GB2515349A

GB2515349A - Improvements in or relating to clinical waste disposal

Info

Publication number: GB2515349A
Application number: GB1311144.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Robarts
Original assignee: CLINICAL WASTE MAN Ltd
Current assignee: CLINICAL WASTE MAN Ltd
Priority date: 2013-06-23
Filing date: 2013-06-23
Publication date: 2014-12-24
Also published as: GB201311144D0

Abstract

A clinical effluent segregation system comprises an inlet 60 for receiving effluent waste, a segregating means 50 in the form of a filter 189 for separating clinical waste from effluent and an outlet for releasing the remainder of the effluent. Ideally, the system includes a pump 187 and a macerator. The system may further comprise an ultraviolet disinfection unit and power supply unit 191. In use, the clinical waste effluent is received by the system inlet either from a direct feed or from a suction canister and is passed through a filter with the filtered waste fluid being sent to mains sewage. Ideally, the system is comprises a handle and wheels for easy maneuvering.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CUNICAL WASTE DISPOSAL

The present invention relates generally to waste disposal and particularly to disposal of waste fluid generated in clinical environments.

There are a variety of situations within clinical environments in which effluent is generated, such as in urological examinations, operations and other procedures.

Clinical waste is generally accepted as waste produced in healthcare or similar activities that poses a risk of infection or waste that may prove hazardous as defined in the Controlled Waste Regulations. These regulations refer to: (a) any waste which consists wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other bodily fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, syringes, needles or other sharp instruments, being waste which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it and (b) other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it. In the context of the present invention the term clinical waste" may also encompass "healthcare waste".

It is not possible for such effluent to be disposed directly into the mains sewage system. Instead the waste fluid must be disposed of via existing clinical waste disposal procedures. Often the waste fluid is sucked into canisters which are then safely disposed of, for example by incineration.

In some cases a solidifying agent is first added to the fluid to help in the event of spillage.

The current disposal systems are extremely expensive for hospitals and other clinical establishments and there is a requirement for improvement.

The present invention seeks to address the problems with known disposal systems.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a clinical effluent segregation system, comprising: an inlet for receiving raw effluent; a segregating means for separating clinical waste out of the effluent; and an outlet for releasing the remainder of the effluent.

According to a further aspect there is provided a clinical waste fluid disposal system, comprising: an inlet for receiving waste fluid; a filter through which the waste fluid can be passed; and an outlet for releasing filtered fluid.

The present invention therefore takes effluent produced in clinical procedures and segregates it so that the processed effluent can then, if required, be disposed of directly into a mains sewerage system. This can result in a large cost saving for disposal and also simplifies the disposal procedure significantly.

In some embodiments the system separates out "clinical" waste (which requires specialist disposal) from the effluent from "household" waste (that is suitable for disposal through the normal, "mains" sewerage/garbage services). In other words the system removes the non-disposable component of the effluent (which in most cases will be the minority component), thus minimising the amount of material which must be disposed of by specialist means.

The system may further comprise a pump for causing fluid to flow into the inlet from a waste fluid source. The system may have its own pump for drawing fluid into the apparatus, or an external pump may, for example, be used to push fluid into the apparatus.

The system may further comprise a macerator. Softening of material prior to filtration, for example, may give certain benefits. In some embodiments a maccrating pump may be used.

The system may further comprise disinfection means. The disinfection means may. for example, comprise an ultraviolet radiation emitter. The emitter may operate in the wavelength range 10 mm to 400 mm.

The system may further comprise a conduit for receiving waste fluid from a suction canister. In some embodiments the system is configured to receive waste indirectly, from "suction pots" or the like. In other embodiments the system may be configured to receive fluid directly. For this purpose a lower volume pump may be preferred.

The segregation means may comprise a filtration means. The pore size of a filter may be in the range 10 mm to 10,000 mm. For example the pore size of the filter may be in the region of 1,000 mm.

According to a further aspect there is provided a method of processing of clinical effluent, comprising the steps of: A) receiving effluent; B) segregating clinical waste from the fluid; and C) discharging the segregated effluent.

According to a further aspect there is provided a method of disposing of clinical waste fluid, comprising the steps of: A) receiving the waste fluid; B) passing the waste fluid through a filter; and C) releasing the filtered waste fluid.

At step A the waste may be received from a suction canister, Alternatively or additionally the waste may be a direct feed.

The method may further comprise the step of maccrating the waste. This step may be conducted before or after step B. The method may further comprise the step of exposing the fluid to ultraviolet light. In some embodiments this step is conducted after step B. According to a further aspect there is provided a portable clinical waste fluid disposal unit comprising or including a system as described herein.

According to a further aspect there is provided an integrated clinical waste fluid disposal installation comprising or including a system as described herein.

