JP2003260115A - Processing facility for infectious wastes - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a processing facility for infectious wastes in which infectious wastes including solids discharged from a hospital or the like are heated and sterilized into level dischargeable to general sewerage. <P>SOLUTION: In the processing facility for the infectious wastes in which the infectious wastes can be sterilized and discharged into a general drainage, the processing facility is provided with a solid-liquid separator 3 for separating raw water containing infectious solids and liquids into a solid and a liquid, a liquid heating and sterilizing treatment tub 5 for heating and sterilizing the liquid separated from the solid/liquid separator, and a solid heating and sterilizing treatment tub 4 for heating the sterilizing the solid separated by the solid/ liquid separator. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is provided in a place where infectious wastes are generated in hospitals, laboratories, inspection institutions, etc. (referred to as hospitals in this specification), and these wastes are sterilized. The present invention relates to a treatment facility for infectious waste, which can be sterilized afterwards to be discharged into general sewage and the like. In this specification, the term "sterilization" refers to a treatment for completely destroying or removing all proliferative forms of microorganisms.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In hospitals and the like, various infectious lesions are excised, or human tissue pieces such as meat pieces (also simply referred to as tissue pieces) from a patient or the like are to be examined. It is routinely performed to collect and later dispose of them. Further, when there are inpatients, infectious pathogens are present in human waste as well, and these are sterilized and then disposed of later.

Since these infectious wastes contain infectious pathogens, they cannot be discharged as they are to general sewage.

When the infectious waste is only liquid, it can be heat-sterilized relatively easily, but when the infectious waste contains a tissue piece such as a piece of meat or a solid such as hair. In addition, the pipe of the heat sterilization treatment facility will be clogged, and the solid matter will adhere to the inside of the heat sterilization treatment tank itself, thereby impairing the normal operating state of the heat sterilization treatment tank. Therefore, under such circumstances, at present, periodical cleaning of the heat sterilization treatment tank and pipelines is unavoidable, or instead of such heat sterilization treatment, disinfection solution is added to treat the wastewater. , Released to general sewage.

[0007] However, the former is a large-scale and dangerous work since the cleaning is performed under the condition that the worker is not infected with infectious pathogens during the cleaning work, and in the latter case, the disinfection is performed. It becomes necessary to detoxify the toxicity of the liquid itself and then release it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and infectious waste containing solid matter discharged from hospitals and the like is heat-sterilized to a level at which it can be discharged to general sewers. The purpose is to provide a processing facility.

[0007]

The treatment facility for infectious waste according to the present invention is a treatment facility for infectious waste that enables sterilization of infectious waste and discharge it to a general drainage channel. So, this treatment equipment is a solid-liquid separator that separates raw water containing infectious solids and liquid into solid and liquid, and liquid heat sterilization that heat-sterilizes the liquid separated from this solid-liquid separator. It is characterized by having a treatment tank and a solid heat sterilization treatment tank for heat sterilizing the solid matter separated by the solid-liquid separation device.

According to the infectious waste treatment facility configured as described above, the infectious waste discharged from the hospital or the like is first separated into the solid matter and the liquid by the solid-liquid separation device, and the liquid is discharged. Is heat sterilization in a liquid heat sterilization tank,
For example, while being sterilized by being treated at a temperature of 120 ° C. or higher for a predetermined time (for example, about 20 minutes), the solid matter is heat-sterilized in a solid heat sterilization treatment tank, for example, at a temperature of 120 ° C. or higher for a predetermined time (eg For about 20 minutes) and sterilized. Therefore, since the solid-liquid separation device separates the liquid and the solid matter in this way, it is possible to use a heat sterilization treatment tank suitable for the properties of the liquid and the solid matter. The situation that solid matter adheres to the inside of the tank or clogs them is eliminated.

In the infectious waste treatment facility, the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank are heat sterilized by a heat source such as steam or an electric heater. Being a processing tank,
This is a preferable form in terms of heat sterilization function (performance) and reliability.

Further, in the facility for treating infectious waste, the solid-liquid separation device is composed of a cylindrical body, a raw water inlet is formed above the tubular body, and the raw water inlet is provided below the inlet. A filter for separating the solid matter and the liquid, a funnel body is further formed below the filter, and an openable / closable valve means is formed below the funnel body, and the liquid is discharged to the outside of the lower portion of the cylindrical body. When the liquid discharge port is formed, there is no clogging of solid matter in the solid-liquid separation device, and solid-liquid separation can be performed efficiently and effectively.

