KR19990069031A - Medical Waste Sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a new type of pulverizing medical wastes having pathogens or potentially harmful medical wastes to be post-treated with ordinary wastes using a new type of grinding means while being sterilized using a sterile medium such as steam. A medical waste sterilization apparatus, comprising a cover for inputting and discharging medical waste, sterilized by steam heat in a closed pressure vessel, and sterilized medical waste is rotatably installed in the pressure vessel. A medical waste sterilization apparatus that is pulverized by being moved and oscillated by a screw in the apparatus, comprising: a rotating drum having a plurality of wheel teeth for a rotary motion; A power member eccentrically installed inside the rotating drum by a motor power and a power transmission means for rotating the rotating drum, and having a plurality of wheeled wheel teeth formed in a circumferential form in engagement with the wheeled wheel teeth of the rotating drum; One side of the power member is installed in a plurality of rods installed in a circumferential direction in a horizontal state and consists of a screw for breaking to rotate the medical waste to engage with the screw of the rotating drum.

Description

Medical Waste Sterilizer

The present invention relates to a device for sterilizing pathogens in medical waste, and more particularly, to allow medical waste to be sterilized by a sterile medium, but to allow post-treatment of medical waste into ordinary waste using a new method of grinding. The present invention relates to a new type of medical waste sterilization apparatus for grinding medical waste.

In general, medical wastes are wastes from places where medical activities are performed, such as hospitals and nursing homes, and various types of pathogens are present in these medical wastes or wastes are highly likely to exist.

Therefore, medical waste is classified as special waste and has a separate bill for its management and disposal, which should be treated according to this bill.

The reason for this is that, as already known, when medical wastes are landfilled or incinerated like ordinary wastes, second-generation pollution such as pathogens in medical wastes may be released into groundwater, river water, and air, which can be a source of drinking water, which can harm residents' health This is because it becomes a source of infection.

The world's preferred method for treating medical waste is to disinfect or sterilize the medical waste and landfill or incinerate it.

The medical waste treatment method is most effective to sterilize the medical waste without transporting it to other places in the hospital where it originates, and to prevent the release of infectious pathogens in advance, and some large hospitals have already implemented it.

A more effective method is to sterilize medical waste at the hospital, and simultaneously crush the waste to transform it into ordinary waste, so that it can be treated after general waste.

In other words, sterilizing medical waste and making it normal waste results in efficient treatment because the medical waste can be buried or incinerated like general waste.

The prior art for the treatment of medical waste is a medical waste treatment apparatus disclosed in International Application No. PCT / US92 / 04270.

The sterilization medium used in the prior art medical waste treatment apparatus is steam, and sterilizing medical waste with high temperature steam is not only hygienic but also economical in terms of treatment cost.

And using a head plate as a means for grinding medical waste, the head plate is installed on the inner surface of the rotating drum to serve to crush the medical waste inside the drum.

In addition to gauze, however, sterilized medical waste may include surgical rubber gloves, textile bandages, surgical clothing and plastic products. Therefore, the crushing head plate can crush plastics, but there was a limit to cut the fabric, such as woven surgical clothing.

In addition, there is a limit to shredding surgical rubber gloves or plastic products. This is because the oil plate has the disadvantage that plastic or rubber does not break unless the rotation speed of the drum that rotates the medical waste is high.

In other words, the medical waste inside the drum is crushed only when the rocking surface is shaken, but if the rotational speed of the drum is slow, the medical waste is weakly blown from the plate, so that the grinding is not made.

In addition, if the rotational speed of the drum is too fast, the medical waste is driven to the inner surface of the drum by the centrifugal force and rotates, so that the medical waste is not shaken.

Therefore, the medical waste treatment apparatus of the prior art is to rotate the drum at a constant speed, the rotation speed is set to 2 to 30rpm.

However, the drum rotation speed is relatively slow, which is also related to the treatment speed of medical waste.

In other words, while the sterilization treatment of medical waste is made to transform it into ordinary waste, cutting the medical waste into ordinary waste takes a lot of time because the rotational speed of the drum must be maintained at a slow speed.

