Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
  • A61M5/178—Syringes
  • A61M5/31—Details
  • A61M5/32—Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body; Devices for protection of needles
  • A61M5/3205—Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
  • A61M5/178—Syringes
  • A61M5/31—Details
  • A61M5/32—Needles; Details of needles pertaining to their connection with syringe or hub; Accessories for bringing the needle into, or holding the needle on, the body; Devices for protection of needles
  • A61M5/3205—Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles
  • A61M2005/3208—Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles by application of rotational movement to the needle hub, e.g. by use of electrically driven toothed wheels
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S220/00—Receptacles
  • Y10S220/908—Trash container

Definitions

• the present invention relates to safely disposing of medical waste, particularly needles and the like, in a manner which minimizes
• this invention is directed to a disposal system and, especially, to such a system which comprises a receptacle for contaminated medical products of the type which comprise a hub, the products also typically including a needle, the system additionally comprising a holder which cooperates with the products so as to cause a product mounted to the holder may be automatically detached from the holder and deposited
• a hollow bored member hereinafter a "hub"
• a hub for transferring fluid materials via a
• the hub may be tapered, and/or
• hypodermic syringes and blood collection/fluid injection systems. While hypodermic syringes normally have a fluid chamber integrally formed with the needle holder, blood collection /fluid
• injection systems typically include a needle holder having a hub
• the holder and a fluid collection tube may be inserted in the other end of the holder.
• threaded hub from a holder typically possess a hollow base portion, for
• receptacles of this nature allow a health care worker to simply insert a holder having a hub/needle combination received therein into an
• disposal systems include the facts that the receptacles are ( 1 ) very expensive to build and maintain; and (2) not easily transportable because they require some kind of electric power supply. Further, while incomplete hub unwinding is less of a problem with these systems, none of these power driven systems include any type of
• sharps disposal systems have been proposed wherein the sharps disposal container cooperates with a custom hub holder to effect needle release.
• the actuation mechanism enables the mounting of the externally threaded hub of a cannula assembly on the holder and the maintaining of the attachment of the cannula assembly to the holder
• hub/needle combination would be installed in any other medical device holder which accepts a threaded hub.
• the hub is released from the actuation mechanism whereby the hub/needle combination will fall from
• the holder under the force of gravity.
• the holder In one embodiment of the holder,
• the actuator is in the form of a push-button which is capable of being depressed by the operator's finger.
• hubs and particularly hubs integrated or associated with needles and
• Another object of the invention is to provide a sharps disposal
• a holder for releasably engaging a hub and a
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a sharps
• disposal receptacle having a safer means for removing a hub from a cooperating needle holder than has characterized the prior art.
• Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sharps
• a holder with an actuation mechanism capable of detachably mounting a hub, and particularly the
• sharps disposal receptacle having a cover with an automatic release
• the actuator element includes an actuator element, extending outwardly from, and slidably mounted to, the body of the holder.
• the actuator element is operably
• the actuator element includes
• a release structure guide channel extending through at least a portion
• This channel is oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the holder body and possesses a sloped face.
• the holder includes an end cap for maintaining the actuation mechanism in the holder.
• the end cap includes a guide channel-access recess aligned
• actuator element channel for permitting access to the sloped face
• a system in accordance with the present invention also includes a sharps disposal receptacle.
• this receptacle has a hollow base (or, alternatively, body) for receiving medical waste therein and a receptacle cover for covering the open end of the base.
• the cover includes an automatic release (also referred to as "auto-set"
• the automatic release structure includes, in the embodiment being described, an aperture
• the guide located between, and at a spaced distance from, a pair of holder guide walls which extend from the cover of the sharps receptacle.
• the guide walls is sized and shaped to pass through the channel-access
• protrusions may function as the guide structure for the holder while a
• the third protrusion functions as the release actuation structure.
• the actuation protrusion imparts linear motion to the actuator element of the holder. This, in turn, imparts motion to the hub engaging components of the actuator mechanism, and the now
• a sharps receptacle in accordance with the present invention is a sharps receptacle in accordance with the present invention.
• Such a sharps receptacle also has an oversized aperture for
• a sharps receptacle in accordance with the invention is additionally provided with plural lids for selectively opening and closing the various apertures in the cover of the receptacle.