Further, in the facility for treating infectious waste, the filter is composed of a perforated plate-like member such as a perforated metal plate having a rigidity sufficient to retain its own shape, and the filter is clogged in the perforated part. When the scraper means for removing the solid matter is provided, even if the solid matter is clogged in the pores of the filter portion, the solid-liquid separation device can be easily removed by the scraper means without the need for manpower.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall construction of an infectious waste treatment facility according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the concrete construction of the solid-liquid separation apparatus shown in FIG. It is the sectional view expressed typically.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a place where infectious waste is generated, for example, a dissection room. 2 is a piece of tissue discharged from the dissection room 1, such as a piece of tissue such as a piece of meat, a solid substance such as hair
And a raw water tank in which liquid such as body fluid (including blood) is temporarily stored, 3 is a solid-liquid separator, 4 is a solid heat sterilization treatment tank,
5 is a liquid heat sterilization treatment tank, 6 is a miscellaneous drainage tank, 7 is a cooling tank for cooling the liquid after the high temperature sterilization treatment discharged from the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank, 8 is the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4 And a boiler for supplying steam for heating to the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5. A piece of tissue such as a piece of meat that is dissected from the dissection room 1 or a solid matter such as hair flows to the raw water tank 2 through the conduit P1 and is temporarily stored there. Then, the raw water tank 2 is introduced into the solid-liquid separation device 3 via the pipe line P2. The solid-liquid separation device 3 separates a solid matter and a liquid. That is, in the solid-liquid separation device 3, the valve device 9 provided below the solid-liquid separation device 3 is closed until a certain amount of solid matter is deposited on the filter 3F in the solid-liquid separation device 3. In this state,
Only the liquid in the raw water supplied into the filter 3F leaks to the outside of the filter 3F and is supplied from the liquid outlet 3A to the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 via the conduit P3. On the other hand, when a predetermined amount of the solid matter accumulated in the filter 3F is accumulated, the valve device 9 is opened and the pipe P
It is supplied to the above-mentioned solid heat sterilization treatment tank 4 via 4. Then, in the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4, the liquid or solid matter supplied therein is heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time and sterilized. The predetermined temperature and the predetermined time may be various temperatures and times, but when targeting general infectious pathogens, about 20 minutes at 124 ° C. is appropriate. By this sterilization, all forms of microorganisms (including bacteria, viruses, etc.) that can grow are completely destroyed or removed. By the way, steam is supplied from the boiler 8 to the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4, and the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4 can be sterilized. Temperature (about 124 ° C. in this embodiment) and maintained at the temperature for the predetermined time. In addition,
Here, the heating source for heating the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4 is not limited to steam, but other heating means such as an electric heater or a microwave oven. May be

Then, it is supplied from the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank 5 to the cooling tank 7 through a pipe line P5, and is cooled in the cooling tank 7 to a predetermined temperature, for example, from high temperature to room temperature. In this case, it is desirable that the cooling tank 7 be provided with a cooling means, if necessary. Then, the cooled and sterilized liquid is supplied to the miscellaneous drainage tank 6 through the conduit P6.

The sterilized solid matter is supplied from the solid matter heat sterilization treatment vessel 4 to the miscellaneous drainage vessel 6 through a pipe line P7. However, instead of this, the solid waste from the solid heat sterilization treatment tank 4 may be supplied to the miscellaneous drainage tank 6 via the cooling tank 7.

The sterilized liquid and solid collected in the miscellaneous drainage tank 6 are in a state in which microorganisms (including bacteria, viruses, etc.) capable of multiplying are completely destroyed or removed. Therefore, it becomes possible to discharge to a general sewer pipe or the like via the pipe P8.

The solid matter supplied to the solid heat sterilization treatment tank 4 and discharged from the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank 4 is not a completely solidified solid but has a sufficient water content (liquid content). Therefore, if the height difference is provided in the pipes P4, P7, the pipes P4, P7 will be generated by the gravity acting on the solid matter.
It is possible to supply (transport) via 7. However, if necessary, the pipes P4 and P7 may be configured to be forcedly fed, or may be conveyed by a conveying means such as a screw conveyor.

In the case of this embodiment, the solid-liquid separation device 3 is constructed as shown in FIG. That is, this solid-liquid separation device 3
The casing 3K has a tubular shape as a whole, and in this embodiment it has a tubular shape, and the funnel body 3J is integrally attached to the lower end portion thereof. Then, the filter 3F is made of a stainless perforated plate so as to match the side peripheral surface of the casing 3K of the cylindrical solid-liquid separation device 3, that is, to form a concentric cylindrical shape. And the bottom part is open downwards. However, the filter 3F is not limited to this perforated plate, and may be any perforated plate-shaped member (including the perforated plate) having a filter function and rigidity enough to maintain its own shape. It may be a so-called “wedge wire” obtained by combining commercially available thin wires into a screen shape, or a similar wire. A ring-shaped collar portion 3f is formed above the filter 3F, and an outer peripheral edge of the collar portion 3f is
By being in close contact with the inner wall of the side peripheral surface of the casing 3K of the solid-liquid separation device 3, the supplied raw water is effectively guided so as to be supplied into the filter 3F. And
Inside the filter 3F, a rotary plate 3c serving as scraper means is arranged, and an upper end of a rotary shaft 3b serving as a rotation center of the rotary plate 3c is driven by an electric motor Em to be rotatable. Although not shown, a bevel gear mechanism is arranged between the electric motor Em and the rotary shaft 3b so that the bevel gear mechanism can be driven by changing the rotation direction by 90 degrees.

