Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
  • A61L11/00—Methods specially adapted for refuse
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09B—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B09B3/00—Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
  • B09B3/30—Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless involving mechanical treatment
  • B09B3/35—Shredding, crushing or cutting
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C18/00—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments
  • B02C18/06—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives
  • B02C18/08—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives within vertical containers
  • B02C18/12—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives within vertical containers with drive arranged below container
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C18/00—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments
  • B02C18/06—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives
  • B02C18/16—Details
  • B02C18/24—Drives
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C19/00—Other disintegrating devices or methods
  • B02C19/0056—Other disintegrating devices or methods specially adapted for specific materials not otherwise provided for
  • B02C19/0075—Other disintegrating devices or methods specially adapted for specific materials not otherwise provided for specially adapted for disintegrating medical waste
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
  • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
  • B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
  • B02C23/18—Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09B—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B09B3/00—Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
  • B09B3/30—Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless involving mechanical treatment
  • B09B3/32—Compressing or compacting
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09B—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B09B3/00—Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
  • B09B3/70—Chemical treatment, e.g. pH adjustment or oxidation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B09—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
  • B09B—DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B09B2101/00—Type of solid waste
  • B09B2101/65—Medical waste

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for grinding and / or disinfecting waste, particularly medical waste.
• Medical waste must be treated prior to disposal, especially disinfected and crushed to be neither recognizable nor reusable.
• International Patent Application No. WO2004009144 there is known a device for grinding and / or disinfecting medical waste comprising three superimposed units, namely an upper hopper for the supply of waste, a median compartment for grinding, series of counter-rotating knives, and a lower receptacle for receiving, compaction and disposal of crushed waste.
• This device gives satisfaction in practice. However, it is suitable for the treatment of a relatively large quantity of waste and is not able to meet the needs of people with smaller quantities of waste to be treated, for example a self-medicated person.
• the main objective of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage, by providing an apparatus adapted to such needs, without compromising the treatment conditions of this type of waste.
• said processing systems involve the use of a large amount of specific packaging, which certainly has the advantage of isolating the waste from their source, but which have the disadvantage of constituting an additional amount of waste, before also be treated.
• These packages are in themselves relatively expensive and their treatment involves a significant additional cost.
• the apparatus concerned comprises, in a manner known per se, waste reception means, waste grinding means and / or means for disinfecting said waste.
• the apparatus comprises a body and a removable container; the body comprises a receiving base of the removable container, drive means accessible from said base, and / or the disinfection means and a disinfecting fluid introduction port in said removable container, opening into said base; the removable container is said means for receiving waste; it comprises the grinding means, which come into coupling with said drive means when the container is placed on said base, and / or an orifice for introducing the disinfection fluid into the container, which comes into communication with the orifice corresponding opening in said base.
• the container can thus be separated from the body of the apparatus and transported by a user for the collection of waste; once the waste collected, the container is placed on the body of the device, which allows the coupling of the grinding means with the drive means and / or the communication of the respective orifices of the container and the body of the device.
• the waste can then be ground by the grinding means and / or the disinfecting fluid can be introduced into the container through said orifices.
• the container can again be separated from the body of the device to be reversed in order to evacuate the waste, in a suitable collection container, which can be a simple trash.
• This device is thus perfectly adapted to the needs of people with relatively small quantities of waste to be treated; in particular, the removable container can be transported by the user, for a collection of waste in several locations, or for waste collection as and when the generation of waste, in different locations. In addition, this device does not use special additional packaging.
• the disinfection means comprise means for generating the disinfection fluid under pressure, which promotes the disinfection of the crushed waste.
• This fluid is in particular water vapor.
• the container could include a closure lid, permanently connected to it; however, in the case of pressurized disinfection fluid, this lid should be such as to withstand the pressure of the fluid and would therefore unnecessarily increase the weight of the container; therefore, preferably, the removable container does not include such cover and it is the body of the device which comprises a clean cover to close off the removable container at the time of introduction of the pressure disinfection fluid into the container; the container receives, during the time of collection of waste, a sealing cap, which can be lifted for the insertion of the waste or comprising an opening for this purpose, this seal being made of a crushable material and being intended to be ground with the waste .
• said body comprises a projection overhanging said base, which comprises at least one screw / nut assembly for moving said lid relative to the corresponding opening of the container and means for driving in rotation of the screw and / or the nut of each set relative to each other to achieve the displacement of the cover.
• the body may comprise three screws integral with the cover and three nuts integral with gears actuated by a chain itself driven by a motor.
• said base and said container comprise a discharge orifice of a possible exudate generated by the grinding of waste. This orifice may be the same as that used for introducing the disinfection fluid into the container.
• the container or said lid, comprises means for discharging the disinfection fluid under pressure after disinfection, which may include a filter.
• means for discharging the disinfection fluid under pressure after disinfection which may include a filter.
