Medical supplies abstract
A system for the delivery, storage and disposal of medical supplies
including a lidded receptacle for receiving the supplies and facilitating
their delivery to a use site, such lidded container subsequently
being employed in the collection and ultimate disposal of waste
medical supplies. The preferred receptacle includes lid means that
serves to temporarily close the receptacle when unused medical supplies
are held within the receptacle, and that serves the further subsequent
function of lockingly closing and sealing the receptacle when waste
medical supplies are contained in the receptacle.
Medical supplies claims
What is claimed:
1. A method for the delivery of disposable medical supplies to
a use site and for the collection, transport and ultimate disposal
of waste medical supplies comprising the steps of
introducing into a rigid open receptacle including a lid means
a quantity of said disposable medical supplies, said receptacle
having walls and a bottom that are not incidentally penetratable
by needles or surgical blades and which are liquid-impermeable,
positioning said lid in a first covering relationship with said
open receptacle to close and temporarily seal said receptacle with
said supplies therein, said seal being sufficient to prevent the
inadvertent loss of said medical supplies during normal transit
from a manufacturing and/or distribution location to a use site
for said medical supplies,
associating identifying indicia with said receptacle,
delivering said receptacle with its contents to a use site for
said medical supplies without opening said sealed receptacle,
at said use site, removing said lid from said receptacle to open
said receptacle and removing said medical supplies from said receptacle
to empty said receptacle,
positioning said empty receptacle at a location at said use site
suitable for the placement of waste medical supplies therein,
placing waste medical supplies from said use site into said receptacle,
positioning said lid in a second and different covering relationship
with said open receptacle to thereby close and lockingly seal said
receptacle with said waste medical supplies therein at said use
site, said seal being such as to secure the receptacle against unauthorized
entry into said receptacle,
thereafter disposing of said receptacle and its contents at a location
remote from said use site without opening of said sealed receptacle
and in a manner which both destroys the recognizable identity of
individual items of said waste medical supplies and which effectively
destroys any infectious nature of said waste medical supplies and/or
said receptacle.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said waste medical supplies comprise
disposable items that were originally delivered to the use site
in said receptacle.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said lid is reversibly positionable
in closing relationship to said receptacle.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said lid is secured in closing
relationship with said receptacle by means of locking lugs that
lockingly enter and engage respective open slots associated with
said receptacle.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said locking lugs engaging said
open slots are not removable from said slots except by means of
purposefully applied opening force sufficient to destroy said lugs
and/or said slots.
6. The method of claim 1 and including the step of sterilizing
at least certain of said medical supplies prior to their introduction
into said receptacle.
Medical supplies description
This invention relates to systems for the delivery, storage and
disposal of medical supplies, particularly those medical supplies
which are classified as disposable, that is, the supplies are discarded
after a single use.
Particularly in the surgical departments of medical institutions
and facilities, e.g. surgery centers, doctors offices, etc. it is
common practice to maintain in inventory numerous items of medical
supplies, commonly sterile in nature, for use in anticipated medical
procedures. For example, in the prior art it has not been uncommon
that hundreds and even thousands of items of sterile and non-sterile
medical supplies are ordered in advance and kept in storage in or
near a surgical department of a hospital, etc. Typical items include
surgical sponges, drapes, basins, syringes, needles, sutures, and
surgical instruments. Many of these items are intended for a single
use, following which the used item is discarded. Such items are
referred to as disposables. The problems of storage of such items,
maintenance of inventory records, and the attendant expenses, have
led to the practice of collecting into a grouping, all or many of
the disposable medical supplies that are anticipated to be required
for a particular surgical procedure, e.g. an appendectomy, packaging
such grouping in a manner such that the packaged items can be sterilized
after being packaged, sterilizing the package and thereafter storing
the sterilized package as a unit. This practice further has led
medical suppliers to offer to hospitals and other medical facilities
a product known as a "procedural tray". A procedural tray
comprises a collection of disposable medical supplies intended for
use in a given medical procedure in a package which includes a flat
tray and which is sterilized as a unit, such packaging designed
to protect the integrity of the sterile nature of the medical supplies
contained within the package. Such procedural trays presently are
available from several commercial sources and are offered in generic
forms, such a wound dressing tray, and/or in customized forms, such
as an heart catherization tray for the procedure employed by a particular
surgeon. In a particular surgical procedure, it is not uncommon
to use one or more generic trays, such as a tray containing table
covers, gowns and gloves, plus one or more trays that are customized
for the particular surgical procedure. In an effort to reduce the
number of trays held in inventory by a surgical facility, it is
currently common practice for medical suppliers to maintain the
trays in the supplier's warehouse and to deliver to the medical
facility those trays that are ordered on relatively short notice.