In addition, if the processing time is long, the throughput per day is not large, and thus, a large apparatus such as a general hospital where a lot of medical waste is generated is required. Therefore, in some cases, it is necessary to install and use several medical waste treatment devices, which is accompanied by waste of fuel and power and various other problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical waste sterilization apparatus having a function of pulverizing medical waste into ordinary waste using a new method of crushing the same as medical waste sterilization.

Another object of the present invention to provide a medical waste sterilization apparatus that can greatly shorten the medical waste grinding time.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a medical waste sterilization apparatus which has a state capable of easily pulverizing medical waste using only steam which is a sterilization medium of medical waste, and another object of the present invention is to sterilize medical waste. In order to shorten the process, the sterilization process of the medical waste by the device according to the present invention is a medical waste input process, a vacuum process inside the apparatus, and a sterilization medium input and discharge process and medical waste discharge process.

1 is an overall perspective view showing a medical waste sterilization apparatus according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a full longitudinal cross-sectional view of the medical waste sterilization apparatus according to the present invention,

3 is a side view illustrating a lid opening and closing operation of the apparatus according to the present invention;

4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 3;

5 is a perspective view showing a crushing means of the first embodiment and the power member according to the present invention,

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B 'of FIG.

7 is an overall longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus showing the second embodiment of the grinding means according to the present invention;

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C 'of FIG.

Figure 9 is a piping configuration showing the sterilization medium input of the apparatus according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: pressure vessel 2: cover

3: cylinder for opening and closing 4: shaft

5: link 6: locking cylinder

7: Locking rotating drum 8: Steam piping

8 ': chemical piping 10: rotating drum

11: support roller 12: bush bearing

13: wheel tooth type 14: screw

20: motor 23: power shaft

24: power member 25: wheel type

26: rod 27: screw for breaking

28: hinge portion 30: pressure gauge

31: safety valve

Hereinafter, the medical waste sterilization apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying preferred embodiments.

1 and 2 are a partial cutaway perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view showing the appearance and inside of the medical waste sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, respectively.

According to this figure, the medical waste sterilization apparatus of the present invention is provided with a pressure vessel 1 having a long shape, one side of which is opened and closed by a cover 2.

The pressure vessel (1) is made of a metal material, and is manufactured to have a thickness and strength enough to withstand the steam pressure when the steam is a sterilized medium therein.

The cover 2 on one side of the pressure vessel 1 is configured in the same form as the hard plate 1a to allow one side of the pressure vessel 1 to be completely sealed.

In addition, the cover (2) is configured to be opened and closed automatically, and the cover (2) is also made of a heavy metal material so as to withstand the steam pressure, it is good to have an automatic opening and closing method that can be wirelessly controlled.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cover 2 is opened and closed by the operation of the link 5 rotated about the shaft 4 by the opening and closing cylinder 3.

The lid 2 is provided with a flange 2a, and the flange 2a is provided with a plurality of grooves and locking projections 2b.

The locking projection 2a of the lid 2 is inserted into the groove portion in the locking flange 7 which is rotatably moved by the locking cylinder 6.

Therefore, in the closing operation of the lid 2, the locking projection 2b is inserted into the groove portion of the locking flange 7, and then the locking flange 9 is rotated by the operation of the locking cylinder 6. As shown in FIG.

The rotation amount of the locking flange 7 has a rotation amount such that the locking projection 2b of the lid 2 is fitted inside so that the locking projection 2b is completely covered by the locking flange 7.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing the locked state of the lid 2. According to this, it can be seen that the locking projection 2a of the cover 2 is locked by the locking flange 7, and the locking flange 7 has a flange (at the entrance 1b of the pressure vessel 1). 1c), the cover 2 is in a locked state that can withstand the pressure even if high pressure steam is applied to the cover 2 including the pressure vessel 1 because it is in a locked state.