• the present invention offers enhanced safety characteristics relative to prior art devices and methods. This increase in safety is
• the holder actuator element engages the shoulder on one of the guide walls or one of the protrusions, the hub previously mounted in the holder becomes detached and drops into the base of the sharps receptacle.
• misuse prevention is achieved in the present invention by
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sharps
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the needle holder of the embodiment of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a top plan view of the sharps disposal receptacle of
• Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the top of the sharps receptacle of Figure 3, taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3, Figure 4 also schematically showing the holder of Figures 1 and 2;
• Figures 5A and 5B are respectively enlarged partial top plan and cross-sectional side elevation views of the top of the receptacle which show details of the unwinder aperture;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 which depicts a sharps
• Figure 7 is a partial top plan view of the receptacle of Figure 6,
• Figure 7 showing details of the auto-release structure of the receptacle.
• disposal system includes a holder 80 and a
• sharps disposal receptacle 20 Although not a part of system 10, an externally threaded hub 83, having a needle affixed thereto, is shown detachably mounted to needle holder 80. Sharps receptacle 20 includes
• Base 30 for receiving contaminated sharps .
• base 30 is a unitary structure and is provided with a cover 40.
• base 30 is a unitary structure and is provided with a cover 40.
• cover 40 have been individually injection molded to an appropriate thickness using a puncture resistant and leak-proof material such as
• Base 30 in a preferred embodiment, has a medical
• cover 40 includes a first lid 42, a second lid 46, an unwinder aperture 50, an oversized aperture 49, and an auto-release structure which has been indicated generally at 60.
• Auto-release structure 60 in accordance with a first embodiment, includes first and
• second guide walls, 61 and 65 respectively, extending substantially perpendicularly from cover 40 and positioned in spaced relation to a needle passage aperture 64.
• a generally rectangular shoulder 69 extends from one side of second
• This alternative auto- release structure indicated generally at 60', includes three protruding
• holder 80 has been positioned relative to auto- release structure 60' such that, upon downward movement of holder 80, two posts 66, 67 will guide and orient the holder 80 so that the needle affixed to hub 83 will extend through aperture 64.
• post 68 will engage the needle release mechanism.
• Three possible orientations of holder 80 onto posts 66, 67, 68 will result in actuation of the release mechanism.
• FIG. 1 An enlarged perspective view of holder 80 is shown in Figure 2.
• holder 80 consists of a body 81 , an actuation mechanism 82 and an end cap 90. End cap 90 is used to retain
• End cap 90 includes an aperture which permits hub/needle combinations to be inserted into actuation mechanism 82.
• end cap 90 includes a recess 92 at one end thereof.
• recess 92 is generally rectangular.
• Actuation mechanism 82 includes an actuator 84 and which is
• a guide channel 85 in the actuation mechanism is, at its deepest point, substantially aligned with the base of recess 92 in end cap 90.
• Channel 85 has a constantly and smoothly
• Channel 85 also includes a sloped face, i.e., a cam surface, 87 which slopes away from the axis of holder body 81 . As shown in
• both end cap 90 and actuator 84 possess a bevelled outer surface at one end thereof which assists with appropriate alignment of the needle holder during venipuncture. While end cap 90 is preferably fixedly attached to holder 80, actuator 84 is slidably mounted to holder
• actuation mechanism 82 is biased to a hub engaging position.
• a standard threaded hub for example a hub integrate
• hub 83 detaches from actuation mechanism 82 such that, if holder 84 were inverted from the Figure 2 orientation, hub 83 and the associated needle would be
• channel 85 preferably extends through
• actuator 84 can
• end cap 90 is, optionally, operated by using a finger.
• end cap 90 cooperates with actuator 84 to ensure, as will be
• hubs are automatically detached from holder 80 only by the action of the complementary auto-release structure of sharps receptacle 20 (Fig. 1 ).
• FIG. 3 a top plan view of sharps receptacle 20 of
• Cover 40 of receptacle 20 includes a generally cat's-eye shaped unwinder aperture 50. Undulating portions 52 and 54,
• aperture 50 is sized and shaped to comfortably receive a hub of a needle/hub combination, such as hub 83.
• the hub either to the left or to the right from the insertion position, i.e.,
• undulating portions 52 and 54 will only mechanically engage a hub as the hub is unwound, i.e., rotated in the counter-clockwise direction,
• FIGS 5A and 5B show the unwinder aperture 50 in greater
• top 40 is provided with regions of increased thickness which extend at least part way about the periphery of aperture 50, these enlarged width portions increasing the strength of
• top 40 also includes oversized aperture 49
• aperture 49 is shown as being generally rectangular, it can, of course,
• aperture 49 also be any one of many other shapes as long as aperture 49 is
• Aperture 49 may have a notch along one side thereof to facilitate
• second lid 46 may be used to seal aperture 49 and prevent inadvertent spillage of infectious medical waste.