A major consideration associated with the use of disposable medical
supplies, whether prepackaged or not, is how to safely and efficiently
dispose of the medical supplies after they have been once used.
Recalling that such disposable supplies may include needles and
disposable surgical instruments, such as blades, scalpels, etc.
and the like, and further recognizing the inherent danger of injury
and/or infection should the medical personnel or others handling
the used items be accidentally cut, pricked or stuck with an infected
used needle, etc., it is immediately obvious that great care must
be taken in the handling and disposal of such used items.
Further, in the course of a surgical procedure, it is not uncommon
that many of the disposable items will be contaminated with the
blood or body fluids of a patient. Physical contact with such blood
or fluids, if contaminated with an infectious disease, can expose
third parties to such disease. Thus, used medical supplies require
special handling commencing immediately following their use and
continuing through the ultimate disposal of the items in a manner
which ensures the destruction of any potentially contaminating materials
without undue exposure of third parties. In certain circumstances,
it is further required that the medical waste be converted to a
form in which none of the particular items of the waste are recognizable.
The procedures which are currently mandated for the proper handling
and disposal of used medical supplies are expensive and time-consuming.
Current proposed and existing legal and/or regulatory requirements
dictate the collection of medical wastes in readily identifiable
containers (e.g. distinctive color and identification markings)
that provide protection against leakage of liquids from the containers,
protection against penetration of the container by needles, scalpels,
etc. and protection against inadvertent, or even intentional, opening
of the container prior to its ultimate disposal (e.g. protection
against container rupture if inadvertently dropped and protection
against potential scavenging of the waste items). Further, accountability
is required for certain containers of medical waste, especially
where the container travels outside a medical facility, such as
where the waste is handled by contract waste disposal companies.
Importantly, the container itself should not contribute to environmental
contamination in the course of its disposal.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a system for the delivery, storage and disposal of medical supplies.
It is another object to provide such a system which is particularly
safe, efficient and tamper-proof. It is another object to provide
such a system which provides a common receptacle for use in the
delivery, storage and ultimate disposal of the medical supplies.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be recognized
from the description contained herein, including the drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a representation of a lidded receptacle suitable for
use in the system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a representation of the receptacle of FIG. 1 with a portion
of the wall thereof cutaway and depicting typical medical supplies
held within the container and ready for use.
FIG. 3 is a representation of the receptacle of FIG. 1 with a portion
of the wall thereof cutaway and depicting typical contents of used
medical supplies contained therein and ready for disposal.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the receptacle of FIG. 1 (unlidded) and
depicting various features of the receptacle.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line
5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line
6--6 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 7A-7D are a series of views of a portion of a receptacle of
the type depicted in FIG. 1 and showing the steps to be followed
in sealing the receptacle with its lid after used medical waste
has been deposited therein.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of two of the receptacles depicted
in FIG. 5 as stacked in nested relationship with one another.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of a lid of the type depicted
in FIG. 1 and showing a typical locking lug.
In accordance with the present system, medical supplies, commonly
pre-sterilized, are held within a rigid lidded receptacle which
is suitable for protecting such supplies in the course of their
transfer from the manufacturing facility, to the medical facility.
Within the medical facility, the products in such receptacle are
stored pending their use. The preferred receptacle occupies minimum
floor space for storage and therefore can be stored directly in
the vicinity of the use site of the supplies. Such use site frequently
is an operating room or the like. At the time of their use, the
supplies are removed from the receptacle, unpackaged using the normal
procedures, and the empty receptacle is placed conveniently near
the use site to receive waste products, including the used supplies
which originally were delivered in the receptacle. Upon completion
of the medical procedure, e.g. surgical operation, and as a part
of clean-up, the receptacle is sealed as by means of an interlocking
lid which is non-removable other than by destruction of the locking
means or by purposeful application of a combination of inordinate
forces. Proper labeling may be applied by the end-user to the receptacle
to provide for its identification and tracking from the time that
it is closed and sealed to its ultimate destruction and/or disposal
in accordance with accepted procedures. Preferably, the labeling
includes bar coding that is computer-readable for ready and efficient
identification of the receptacle. The preferred receptacle includes
wheel means so that at all times, and especially upon completion
of the sealing of the receptacle, it can readily be transferred
from location to location without lifting. As practiced at the particular
medical facility, the receptacle of waste is transferred to an inhouse
disposal site, such as an incinerator, or to an off-site disposal
site. Depending upon the regulations in force with respect to the
medical waste in question, the receptacle and its contents may be
sterilized, as by radiation, crushed in a grinder or the like to
render the individual items of waste unrecognizable and to destroy
the receptacle, and thereafter incinerated or disposed of in a landfill.
