects that the light source has been continuously broken.

Advantageously, the light source and receiver may lie inside a designated space (that may have transparent walls) inside the sharps container that will not be accessible to sharps, so that the light is source and receiver are never contaminated. In another embodiment, an ultrasound or pulsar detector within the lid would detect the average level of fullness within the container. Of course, other alternative mechanisms may be used.

Mother aspect of the invention is that, once the container has reached a designated level of fullness and the aperture on the outer' lid has been locked in the closed position, the inner' lid aperture can be locked closed from the outside and the outer' lid can be disengaged from the inner', leaving the inner' lid sealing the sharps container and allowing the outer' lid to be re-used. Advantageously, the invention will be designed so that the action of closing the aperture on the inner' lid (through using a control on the outer' lid) will mechanically cause the outer' lid to disengage, and also advantageously it will be designed so that the outer' lid cannot be removed until the inner' has been sealed.

Another aspect of the invention is that the means by which the outer aperture detects the presence of a sharp will not be inappropriately triggered by the sharps inside the container.

Mother aspect of the invention is the presence of a mechanism that allows entry to the container of waste that is not strictly a sharp' and is non-metallic, but is nonetheless appropriate for disposal in a sharps container. Such waste will include glass drug vials and plastic cannulae. This mechanism may comprise a smaller, round aperture that may be opened by depressing a button, or be opened by some other means. Advantageously, this aperture will be too small to allow gauzes, swabs, and trays to enter the container. By having this as a bypass' feature, the healthcare worker will fmd it easier to use the main aperture for appropriate waste, thereby avoiding the problem of vertical stacking' as described above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A device of the present invention shall now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-S Fig 1 is a projection view showing an embodiment of the invention. It shows the embodiment in its constituent two layers, positioned over a sharps container for illustrative purposes.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

With reference to Figure 1, a device according to an embodiment of the invention indicated generally at 1 comprises an outer' layer 2 and an inner' layer 3. Both the outer layer 2 and inner layer 3 are predominantly flat and correspond to the shape of the open surface of the sharps container 4, shown here for illustrative purposes.

In actual use of the embodiment, outer layer 2 and inner layer 3 will be in direct contact, with outer layer 2 obscuring inner layer 3 from view from the outside. Entrance 5 of the outer layer corresponds in position with entrance 6 on the inner layer. Flaps 7 obscure or close entrance 5, and default into the closed position so that space 8 is completely absent. Inner flaps 9, relating to entrance 6 on the inner layer, are normally fully refracted so that entrance 6 is open to its fullest extent. Inner flaps 9 are closed manually, and remain open until manually closed when the bin is full, as described below.

Hence, in te resting' position, access to the sharps container is not possible. Clips 10 firmly hold the inner layer 3 onto the sharps container 4, and similarly clips t t hold the outer layer 2 onto both the inner layer 3 and the sharps container 4.

In a preferred embodiment, outer layer 2 is also provided with a secondaiy aperture 12, biased into the closed position and opened by activating control 13, or by some other means. Secondary aperture 12 conesponds to aperture 14 on the inner layer.

Furthermore, a preferred embodiment has a means of sensing how full the sharps container has become, and of preventing access to the sharps container once a certain level of fullness has been reached, in order to prevent over-filling of the container. In the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, this sensing means takes the form of a light emitting probe 15 and light receiver 16. In this example, probe 15 and receiver 16 sit beneath outer layer 2, extending into sharps container 4 in the assembled state. Preferably, they extend into protected or specifically designated compartments (not illustrated) within the sharps container 4 that prevent the probe 15 or receiver 16 coming into contact with sharps. In this example embodiment, the specially designed compartments would likely be made of clear plastic or some other material that permits the passage of light but affords the necessary protection or barrier. In an alternative embodiment, probe 15 and receiver 16 may be replaced with a sensor in the underside of outer layer 2 or inner layer 3 that would measure the average level of fullness of the sharps container 4, by pulsar or some other means. Clearly, other alternative methods of deteimining the level of fullness of the sharps container 4 are within the scope of the invention.

The device 1 preferably contains a control system, indicated schematically in Figure 2. In this embodiment, this control system is preferably contained within Outer layer 2, along with the power source and other required electronics and motors.

The device 1 has a means of detecting the presence of an obj ect appropriate for placement into a sharps container, and has a means of reacting to such an object. In this embodiment, outer layer 2 preferably contains a low-range metal detector (not illustrated), preferably located around Entrance 5.

In other embodiments, the detection means may be a fonn of electromagnetic field, or a magnet, or similar.

In this embodiment, outer layer 2 is further furnished with sliders 17. Sliders 17, in the embodiment's assembled position, correspond with inner sliders 18, and thereby allow entrance 6 to be closed from outer layer 2 while the embodiment is still in the assembled position.

