Patent ID: 7533028
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: A61B,B07C,G01G,G06Q,G16H,Y02W,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for sorting medical waste items, comprising: providing a station comprising at least two container compartments; providing at least a first and a second removable container and at least one removable receptacle to be received by said station, each container having an internal volume of about 1 gallon to about 20 gallons and configured to be placed within at least a first and second container compartment within said station, associating each of the first and second containers and the receptacle with at least one of a plurality of different waste categories; configuring the receptacle to receive at least a first category of medical waste items to be rendered non-recoverable after disposal; configuring the containers to receive multiple additional categories of medical waste items different from the first category; scanning a barcode placed on or associated with a medical waste item with a scanner; comparing information obtained from the barcode with waste item classification information from a database and assigning the medical waste item to at least one waste category; automatically opening one of the containers or instructing a user to dispose of the waste item in the receptacle depending on the waste category based on the barcode, thereby indicating the container or receptacle for receiving the waste item associated with the waste category based on the barcode; providing each container with a machine-readable identification key associated with at least one of said waste categories such that the machine-readable identification key indicates the waste category of the waste item to be disposed into the container; reading the machine-readable identification key associated with the container to determine the waste category of the container; automatically locking the containers when a waste item has been disposed in said containers; configuring the receptacle to accept both solid and liquid forms of said waste items; and solidifying the liquid forms of said waste items.