A typical lidded receptacle 10 as supplied to a medical facility
is depicted in FIGS. 1-3 and includes a receptacle 11 and a lid
18. The depicted receptacle may hold one or more procedural trays
12, 14, and 16, each of which comprises disposable medical supplies
such as surgical sponges, syringes, needles and the like. A tray
may also contain a quantity of liquid, such as povidone iodide as
used in disinfecting the skin of a patient in the area of a surgical
procedure. Thus, the receptacle 11 must be sufficiently rigid to
be self-supporting, must be liquid-impermeable, and include provision
for sealing the receptacle (liquid-tight) following the deposit
of used medical supplies therein. The preferred seal prohibits removal
of the lid 18 of the receptacle after the seal has been completed,
thereby precluding inadvertent or even intentional removal of the
lid in the interval between the sealing of the receptacle by the
medical personnel who deposit the used supplies therein and the
ultimate incineration or other disposal of the receptacle and its
contents.
A preferred receptacle 11 is of generally rectangular horizontal
cross-section and fabricated from high density polyethylene which
is incineratable, producing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts,
and a preferred lid 18 is fabricated from polypropylene which also
is incineratable, producing carbon dioxide, water and small amounts
of carbon monoxide. Conventional plastic fabrication techniques,
such as blow molding, may be employed in the fabrication of the
receptacle or such as injection molding in the fabrication of the
lid 18. The thickness of side walls of the depicted receptacle 11
and of the lid 18 preferably is at least about 3/32 inch, such thickness
of either high density polyethylene or polypropylene plastic being
sufficient to prevent the incidental penetration thereof by a needle
or surgical instrument contained therein. The depicted receptacle
11 includes size walls 26, 28, 29 and 31, a bottom 22 and an open
top 24, is about 32" inches high and has a cross-sectional
area adjacent its bottom 22 of about 195 in.sup.2 and a cross-sectional
area adjacent its open top 24 of about 332 in.sup.2, thereby providing
a generally tapered cross-sectional profile for the receptacle.
Whereas such size of the receptacle is preferred to provide maximum
storage volume within the receptacle with minimum size "foot
print" of the receptacle, other sizes of receptacles may be
chosen to provide other advantages.
As noted and as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, in a preferred receptacle
11, the opposite side walls 26 and 28 of the receptacle 11, at a
location above the bottom 22 of the receptacle and about 1/3 to
1/4 the distance from the bottom of the receptacle to its open top
24, are indented horizontally inwardly of the receptacle to develop
first and second sets of ledges 30A and 30B, and 32A and 32B, respectively,
on the side walls 26 and 28 of the receptacle 11, the first set
of ledges 30A and 30B being at substantially identical horizontal
heights above the bottom 22 of the receptacle to establish a first
level and the ledges 32A and 32B of the second set of ledges being
at substantially identical heights above the bottom of the receptacle
to establish a second level that is different from the first level.