Operation of the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is as follows: The embodiment first needs to be assembled. In general storage, outer layer 2, inner layer 3 and sharps container 4 (presented here for illustrative purposes) are separate moieties. In assembling the embodiment ready for use, inner layer 3 is clipped onto sharps container 4 using clips 10, with entrance 6 left in the open position. Outer layer 2 is then attached to inner layer 3 and sharps container 4 using clips 11, or similar. Thus, inner layer 3 and the interior of sharps container 4 are obscured by outer layer 2.

EntranceS of outer layer 2 is normally closed, in this embodiment by flaps 7.

When disposal of a sharp is necessary, the user moves the object for disposal into the near vicinity of Entrance 5. The detection means (in this embodiment a metal detector, not illustrated) detects the presence of the object and, through internal circuitry preferably contained within outer layer 2, causes flaps 7 to open and space S to appear. The sharp can then be placed through Entrance 5 and the underlying open entrance 6 on the inner layer 3 into the sharps container. Entrance 5 then rapidly reverts to the default closed position, again controlled by circuitry contained within outer layer 2.

This process may then be repeated for further waste, as required.

S

Because entrance 5 defaults to the closed position, and only opens in response to the presence of suitable objects, ills not possible to place unsuitable waste into the sharps container.

For disposal of a non-metallic object that is nevertheless suitable for disposal in a sharps container, such as glass drug vials, the illustrated embodiment provides control 13 that opens secondary aperture 12 (normally biased to the closed position) that overlies aperture 14. In this embodiment, aperture 14 is normally open, but in other embodiments it may be biased to the closed position and only open in response to activation of control 13. In other embodiments, alternative methods of dealing with appropriate non-metallic waste would be provided, such as material analysis, spectroscopic analysis, and so forth.

Simultaneously, the invention monitors how full the waste container is. In the illustrated embodiment, this monitoring is provided by probe 15 and detector 16. In other embodiments, this monitoring may take the form of an ultrasound or sonic or pulsar detector, perhaps in the underside of outer layer 2 andlor inner layer 3, or other similar detection means. In the assembled position of the embodiment illustrated at 1, probe 15 and detector 16 lie within the cavity of sharps container 4.

Deleclor 16 detects light being emitted from probe ii In this embodiment, in the event that the passage of light from probe 15 to detector 16 is interrupted, internal circuitry preferably contained withTin outer layer 2 interprets this as indicating that the designated maximum level of fullness has been attained. In turn, the circuitry then prevents entranceS or secondary aperture 12 being opened, even in the presence of appropriate objects. The device preferably has a 11111' indicator, not shown, that would activate in this condition.

Once the sharps container has been filled to the designated level, and further access to the cavity of the sharps container is prevented, the embodiment needs to be disassembled. Outer layer 3 is designed to prevent a user from removing it from the sharps container 4. Similarly, until entrance 6 has been properly closed -in this embodiment by moving sliders 17 (and their interfacing with sliders 18 to close entrance 6), outer layer 2 cannot be removed from inner layer 3 or the sharps container 4.

In this embodiment, the proper action of closing entrance 6 as described above causes the outer layer 2 t9 loosen from the sharps container 4 and the inner layer 3. The outer layer 2 can then be removed and re-used on another container after being assembled as described above, leaving behind the sharps container 4 sealed by inner layer 3. Preferably, closing entrance 6 leads to a click' or other palpable and/or audible indication that entrance 6 has been properly closed. Also preferably, the correct closure of entrance 6 is irreversible, at least to the normal user, preventing inappropriate usage of or access to the sharps container 4.

Preferably, inner layer 3 will be constructed so that it can be removed from sharps container 4 by appropriate personnel in an appropriate environment, for example a waste sorting facility, to permit processing of the waste and re-use of the emptied sharps container 4 and inner layer 3, as desired (and after appropnate processing).

Thus, the invention is simple to use, prevents inappropriate objects being placed in sharps waste, prevents over filling of the waste container, and through being re-useable is also cost-effective.

S It will be understood that numerous changes may be made to the illusinted embodiment within the scope of the invention. These changes include, but are not limited to, a variety of different shapes and sizes to relate to the different shapes and sizes of sharps containers; different methods of detecting appropriate and inappropriate objects; additional guards andlor filters around the enirances; different methods of monitoring, detecting and responding to the level of fullness of the sharps container; variations in the detail of circuitry and internal workings; variations in power supply (ranging from battery to mains to solar); variations in the detail of how the layers clip or reversibly affix to each other and to the sharps container; variations in the process for assembling the invention; and variations in the conditions in which the various moieties are stored; and so on.