The opening operation of the lid 2 is performed in the reverse order of the closing operation described above. In addition, a pipe is installed at the center of the cover 2 so that steam, which is a sterilization medium, can be introduced.

In the piping, since the lid 2 performs the opening and closing operation, it is preferable that the steam piping 8 be a flexible pipe that can be bent.

In addition, the installation of the steam pipe 8 to the cover 2 is for easily supplying the steam medium into the pressure vessel (1).

That is, the pressure vessel 1 and the rotating drum 10 to be described later in detail have an open structure only on the side of the entrance 1b with the cover 2.

Therefore, the steam medium supplied into the inside of the cover 2 is good to be supplied in the direction of the open structure.

However, the steam pipe 8 for supplying the steam medium does not necessarily need to be supplied only through the cover 2, and in some cases, may be supplied through any part of the pressure vessel 1.

1 and 2, the inside of the pressure vessel 1, the rotating drum 10 is installed rotatably in the forward or reverse direction.

The rotary drum 10 is rotatably installed while being supported on both sides by the support roller 11 as shown in FIG. 6 in the direction of the inlet and outlet 1b of the pressure vessel 1, that is, the point adjacent thereto.

In addition, one end portion 10a of the rotating drum 10 is installed and rotated while being supported by the bracket portion 9 on the inner surface of the hard plate 1a of the pressure vessel 1, as shown in FIG.

Between the bracket portion 9 and one end 10a of the rotating drum 10, the bushing bearing 12 is placed to reduce the frictional load while the rotation of the rotating drum 10 is performed smoothly.

2 and 6, the one side inner surface portion of the rotating drum 10 is provided with a plurality of wheel teeth 13 for receiving power for the rotation of the rotating drum 10.

In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the inner peripheral surface of the rotary drum 10, a screw 14 for moving the medical waste is provided.

The screw 14 may be configured in the form of a single- or two-line screw, the screw configuration may be appropriately installed according to the treatment capacity of medical waste.

The role of the rotating drum 10 is to rotate the medical waste injected therein so that steam, which is a sterile medium, smoothly penetrates into all of the medical waste.

In addition, the screw 14 in the rotary drum 10 is moved to the inside of the rotary drum 10, the medical waste injected into the inlet (1b) of the pressure vessel (1) to be pulverizable, and also sterilized medical waste The case is to be discharged by moving to the doorway (1b) from the inside.

The present invention includes a power transmission means such as a chain 21 and a chain gear 22 for transmitting the power of the motor 20 and the power for the rotation of the rotating drum 10 (see Fig. 2).

The power transmitted by the power transmission means rotates the power member 24 installed by the power shaft 23.

The power member 24 is configured to have a circular shape as shown in Fig. 5, and is configured to be about 1/2 or slightly larger than the rotating drum 10.

The power member 24 is configured to protrude a plurality of wheel teeth 25 in the circular direction.

The wheel wheel teeth 25 are engaged with the wheel wheel teeth 13 of the rotating drum 10 at a bottom dead center.

Referring to Figure 6, the power member 24 is installed eccentrically to meet at the position of the bottom dead center inside the rotating drum (10).

Therefore, when the power member 24 is rotated by receiving the power of the motor 20, the rotary drum 10 is rotated as the power is transmitted by being engaged with the wheel wheels 13 and 25.

The motor 20 for applying power is used for forward and reverse driving motors, and is rotated forward or reverse by the control of the control unit (or the operation unit).

The power member 24 which receives power by the forward and reverse rotation driving of the motor 20 and the rotating drum 10 rotated by the motor 20 also rotate forward or reverse.

Referring to FIG. 5 showing the first embodiment of the present invention, the rod 26, which is horizontally and circumferentially long, is installed at equal intervals in the power member 24 installed eccentrically on the rotating drum 10.

The rods 26 are rotated together by the rotation of the power member 24. Moreover, the breaking screw 27 is fixed to the circumference of the rod 26.

The breaking screw 27 is engaged with the screw 14 on the inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum 10 because the power member 24 is installed to be engaged with the rotating drum 10 at the bottom dead center position (see FIG. 6). .