These ledges 30A, 30B, 32A and 32B serve to receive the ends 42
and 44 (or other side edges) of the first tray 12 and thereby establish
the location of the tray 12 in a substantially horizontal attitude
spaced above the bottom 22 within the receptacle, thereby developing
a chamber 25 within the receptacle and between the tray 12 and the
bottom 22 of the receptacle 11. These ledges and the tapered profile
of the receptacle also serve the function, among others, of allowing
the stacking of several procedural trays 12 and 14 within the receptacle
11 (see FIG. 2) without the weight or pressure of the uppermost
tray, 14, for example, from crushing or destroying the integrity
of the underlying tray 12. This is accomplished by first placing
loose items of supplies 23 and 27, for example, in the chamber 25,
followed by the positioning in the receptacle of the first tray
12, such tray being of a cross-sectional size that it contacts and
is supported by any two opposing ones of the several ledges 30A,
30B, 32A and 32B provided on the inner opposing walls 26 and 28
of the receptacle. Notably, by reason of the several ledges located
at different heights above the bottom of the receptacle, the receptacle
can accept any of several sizes and geometries of trays so long
as the tray is of a size that two of its ends or edges can be lodged
on any two of opposing ones of the ledges. This is true whether
the selected opposing ledges be at different heights, thereby enhancing
the ability of the receptacle to receive a substantial variety of
tray sizes and shapes. Thereafter, other supplies and/or trays,
such as larger trays 14, for example, are positioned within the
receptacle above the first tray 12. Due to their larger cross-sectional
size, the larger trays tend to wedge themselves within the receptacle
at a location spaced above the first tray, thereby minimizing any
adverse effect upon the first tray due to the weight of the second
and other trays. Alternatively, a shelf may be substituted for the
tray 12 as a means to support medical supplies held in the receptacle
above the level of the ledges. Similarly, further shelves (not shown)
may be frictionally wedged between the side walls of the receptacle
at selected vertically spaced-apart levels to provide other support
for supplies. Due to the tapered geometry of the depicted receptacle,
preferably the heavier supplies are loaded toward the lower half
of the receptacle to thereby develop the lowest possible center
of gravity for the loaded receptacle. This provides protection against
inadvertent tipping of the receptacle. As depicted in FIG. 8, the
tapered geometry of the receptacle further provides for the nesting
of multiple empty receptacles 11 and 13 for space-saving storage
and other purposes.
Also as depicted in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the preferred receptacle
includes a circumferential rim 50 extending about the perimeter
of the open top 24 of the receptacle 11. Such rim 50 is integrally
formed with the top of the receptacle and projects generally perpendicularly
from the side walls 20 of the receptacle (see also FIG. 5). A plurality
of slots 52 are provided through the thickness of the rim 50 and
are designed to receive therethrough a like number of locking lugs
54 that are provided on the lid 18. As seen in FIG. 4, the horizontal
cross-sectional dimension of the receptacle 11 is generally rectangular
with rounded corners. As noted, the area of such horizontal cross-section
varies between the open top 24 and the bottom 22 thereof. Aside
from the inward depressions that develop the ledge sets, the variation
in cross-sectional area is substantially constant from the top to
the bottom of the receptacle to provide a generally tapered narrowing
of the receptacle from its open top 24 to the bottom 22 thereof.
The ledges, as noted, provide stops and support for the tray of
medical supplies. Only two sets of ledges are shown in the Figures,
but additional sets of ledges may be provided as desired for like
purposes.
As further depicted in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the receptacle 11 is provided
with depressions in the bottom 22 thereof which define wheel wells
60, 62, 64 and 66. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, each wheel well
further includes means defining two open-ended slots 68 and 70 adapted
to receive therein an axle 80 for a wheel 82 that is received into
such well 60, one end 84 of the axle 80 being received in the slot
68 and the opposite end 86 of the axle 80 being received in the
other of the slots 70. The elongated entrance portion 88 of the
preferred slot 70 is slightly more narrow than the diameter of the
axle received therein, with the closed end portion 90 of the slot
70 being circular in cross-section and of essentially the same diametral
dimension as the axle 80. In this manner, the slot 70 is slightly
distorted in the process of inserting the axle therein and thereafter
rebounds to capture the axle in the closed end portion of the slot.
Notably, in a preferred receptacle each wheel is mounted at a location
on the bottom of the receptacle such that no portion of the wheel
nor its mounting means extends outside the profile of the receptacle,
other than from the bottom of the receptacle. Whereas the axles
of the wheels of the depicted receptacle are fixed, it is to be
recognized that caster-type wheels may be employed. In this manner,
and as seen in FIG. 8, empty multiple receptacles 11 and 13 may
be nested in one another for space-saving storage purposes. Each
receptacle is provided with projections 90 and 92 on two opposite
sides 26 and 28 thereof which serve as handles for facilitating
the lifting the receptacles and further as delimiters of the extent
of insertion of one receptacle within another when two or more such
receptacles are nested. As seen in FIG. 8, the lower ledges 94 and
96 of the projections 90 and 92, respectively, of the first one
11 of a pair of nested receptacles contacts the upper edge 98 of
the open top 24 of the second receptacle 13 immediately therebelow,
thereby limiting the insertion of such first receptacle into the
second receptacle.
