Sharps disposal system

A disposal system particularly adapted for hospital use comprising two portions. The first portion is composed of a hollow, outer enclosure adapted for wall-mounting and including an elongated slot inlet at the top with a barrier adjacent the slot for restricting access to the interior of the enclosure. The enclosure also includes a hinged access door for permitting insertion of the second portion of the invention, an inner container, therewithin. The inner container includes an inlet formed in registration with the slot when installed within the enclosure. The inner container includes a pivotal closure which may be locked in place when full in order to prevent access to the contents of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to disposal of contaminated items, and in particular 
to a disposal system for use in a hospital or similar environment where 
contaminated items must be collected and disposed of without creating a 
hazard for patients or hospital personnel. 
In hospitals, clinics and similar institutions, contamination is of utmost 
concern. Disposable, single use patient-care products, which used to be 
the exception, are now the norm. Current guidelines of the U.S. Center for 
Disease Control require immediate disposal of hypodermic needles or other 
sharps at their site of use immediately following an injection. 
Many different types of containers are available for sharps disposal, 
including many manufactured by Sage Products, Inc., the assignee of this 
application. Such containers are normally portable and provide somewhat 
limited protection against an individual's gaining access to sharps within 
the container. Improper reuse and possible contamination can ensue. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention provides a secure, readily-accessible system for disposal and 
comprises a hollow, outer enclosure and an inner, disposable container 
located within the outer enclosure. An elongated slot is provided at the 
top of the enclosure for permitting access to its interior. A barrier 
means is disposed adjacent the slot for restricting access to the interior 
of the enclosure, with at least a portion of the barrier comprising a 
constriction extending over the slot. The inner container includes an 
inlet in registration with the slot to allow disposal of contaminated 
items therewithin. 
Preferablky, the constriction adjacent the slot of the outer enclosure 
comprises a raised cowl. Similarly, the inlet in the inner container 
includes a hood disposed within and generally conforming to the cowl when 
the inner container is installed within the outer enclosure. The inner 
container is also provided with a pivotal closure which is disposed within 
the inlet. 
In order to inpede or prevent access to the interior of the inner container 
after it has been filled, the hood of the inner container includes means 
for locking the pivotal closure. In accordance with the preferred 
embodiment of the invention, the locking means comprises a plurality of 
catches within the hood, each catch including a stop means which engages 
the closure when the closure is pivoted in one direction past the stop 
means into the interior of the hood. The configuration of the stop means 
prevents pivoting of the closure in the opposite direction when the 
closure has been pivoted past one of the stop means. 
It is preferred that the system include means for sensing the level of the 
contents within the inner containere. In accordance with one form of the 
invention, in order to do so the pivotal coosure is provided with a 
sensing means which comprises a downwardly-depending leg extending from 
the closure into the inner container. In accordance with a second form of 
the invention, the inner container includes transparent windows at 
opposite sides thereof, and a visual detector, such as a photoelectric 
device, is installed adjacent the windows. Adequate filling of the 
container will be detected by the photoelectric device and the filled 
container can be removed from the enclosure and discarded. 
The outer enclosure is provided with an access door in order to permit easy 
removal and insertion of the inner container into the outer enclosure. 
Whilte it is preferred that the front side of the enclosure comprise the 
door, other configurations, such as hinging the top of the enclosure, will 
also provide an adequate access for removal of the inner container. 
Not only does the barrier adjacent the slot include the cowl extending over 
the slot, but also preferably a raised shelf is formed at one longitudinal 
side of the slot. The shelf and the cowl define therebetween a limited 
opening in the outer enclosure so that a hand cannot inadvertently or 
advertently pass through the slot of the outer enclosure into the interior 
of the inner container.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODYING THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION 
The Sharps Disposal System according to the invention is designated 
generally at 10 in the drawing figures. Primary components of the system 
10 are a hollow, outer enclosure 12 and an inner container 14 shaped to be 
located within the outer enclosure 12. 
Turning first to the outer enclosure 12, the enclosure 12 includes an 
access door 16 secured by hinges 18 onto the main body 20 of the enclosure 
12. Opposite the hinges 18, the doot 16 includes a lock 22 having a 
rotatable latch 24 which may be engaged behind a lug 26 extending inwardly 
from the body 20. When the latch 24 is rotated horizontally (as 
illustrated in FIG. 1), the latch 24 is engaged behind the lug 26, and the 
door 16 is locked. When the latch 24 is rotated to a vertical orientation, 
the leg 26 is no longer engaged, and the door 16 may be opened. 
