Device for handling medical waste products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10524873-B2
Application number	US-201615564129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for receiving and handling specific medical waste products to be stored in a safe container (10; 100), comprising a receiving mechanism (14; 126) arranged with a compartment (48; 131) for receiving a medicament container, which compartment (48; 131) is operably arranged to be moved from a first position wherein a medical waste product may be entered into said compartment to a second position wherein the medical waste product is entered into the safe container (10; 100), at least one first locking element (25; 118) operably arranged to releasably lock said compartment (48; 131) from being moved to said second position, said at least one first locking element (25; 118) being configured such that a medical waste product placed in said compartment (48; 131) constitutes a keying element for unlocking said compartment (48), and a monitoring unit (60; 200) comprising a detection mechanism (64; 150, 170) capable of detecting that said compartment (48; 131) has been moved from said first position to said second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for receiving and handling specific medical waste products to be stored in a safe container, comprising a receiving mechanism arranged with:
a compartment for receiving a medicament container,
wherein the compartment is operably arranged to be moved from (i) a first position in which a medical waste product may be entered into said compartment to (ii) a second position in which the medical waste product is entered into the safe container,
at least one first locking element operably arranged to releasably lock said compartment from being moved from said second position,
said at least one first locking element comprising at least one contact surface, wherein the at least one contact surface is arranged to be engaged by an outer surface of a medical waste product placed in the compartment, which unlocks the compartment so that the compartment can be moved to said second position, and
a monitoring unit comprising a detection mechanism configured to detect that said compartment has been moved from said first position to said second position.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said compartment has a form generally corresponding to a shape of the specific medical waste product to be stored in the safe container.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one first locking element comprises at least one flexible arm, and wherein the at least one flexible arm comprises said at least one contact surface.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one flexible arm further comprises a stop ledge arranged to act on said compartment for providing a lock against movement of said compartment.

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a blocking element arranged to block access to said compartment when said compartment is in the second position.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said receiving mechanism is configured to provide one or more of a linear motion of said compartment from said first position to said second position or a rotary motion of said compartment from said first position to said second position.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit is releasably attached to the device.

8. The device according to claim 7 , further comprising a second locking element operably arranged to lock said compartment in said first position when said monitoring unit is not attached to the device.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said monitoring unit comprises an electronic circuit that is configured to provide a triggering signal each time said detection mechanism is operated.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein said electronic circuit is configured to provide a time stamp by the triggering signal each time said detection mechanism is operated.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said electronic circuit further comprises storage means that is configured to store said time stamps.

12. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising a communication unit, operably arranged to communicate said triggering signals or said time stamps to one or more external information receivers.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said communication unit comprises a wireless communication circuit, and wherein said wireless communication circuit is configured to communicate via at least one of a near range communication technology, a cellular radio communication network or a local area network.

14. The device according to claim 9 , wherein said electronic circuit further comprises one or more user alert elements, wherein said electronic circuit is arranged to active said one or more user alert elements at certain time intervals and wherein said one or more user alert elements comprise at least one of a visual element, an audible element, or a tactile element.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical interface arranged to interact with a mating mechanical interface arranged on said monitoring unit, and an activation switch arranged to activate said monitoring unit.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said mechanical interface further comprises a plurality of mechanical keying elements arranged with specific mechanical keying design and wherein said mating mechanical interface of said monitoring unit is arranged with a plurality of keying elements with a mating specific keying design.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said plurality of mechanical keying elements comprise a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses arranged in one or more predetermined patterns.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein said activation switch is positioned in said mechanical interface such that said activation switch is activated mechanically by said plurality of protrusions.

19. The device according to claim 16 , wherein said plurality of mechanical keying elements comprise teeth.

Assignees

• Carebay Europe Ltd
• Shl Medical Ag

Inventors

• Säll Daniel
• Gylleby Stefan

Classifications

• A61B50/36

  for collecting or disposing of used articles · CPC title

• A61B50/362 Primary

  for sharps · CPC title

• A61B2050/0059

  parallel to the lid plane · CPC title

• B65D43/02

  Removable lids or covers (with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22) · CPC title

• A61M5/3205

  Apparatus for removing or disposing of used needles or syringes, e.g. containers; Means for protection against accidental injuries from used needles (for sharps A61B50/362; disintegrating apparatus in general B02C, e.g. B02C19/0075, B23H9/001; disposal of medical waste in general B09B3/00; receptacles for refuse disposal in general B65F1/00) · CPC title