• said drive means comprised by the body consist of two coaxial shafts engaged one inside the other; - Said grinding means that comprises the removable container are constituted by two knives integral with two coaxial shafts engaged one into the other, each of these shafts being integral with a knife and being intended to come into engagement, during the placing the container on said base, with one of the two drive shafts that includes the body.
• the two drive shafts included in the body are preferably driven in opposite directions of rotation.
• one of these shafts is connected to a first gear wheel and the other of these shafts is connected to a second gear wheel, and a primary drive shaft engages simultaneously with each of these wheels. toothed, in particular by means of a pinion which it comprises.
• the apparatus comprises a display allowing in particular to indicate to the user the operations to be performed, the progress of these operations or alert messages.
• the apparatus may also comprise a printer delivering a printout relating to the various parameters of the grinding and / or the apparatus.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view, a removable container it comprises being placed on a base of a body which it also comprises;
• Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the removable container being separated from the body and this body being visible only partially;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the organs that includes the body, and the container;
• Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of various members that comprise the body and the container, some parts of the apparatus having been masked;
• Figure 5 is a view of said base and the base portion of the container, in section through the axis of drive shafts that includes the base and the container;
• Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a subassembly that includes the body, and
• Figure 7 is a functional view of fluid circuits that includes the body.
• Figures 1 and 2 show an apparatus 1 for grinding and / or disinfecting medical waste, comprising a body 2 and a removable container 3.
• the body 2 comprises a base 4 for receiving the removable container 3, an upper projection 5 overhanging the base 4, a display 6 and a printer 7.
• the base 4 comprises two shafts 8 protruding from it and an orifice 9.
• the removable container 3 with a capacity of six to seven liters, has a cylindrical body 10, open on top, and a base 11 housing a valve 12 (see Figure 5).
• This valve 12 is in communication with a orifice 13 opening into the bottom of the container 3 and comprises a lower orifice which comes into communication with the orifice 9 when the container 3 is placed on the base 4.
• the valve 12 is controlled by an operating key 14.
• the container 3 can be fixed detachably relative to the body 2 by means of a bayonet system (not shown), this system ensuring the arrival of the valve 12 facing the orifice 9.
• the body 2 contains a support plate 15 on which are fixed two brackets 16.
• the support plate 15 comprises, on its upper face, a motor 17 for driving the shafts 8, a generator 18 and the printer 7, and on its underside, a frame 19 comprising the transmission members between the motor 17 and these shafts 8.
• the plate 15 also comprises various other organs, in particular an organ control unit. above, fluid lines and other electrical connection cables, not shown for the sake of clarity of the drawing.
• the brackets 16 comprise the display 4 and an assembly for actuating a lid 25 for closing the container 3, this assembly being housed in the projection 6.
• the motor 17, the generator 18 and the printer 7 are of known type, and are therefore not particularly described in detail.
• the motor shaft 17 drives a pulley 20 mounted on the frame 19, by means of a belt passing through a slot in the plate 15.
• this pulley 20 is mounted on a shaft driving a first conical gear 21, which is engaged with a lower gear 22 and an upper gear 23.
• the two shafts 8 are coaxial and engaged. one in the other, the inner shaft 8 being integral with the lower wheel 22 while the outer shaft 8 is integral with the upper gear 23.
• a pinion 24 similar to the pinion 21 is located opposite the pinion 21, coaxially to the latter.
• the drive of the motor 17 carries a drive of the two wheels 22, 23, and thus the shafts 8, in opposite directions from one another.
• the actuating assembly of the cover 25 comprises a support plate mounted on the brackets 16, comprising a motor 26 and three sets 27 of Maneuvering the lid 25.
• Each set 27 comprises a nut 30 rotatably mounted on said plate by means of a bearing 31, and a threaded rod 32 secured to the lid 25 by means of a pin 33.
• the motor 26 drives a chain 35 (Fictitiously represented as having a constant section, for the sake of simplification of the drawing) around three toothed portions (fictitiously represented as cylindrical), integral with the nuts 30.
• Said support plate further comprises a return roller 36 ensuring an arc of sufficient winding of the chain 35 around the toothed portion of the nut 30 in the background.
• the container 3 comprises two coaxial shafts 40 engaged one into the other, which can be coupled to the respective shafts 8 when placing the container 3 on the base 2.
• These couplings can be made by simply engaging the lower ends of the shafts 40 on the upper ends of the shafts 8, the coupling being made by engaging end zones of complementary shape.
• Each upper end of the shafts 40 opens into the bottom of the container 3 and comprises a knife 41, the linkage of the knives 41 with each of the shafts 40 being formed by means of keys held by hubs 42.
• FIG. 7 shows the pipe 45 for supplying water to the steam generator 18 via a valve 46, the pipe 47 for feeding the vapor inside the container 3, via the orifices 9 and 13, the drain line 48 of the exudates, equipped with a valve 49, and the pipe 50, equipped with a valve 51 and a filter 52, connected to a vacuum source 53 allowing a setting empty of the container 3 and evacuation of the vapor out of this container.
• the container 3 can be separated from the body 2 and be transported by a user for the collection of waste; during this transport, the valve 12 is closed and the upper opening of the container 3 receives a closing cap (not shown), comprising a narrow slot for the insertion of the waste.
• This lid is made of a material that can be ground by the knives 41, in particular a thin synthetic material, and comprises a flange for its removable clipping on said opening of the container 3.
• the container 3 is evacuated via the vacuum source 53 and the vapor is introduced inside the container 3 via said orifices 9, 13.
• the duration of the treatment can in particular be 18 minutes, at 135.degree. C.
• the exudates and the steam are evacuated, and the container 3 can again be separated from the body 2 so that it can be overturned in order to evacuate the waste in a suitable collection container, which can be a simple trash.
• the container 3 is, after rinsing, placed in the inverted position on the base 4, for a final decontamination by means of steam and optionally a bactericide.
• the invention provides an apparatus with the decisive advantages:

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Toxicology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=37682894

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2006
  • 2006-06-27 FR FR0605746A patent/FR2902671B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-06-21 WO PCT/FR2007/001033 patent/WO2008000937A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2007-06-21 EP EP07788914A patent/EP2063995A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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