Each receptacle 11 is provided with a lid 18 that is sealable over
the open top of the receptacle. In FIGS. 1 and 3, such lid 18 is
depicted in its position of closure of such open top. In FIG. 2,
the lid 18 is shown inverted and in its position for temporarily
closing the open top of the receptacle. In this position, the lid
will not "seal" the open top, but will merely cover such
open top. The inverted lid is placed over the open top of the receptacle
after the medical supplies have been placed in the receptacle and
removably secured in place, as by shrink wrap 97 disposed circumferentially
about the lid 18 and the upper portion of the receptacle 11 (see
FIG. 2). To this end, the lid 18 is formed with projections 19 on
the top surface 21 thereof which are dimensioned so as to be received
in the open top of the receptacle to align the lid on the receptacle.
Thereafter the shrink wrap is applied to provide an effective temporary
closure which maintains the lid in place and the contents within
the receptacle and resists contamination as by dust or the like.
At the use site for the medical supplies, the shrink wrap is removed
and the lid is lifted from the receptacle and placed aside for use
in closing and sealing of the receptacle after the used waste medical
supplies have been placed therein. FIGS. 7A-7D depict the preferred
steps to be followed in closing and sealing the receptacle with
the lid 18. In such Figures, after the lid is placed on the open
top end 24 of the receptacle with the locking lugs 54 of the lid
aligned with the slots 52 provided in the rim 50 of the top of the
receptacle, pressure is applied to the long sides 100 and 102 of
the lid to cause the lugs associated with such long sides to enter
their respective slots and lockingly engage therewith. Thereafter,
pressure is applied to the short sides 104 and 106 of the lid to
likewise cause the locking lugs on such sides to enter and lockingly
engage with their respective slots in the rim 50. Finally, pressure
is applied to the corners of the lid to ensure complete engagement
of all the locking lugs with their respective slots and full sealing
of the lid with respect to the top of the receptacle. By reason
of the design of the locking lugs and their respective slots, once
the lid is properly secured in place, it can only be removed by
destruction of the locking lugs or their slots or by the purposeful
simultaneous application of diverse forces of a type which would
result in physical damage or destruction of the lugs or slots. In
this manner, the integrity of the seal of the receptacle is assured
from the time that the receptacle is sealed at the use site and
until it is ultimately disposed of as by incineration or otherwise.
Typical locking lugs 54 are depicted in several of the Figures.
The detail of one suitable locking lug 54 is depicted in FIG. 9.
With reference to such Figure, it is seen that such lug is of generally
"U"-shaped geometry with one of the legs 108 of the "U"
being defined by the wall 112 of the lid 18. The other of the legs
110 of the "U" is spaced outwardly from the lid wall 112
to define between the legs an open slot 114 which is suitably dimensioned
to receive therein the top edge 24 of a receptacle (see also FIGS.
1 and 4). The length dimension of the open slot 114 is greater than
that dimension of the upper edge of the receptacle to be received
therein so that a sealing material 116, such as deformable resilient
rubber or plastic, may be positioned in the closed end 118 of the
"U" shaped slot and thereby be in position to bear against
the top edge 24 of the receptacle top when pressure is applied to
the lid to compress the resilient sealing material and permit the
lugs to enter and lockingly engage their respective slots in the
rim of the receptacle. To accomplish such locking relationship between
the lugs and their respective slots, the lowermost end 123 of each
leg 110 of each lug 54 is provided with an upturned extension 122
that projects outwardly and upwardly from the lowermost end 123
of the leg 110, hence outwardly and away from the lid and receptacle.
The angle formed between the leg 110 and its extension 122, and
the length of the extension are such that the extension will be
deformed slightly when pressure is applied to the top of the lid
as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7D, to cause the leg 110, and its extension
122, of the lug 54 to enter a slot 52. Upon passage of the extension
through such slot, and release of the downwardly applied closing
pressure upon the lid, the extension rebounds so that it can not
be removed from the slot except by purposeful, and unlikely successful,
reverse deformation of the lug and accompanying pressure applied
to the lid to simultaneously compress the sealing material 116.
Locking of the several lugs in their respective slots is further
ensured by pressure exerted by the sealing material 116 contained
in the slot 114 and which is substantially compressed in the process
of applying closing pressure to the lid.