Therefore, the screw 14 and the breaking screw 27 are rotated in engagement with each other at the bottom dead center position of the rotary drum 10, so that the medical waste that is interrupted in this part is broken and the grinding operation is progressed. It continues while 10) continues to rotate.

The breaking screw 27 in the rod 26 of the power member 24 has the form of a single row or two row screw.

7 and 8 show the construction of the second embodiment of the rod 26 and the breaking screw 27 therein.

Here, the rod 26 is configured to be connected to the hinge portion 28 from the power member 24, so that the rod 26 raised to the top dead center position during the rotation of the power member 24 acts so that the tip portion sags downward. do.

And the deflected rod 26 is moved back to the original horizontal state when the power member 24 is rotated again in the bottom dead center direction, the operation of such a rod 26 is continued a number of consecutive do.

In addition, the breaking screw 27 is fixed to the rod 26 in a divided state. Therefore, one rod 26 has one screw 27 that is braided, so that the rod 26 is in accordance with the unfolding operation of the rod 26 at the time when the rod 26 is lowered from the top dead center position to the bottom dead center position. The screw 27 strongly strikes the screw 14 provided thereon at the bottom dead center position of the rotary drum 10, and this strike is caused by the multiple rods 26 and the screw 27 provided thereon. Done as an enemy.

As a result, as the breaking screw 27 strikes the screw 14 of the rotary drum 10 according to the unfolding operation of the rod 26, the force of the breaking screw 27 is applied to the medical waste therebetween. It is subjected to the force of rotation and is crushed.

The cutting action due to the impact of the breaking screw 27 can be finely crushed not only plastics but also tough medical waste such as fabric pieces.

Moreover, the medical waste is softened by steam, which makes it possible to grind more effectively.

9 is a piping diagram showing a sterilization medium input process of the medical waste sterilization apparatus according to the present invention.

In the present invention, the medium for sterilizing medical waste is hot steam. Steam (s) is generated in a steam generator, such as a steam boiler is supplied through the steam pipe 8, the temperature of the steam for sterilization may be about 130 ℃ or more.

In case of dispensing a separate sterilization chemical for sterilization of medical waste, connect the chemical piping (8 ') which can inject the chemical (p) to the steam piping (8) and at the same time the input of steam (s) ) Can be injected.

However, since the medical waste sterilization apparatus of the present invention is sterilized by heat, steam heat is used as a sterilized medium having heat.

Therefore, chemical inputs are used to effectively sterilize medical wastes that need special sterilization. For reference, sterilizing drugs include sodium hypochlorite, and other sterilizing drugs can be added in liquid or vapor form.

Steam used as a sterile medium in the present invention has not only high temperature heat but also moisture. This moisture acts to soften the medical waste rocking inside the rotary drum 10 together with steam heat, and the medical waste in the softened state is cut by the interlocking rotational movement of the breaking screw 27 and the screw 14. And it is easily cut by the blow due to the up and down rocking motion of the breaking screw (27).

Before the steam is added as a sterilized medium, the inside of the pressure vessel 1 is first vacuumed for ease of steam input. This vacuum process is performed by a vacuum system including a known vacuum device (not shown).

Next, the steam (s) is introduced into the pressure vessel (1) and the appropriate steam pressure is maintained. The steam pressure is preferably about 4 kg / cm 3 and is indicated on the pressure gauge 30.

When the proper pressure of steam is exceeded, the steam is automatically discharged through the safety valve 31.

In addition, the water generated by lowering the temperature of the steam (s) is properly discharged through the drain valve (32).

Looking at the above-described medical waste treatment process, it is described through the medical waste input process → pressure vessel vacuum process → steam input process → medical waste sterilization and grinding process, it is to have such a treatment process.

In the above-described process, medical waste sterilization and pulverization are processed for a suitable time depending on the amount of medical waste to be treated.