Different aspects of the present invention may be used separately or together.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims as appropriate, and in combination other than those explicitly set out in the claims, The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a procedure during which waste fluid is generated; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a disposal system formed according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a disposal unit formed according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the internal workings of the unit of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the unit of Figure 3; and Figure 6 shows a suction pipe for use with the unit of Figure 3.

Referring first to Figure 1 there is shown a schematic representation of a common hospital procedure in which fluid 15 is drained from a suspended bag 20 into the bladder 25 of a patient 30, This is used by a doctor 35 to inflate the bladder to allow examination and/or treatment.

The fluid 15 is constantly refreshed and drains out of the bladder 25 and into a suction canister 35. The then waste fluid 40 must be safely disposed of.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a waste disposal system generally indicated 10 formed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In general tenns the system comprises a filtration unit generally indicated 50 which sucks waste fluid 40 out of a suction canister 35 via an inlet pipe 55. The pipe 55 delivers waste fluid to an inlet 60. As discussed in more detail below, the unit 50 then processes the fluid 40 prior to release through an inlet pipe 65. The processed fluid exiting through the pipe 65 can be sent directly to a mains sewage conduit, in this embodiment via a fixed, wall/mounted port 70.

Referring now to Figure 3. there is shown a portable processing (or in some embodiments, treatnient and/or management) unit 150 formed according to an alternative embodiment.

The unit 150 comprises an external cabinet-like housing 175 having at one corner a pair of wheels 180 and at its other end a handle 185. This allows the unit 150 to be manoeuvred, for example from hospital room to hospital room and indeed from hospital to hospital.

Referring now to Figure 4 the internal workings of the unit 150 are shown.

A liquid suction pump 187, which in this embodiment is a suction/macerator pump, sucks effluent waste and pulls it through the system and then to drain. The fluid is passed through a filter 189, which in this embodiment is an enclosure that houses two bag filter housings plumbed in parallel to give maximum solids collection. The outlet of the filters is plumbed for example, to a foul waste outlet, The filter housings have a filter bag mounted internally (this will periodically require removal and disposal).

The suction pump enclosure 187 also houses an ultraviolet disinfection unit (not shown), A power supply unit 191 receives mains power supply and distributes it as required.

A valve arrangement 193 is controllable to permit or shut up fluid flow through the unit 150.

A fluid meter 195 is mounted on the filter unit 189 so that usage can be monitored for example so that filters can be changed at an appropriate time or other periodic maintenance can be conducted as required.

The unit 150 is under the control of a processor unit 197.

Referring now also to Figure 5 the rear of the unit 150 can be seen, The inlet 160 receives effluent waste and the outlet 162 output treated fluid. An inlet pipe 155 is shown stored on the machine and is connectable to the inlet 160 and onwardly to a suction canister, or directly to a fluid output site depending on the configuration of the system.

In Figure 6 the pipe 155 is shown with an inlet fitting 156 and an outlet fitting 157.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment shown and that various changes and modifications can be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A clinical effluent segregation system, comprising: -an inlet for receiving effluent; -a segregating means for separating clinical waste out of the effluent; and -an outlet for releasing the remainder of the effluent.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the segregation means comprise a filtration means.
3. A clinical waste fluid disposal system, comprising; -an inlet for receiving waste fluid; -a filter through which the waste fluid can be passed; and -an outlet for releasing filtered fluid.
4, A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a pump for causing fluid to flow into the inlet from a waste fluid source.
5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a macerator.
6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising disinfection means.
7. A system as claimed in Claim 6, in which the disinfection means comprises an ultraviolet radiation emitter.
8. A system as claimed in Claim 7, in which the emifter operates in the wavelength range mm to 400 mm.
9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a conduit for receiving waste fluid from a suction canister.
10. A system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, in which the pore size of the filter is in the range 10mm to 10,000 mm.
11. A system as claimed in claim 10, in which the pore size of the filter is in the region of 1,000 mm.
12. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of processing clinical effluent, comprising the steps of: A) receiving waste fluid; B) separating clinical waste from the fluid; and C) discharging the remaining effluent.
14. A method of disposing of clinical waste fluid, comprising the steps of: D) receiving waste fluid; E) passing the waste fluid through a filter; and F) releasing the filtered waste fluid.
15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, in which as step A the waste is received from a suction canister.
16. A method as claimed in Claim 13 or claim 14, in which at step A the waste is a direct feed.
17. A method as claim in any of claims 13 to 16, further comprising the step of maccrating the waste.
18. A method as claimed in any of Claims 13 to 17, further comprising the step of disinfecting the remaining effluent following step B).
19. A method as claimed in any of Claims 13 to 18, further comprising the step of exposing the fluid to ultraviolet light.
20. A method substantially as hercinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings,
21. A portable clinical waste fluid disposal unit comprising or including a system as claimed in any of Claims ito 12.
22. An integrated clinical waste fluid disposal installation comprising or including a system as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 12.
23. A clinical waste fluid processing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.
24. A integrated clinical waste fluid disposal installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as show in, the accompanying drawings.