In the present system, as noted hereinabove, the empty receptacle
is loaded with "fresh" medical supplies, as in the medical
supply manufacturer's facility. Loading of the supplies into the
receptacle involves placing first into the receptacle loose items
of supplies, such as suction canisters or other items, such items
preferably being of the type which require a higher degree of protection
against crushing or other destructive forces encountered in shipping,
storage, etc. Further, if possible those items first loaded in the
bottom of the receptacle are the heavier items, thereby tending
to lower the center of gravity of the loaded receptacle and reduce
the likelihood of its being tipped over from its normal upright
position. After the loose items have been loaded into the bottom
of the receptacle, that is, in that lower portion of the receptacle
below the horizontal location of the ledges 30A, 30B, 32A and 32B,
a procedural tray is introduced into the receptacle with at least
two of the opposite side edges of the tray resting on opposing ones
of the ledges to thereby support the tray and its contents above
the loose items in the bottom chamber of the receptacle. In lieu
of using a tray, it is acceptable to employ a solid or perforated
shelf that is dimensioned suitably to have opposing ones of its
side edges received by opposing ones of the ledges to thereby position
the shelf horizontally across the receptacle at the horizontal level
of the ledges. Such shelf functions to support further loaded supplies
above the loose supplies in the bottom of the receptacle and to
protect those items in the chamber 25 as described with reference
to a tray.
Following the positioning of the tray or shelf on the supporting
ledges, further medical supplies are introduced into the receptacle
as desired. Preferably the lighter weight supplies are the last
ones to be loaded into the receptacle. As noted hereinbefore, multiple
sets of ledges at different vertical levels within the receptacle
may be employed to reproduce the protective effect afforded by the
depicted sets of ledges and the accompanying use of a tray or shelf
supported by such ledges. In this manner, multiple chambers substantially
identical to chamber 25, may be provided within the receptacle.
After the receptacle is loaded with supplies, the lid 18 is positioned
in an inverted attitude (see FIG. 2) in covering relation to the
open end 24 of the receptacle. The lid 18 is provided with positioning
lugs 103 at the corners of the lid which are receivable within the
open top of the receptacle to thereby position the lid over the
open top. Thereupon, a shrink wrap material 97 is placed in encircling
relationship to the lid and the upper portion of the receptacle
to provide for the temporary retention of the lid in place over
the open top of the receptacle for preventing unauthorized access
to the supplies contained within the receptacle and to protect the
contents of the receptacle against dust, etc. When the receptacle
is received at the use site, the shrink wrap is removed and the
supplies are retrieved from the receptacle for use. The lid is temporarily
set aside for use in later sealing the receptacle. The empty receptacle
preferably is positioned near the use site to be available to receive
waste developed in the course of the particular medical procedure
and procedures. Such waste may include disposable items delivered
initially in the receptacle, plus other waste items that may have
been supplied from other sources. Such wastes commonly are contaminated
with blood and/or other body fluids which may be infectious, and
may comprise soft items such as sponges and hard or rigid items
such as needles, disposable scalpels, blades, etc.
Upon completion of the medical procedure, or at such time as the
receptacle becomes filled with waste, the medical personnel at the
use site retrieve the lid for the receptacle, position it over the
open top of the receptacle and lock it in its sealing relationship
with the receptacle as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7D. As desired or required,
appropriate labels 105 may be applied to the receptacle for identification
and tracking purposes. The closed, sealed and labeled receptacle
is thereafter transferred to an appropriate disposal facility. In
all instances, the integrity of the closed and sealed container
is maintained by the present system, thereby precluding loss of
either solid or liquid contents of the receptacle and preventing
access to the waste items without detectable destruction of the
locking means between the lid and the receptacle. Further, those
personnel required to handle the receptacle and its waste contents
during the transport and disposal thereof are protected against
contact by the contents, and especially against physical contact
with blades, needles, etc. contained in the waste. Further, the
preferred construction and fabrication materials of the receptacle
and its lid protect against inadvertent, or even purposeful puncture
of the receptacle between the time it is sealed and the time of
its ultimate disposal.
The preferred method of disposal is by incineration. The present
receptacle and its lid are amenable to incineration, producing little,
if any, environmentally detrimental by-products. The preferred size
of the receptacle is such that the entire receptacle may be loaded
into commonly available incinerators.
Whereas specific embodiments and features of the invention have
been described herein, it is not intended that such shall limit
the invention other than as set forth in the claims appended hereto.
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