The device according to the invention, however, has an excellent efficiency in the milling which takes place simultaneously with sterilization of the medical waste. Therefore, the time to grind into ordinary waste, including the time required for sterilization, is much shorter than the medical waste treatment apparatus of the prior art, so it has a fast and excellent treatment performance.

In particular, the medical waste pulverization in the device of the present invention is made by screws 14, 27 which are rotated while being eccentrically engaged with each other, and this pulverization system is achieved according to the rotational movement of the screw.

That is, the medical waste in the rotating drum 10 is only shaken and pulverized by the rotary motion, so there is no need to be greatly affected by the speed.

In other words, even if the rotational speed of the breaking screw 27 and the screw 14 for grinding is high, the medical waste is properly broken.

And the faster the rotation speed, the faster the pulverization is made, and as a result, the medical waste, including sterilization as a result of the process in the process of the normal waste has a rapid. In addition, rapid treatment increases the throughput of medical waste per day, which is more economical than conventional devices.

In addition, in the medical waste sterilization apparatus of the present invention, since the rod 26 is stirred by the screw 14 again in the rotating drum 10, steam heat is uniformly infiltrated into all parts of the medical waste. It has a complete and effective sterilization ability.

As such, when the complete sterilization and grinding process of the medical waste is completed, the steam inside the pressure vessel 1 is discharged.

Next, the cover 2 is opened, and the motor 20 is rotated in reverse to rotate the rotating drum 10 in reverse. The reverse rotation of the rotary drum 10 is to move the medical waste therein along the screw 14 in the direction of the entrance 1b of the pressure vessel 1, and by this operation the medical waste is discharged to the entrance 1b. do.

The apparatus of the present invention installs the pressure vessel 1 inclined so that the entrance 1b is positioned upward for smoothness of discharge, and adjusts such an inclination angle as the height of the pedestal 33.

Since the discharged medical waste is sterilized and pulverized, it becomes ordinary waste, and such waste can be landfilled and incinerated as general waste.

This facilitates convenient waste disposal and prevents the spread and release of pathogens.

According to the above description, the present invention provides a medical waste sterilization apparatus which is very short in sterilization and grinding processing time.

Thus, economical and effective treatment of medical waste is possible.

In particular, it provides a new type of medical waste sterilization apparatus to reduce the volume of waste and shorten the processing time while treating medical waste as ordinary waste.

Claims (6)

A cover for inputting and discharging medical waste is sterilized by steam heat in a sealed pressure vessel, and the sterilized medical waste is moved and oscillated by a screw in a rotating drum rotatably installed in the pressure vessel. A medical waste sterilization apparatus to be pulverized, comprising: a rotating drum having a plurality of wheel teeth for a rotary motion; A power member eccentrically installed inside the rotating drum by a motor power and a power transmission means for rotating the rotating drum, and having a plurality of wheeled wheel teeth formed in a circumferential form in engagement with the wheeled wheel teeth of the rotating drum; Medical waste sterilization device, characterized in that the screw is installed in a plurality of circumferential and horizontally installed on one side of the power member is rotated to engage the screw of the rotating drum to break the medical waste. The medical waste sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the point where the wheel wheel teeth of the rotating drum and the wheel wheel teeth of the power member are engaged to transmit power is a bottom dead center point of the rotary drum. According to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rods in the power member is a rotational movement from the power member by a hinge portion, the breaking screw fixedly equally fixed to the rod hits the screw of the rotating drum by the rotational movement of the rod Medical waste sterilization apparatus, characterized in that configured to. The medical waste sterilization apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the screw for breaking including the rod is deflected at the top dead center position and returned to its original position at the bottom dead center position when the power member is rotated to be hit by the screw of the rotating drum. . The medical waste sterilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating drum is supported by the support roller and the bushing of the bracket part in the pressure vessel plate in order to rotate in the pressure vessel. According to claim 1, The cover is configured so that the locking projection of the flange it is supported on the flange of the pressure vessel and the locking flange that is rotated by the locking cylinder, the locking flange is released and opened and closed automatically by the opening and closing cylinder Medical waste sterilization apparatus, characterized in that.