Patent ID: 9339266
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method to entrap and dispose of contaminated medical sharps comprising the steps of: providing a shell defining a sealed volume, wherein the shell comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, a pre-defined hinge separating the upper portion and the lower portion, and a plurality of non-hinge edges, wherein the shell provides a primary barrier which is puncture resistant to medical sharps; inserting a used, contaminated medical sharp into a layer of foam affixed to an interior of the shell; closing the upper portion of the shell against the lower portion of the shell to provide a raised barrier across at least two non-hinge edges of the close shell, and the lower portion of the closed shell along the least two non-hinge edges to prevent the used, contaminated medical sharp from puncturing through the interface between the upper portion and the lower portion of the closed shell; allowing a blunt end of the used, contaminated medical sharp to project out of the shell through a window; sealing the blunt end of the used, contaminated medical sharp in a region of the window such that liquid cannot escape the sealed volume; sealing the perimeter of the shell in the region where the window is not located; and adhering the used, contaminated medical sharp to the interior of the shell; irreversibly locking the upper portion of the shell to the lower portion of the shell; wherein the shell protects against injury due to the sharp end of the used, contaminated medical sharp.