Then, the solid-liquid separation device 3 specifically operates as follows in processing solid matter of infectious waste. That is, prior to the solid-liquid separation process of raw water, the valve device 9 provided below the solid-liquid separation device 3 is
It is in a closed state under the control of the control unit Cu, and in this state, raw water is supplied into the filter 3F from the inlet 3D provided at the upper end and connected to the conduit P2. At this time, the raw water dropped on the collar portion 3f is
It is guided inside the filter 3F. And filter 3
The liquid portion of the liquid containing the solid matter supplied into F leaks out of the filter 3F through the pores of the filter 3F and is discharged from the liquid discharge port 3A to the side of the conduit P3. On the other hand, the solid matter in the raw water is deposited inside the filter 3F, and a part of the solid matter fills the pores of the filter 3F. If the holes of the filter 3F are clogged, the filter 3
The pressure difference, which is the detection value of the pressure detection sensor 10 in which the detection units 9a and 9b are arranged inside and outside the F, becomes large. When the pressure difference becomes equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the control device Cu operates the electric motor Em to rotate the rotary plate 3c serving as a scraper means in the filter 3F so that the inside of the hole of the filter 3F is reached. Remove the clogged solids to clear the clogging of filter 3F.
Then, in the case of this embodiment, when the pressure difference becomes equal to or more than a predetermined value, the control device Cu further opens the valve device 9 and causes the solid matter accumulated in the filter 3F to fall downward by gravity. As a result, the solid matter is discharged to the side of the conduit P4. However, instead of this configuration, as a method of detecting that a solid substance has accumulated in the filter 3F for a predetermined amount or more, for example, a weight sensor is arranged in the funnel body 3J, or position detection is performed in the filter 3F. It may be arranged to detect by arranging a sensor, and the controller Cu may be arranged to open the valve device 9 by this detection.

The solid-liquid separation device 3 repeats the series of operations described above to separate a solid substance and a liquid from raw water. Then, even if the solid material clogs the filter, as described above, the rotary plate 3c serving as the scraper means can be rotated and the clogging can be eliminated without the need for manpower. Thus, according to the treatment facility of the present invention, while the liquid and solid matter are sterilized,
Since it is in a state of being cut off from the outside air side, and since it is not necessary to manually clean the inside of the device, it is possible to perform the processing safely and efficiently.

[0022]

According to the infectious waste treatment facility of the present invention, however, solid matter and liquid are separated from raw water discharged from a hospital or the like, and treated in consideration of their respective properties. Therefore, the pipe line is not clogged with solid matter, or the solid matter does not adhere to the inner wall of the heat sterilization tank or the like. Therefore, the heat sterilization process is always performed in an optimum state, and the infectious waste can be effectively heat sterilized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an infectious waste treatment facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a specific configuration of the solid-liquid separation device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Solid-liquid separator 5 ... Liquid heat sterilization tank 4 ... Solid heat sterilization tank

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A treatment facility for infectious waste, which is capable of sterilizing infectious waste and discharging it to a general drainage channel, the treatment facility containing infectious solid matter and liquid. A solid-liquid separator that separates raw water into solids and liquids, a liquid heat sterilization treatment tank that heat-sterilizes the liquid separated from the solid-liquid separators, and heat-sterilizes the solids separated by the solid-liquid separators. A treatment facility for infectious waste, comprising: a solid heat sterilization treatment tank for treatment. 2. The infectious agent according to claim 1, wherein the liquid heat sterilization treatment tank and the solid matter heat sterilization treatment tank are pressure tank type heat sterilization treatment tanks that are heat sterilized by a heat source. Waste treatment equipment. 3. The solid-liquid separator comprises a cylindrical body,
A raw water input port is formed above the tubular body, and a filter for separating a solid matter and a liquid is provided in the tubular body below the input port.
Further, a funnel body is formed below the funnel body, a valve means that can be opened and closed is formed below the funnel body, and a liquid discharge port for discharging the liquid to the outside is formed below the cylindrical body. It is a batch type solid-liquid separation device which is said, The infectious waste processing equipment of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. 4. The filter is composed of a perforated plate member having rigidity enough to retain at least its own shape, and the filter is provided with a scraper means for removing solid matter clogging the perforated portion. 4. The treatment facility for infectious waste according to claim 3.