• Second lid 46 is pivotably mounted to one end of cover 40 via a
• Second lid 46 is preferably integrally formed with
• cover 40 and second hinge 48 is preferably sized and shaped to provide a durable, yet flexible, hinge for repeated usage.
• second lid 46 is pivoted away from
• aperture 49 can be closed by pivoting second
• Aperture 49 can be permanently
• Cover 40 also includes auto-release structure 60.
• Structure 60 preferably includes needle passage aperture 64
• first guide wall 61 is preferably generally arc-shaped and second guide wall 65 is preferably generally U-shaped.
• Needle passage aperture 64 is preferably large enough to
• First guide wall 61 has a concave inner surface 62 which faces inner surface 66 on second guide wall 65. Further, as clearly
• first guide wall 61 has a chamfered edge 63 which
• second guide wall 65 has a generally U-shaped chamfered
• First and second chamfered edges 63 and 73 function as guides to insure proper orientation of holder 80 when holder 80 is initially inserted
• channel 85 further ensures appropriate and exclusive operation
• actuator 84 is cammed toward body 81 of holder 80 in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of holder body 81 . This camming action may be achieved, after contact is established between
• actuator 84 inward movement of actuator 84 causes actuation mechanism 82 to
• Central needle passage aperture 64 is preferably large enough to easily pass hub 83, but small enough to prevent holder 80 from passing
• posts 66, 67, 68 extend substantially perpendicularly from cover 40. The height of these posts is sufficient to operatively engage the holder
• each of posts 66, 67, 68 is sufficiently narrow to pass through recess 92 of end cap 90, into
• holder 80 shown in hatching, has been positioned relative to auto-release structure 60 such that, upon downward movement of holder 80, two posts 66, 68 will guide and orient the holder 80 so that hub 83 will extend through aperture 64 while the third post 67 enters channel 85 and contacts the hub
• actuator 84 on its sloped cam surface 87.
• first lid 42 is pivotably mounted to cover
• First lid 42 can be used to selectively open and
• cover 42 may have any suitable means such as detents which snap-fit
• lid 42 includes a lock-tab 43 which is sized and shaped to engage lock-
• Lid 42 is preferably integrally formed with cover 40 and hinge 44 is sized and shaped to provide a durable, yet flexible, hinge for
• Cover 40 is preferably permanently affixed to base 30 ( Figure 1 )
• Cover 40 is engaged by base 30,
• cover 40 preferably at rim 41 , with sufficient strength that cover 40 cannot be removed from base 30 without causing substantial damage thereto.
• Cover 40 and base 30 are individually injection molded from a suitable material
• base 30 is preferably formed of a red opaque
• cover 40 is preferably formed of either a translucent or transparent material. This allows health care workers to monitor the amount of accumulated waste material inside sharps
• Medical waste level monitoring may be further assisted
• cover 40 of translucent material, and by the inclusion of a fill line on base 30, a health case worker may easily determine when sharps receptacle 20 is sufficiently
• a health care worker may permanently seal sharps receptacle
• the sealed sharps receptacle 20 can be discarded in an appropriate manner as a single
• guide walls 61 and 65 preferably
• the present invention more efficiently utilizes the space available for
• holder 80 has been partially placed into auto-release structure 60 in the direction of arrow A.
• Channel 85 and shoulder-access recess 92 shown in phantom, are in engagement with shoulder 69 such that actuator 84 has experienced some minimal movement in the direction
• end cap 90 will come into abutting relationship
• cover 40 at the bottom of first and second guide walls 61 and 65.
• actuator 84 will have moved in the direction of arrow B,
• channel 85 will have moved to the position where shoulder 69 has reached the end of channel 85. In this position, hub 83 is detached from actuation mechanism 82 and is free to fall from holder 80 into
• embodiments of auto-release structure 60 are specifically designed for use with one another.
• end cap 90 of holder 80 effectively
• aperture 64 ensures that holder 80 will never pass into or become
• first and second chamfered edges 63 and 73 in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 3 help ensure proper alignment between holder 80 and first and second guide walls 61 and 65. This feature further enhances the speed and accuracy

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Anesthesiology (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)
• Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
• Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=24689721

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (51)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (105)

• 1997
  • 1997-05-28 IN IN328BO1997 patent/IN189561B/en unknown
  • 1997-06-17 JP JP10503185A patent/JP2000514322A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-06-17 AU AU33947/97A patent/AU707709B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1997-06-17 EP EP97930018A patent/EP0954495A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-06-17 WO PCT/US1997/010354 patent/WO1997048625A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-06-17 CA CA002258529A patent/CA2258529C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-06-18 ZA ZA9705373A patent/ZA975373B/xx unknown
  • 1997-11-03 US US08/963,283 patent/US6247592B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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