The main body 20 of the outer enclosure 12 includes a raised cowl 28 
extending over a slot 30 in the top of the body 20. The cowl 28 constricts 
access to the slot 30 in order to restrict access to the interior of the 
outer enclosure 12, for reasons apparent below. 
The door 16 also includes a raised shelf 32 extending along one side of the 
slot 30. The combination of the shelf 32 and the cowl 28 comprises a 
barrier restricting access to the interior of the outer enclosure 12. The 
realtive spacing of the shelf 32 and the cowl 28 defines a limited opening 
34 which restricts access to the interior of the enclosure 12. As 
described in somewhat greater detail below, the opening 34 is dimensioned 
so that, in combination with the inner container 14 as described below, 
access is inhibited to the extent that it is difficult or impossible for 
an adult human hand to pass through the opening 34. 
The inner container 14 is composed of a receptacle 36 and a cover 38. The 
cover 38 is snap-fit to the receptacle 36. As best shown in FIG. 3, the 
receptacle 36 includes a peripheral, outwardly-extending flange 40 and the 
cover 38 includes a skirt 42 having an inwardly-extending lip 44 which 
snaps beneath the flange 40 when the cover 48 is placed on the receptacle 
36. 
The cover 38 of the container 14 includes in integral hood 46 which, as 
best shown in FIG. 3, is shaped to conform to the cowl 28 when the 
container 14 is installed within the outer enclosure 12. 
The container 14 includes a pivotal closure 48 installed within an inlet 50 
formed in the cover 38. The closure 48 includes an integral rod 52 serving 
as the pivot for the closure 48, the rod extending beyond opposite ends of 
the closure 48 into opposite notches 54 formed in opposite sides of the 
receptacle 36. Tabs 56, extending from opposite ends of the rod 52, extend 
through apertures 58 in the cover 38 and further extend through 
indentations 60 formed in the top of the main body 20 of the outer 
enclosure 12. 
The closure 48 also includes downwardly-depending leg 62 which extends into 
the interior of the inner container 14. The leg 62 serves two functions. 
With the orientation of the closure 48 as shown in the drawing figures, 
the leg 62 extends into the interior of the container 14 and will strike 
the contents therein if the receptacle 36 has been adequately filled. 
Thus, the leg 62 serves as a means for sensing the level of the contents 
within the container 14. Also, when the closure 48 is opened (pivoted to 
the left in FIG. 3), the leg 62 is raised, substantially covering the 
inlet 50. Sharps or other items to be deposited within the inner container 
14 are placed on the leg 62 when the closure 48 is opened, and when the 
closure 48 is returned to the closed orientation shown in FIG. 3, the 
sharps then drop within the container 14. 
When the container 14 has been filled with sharps, it is preferably 
discarded. In order to secure the contents therewithin, a plurality of 
catches or locks 64 are formed in the interior of the hood 46. By applying 
pressure to the face of the closure 48, the closure is forced within the 
hood 46 and snaps past the first or both of the catches 64. Due to the 
configuration of the catches 64, the closure 48 may be pivoted past the 
catches toward the interior of the hood 46, but is prevented from 
returning. The contents of the container 14 are therefore secured. 
If desired, the hood 46 may also include a temporary catch 66 for the 
closure 48. As shown in FIG. 3, the temporary catch 66 has a notch 68 
formed to engage the top edge of the closure 48 to retain the closure in 
place. 
As explained above, tabs 56 may be used to pivot the closure 48. If 
desired, the closure 48 may also be fitted with one or more additional 
tabs 70 which can be used in palce of, or in addition to, the tabs 58 for 
opening the closure 48. 
The downwardly-depending leg 62 provides a tactile sensor for determining 
the level of the contents within the inner container 14. Instead of the 
leg 62 or in addition thereto, the system 10 may also include a 
photoelectric sensor 72 and transmitter 74 mounted in the interior of the 
outer enclosure 12 in registration with one another and aligned with 
opposite windows 76 formed in opposite side walls of the receptacle 36. 
When the level of the contents within the container 14 is adequate to 
inhibit a light beam between the transmitter 74 and detector 72, this 
condition may be transmitted to a light (not illustrated) or any other 
means of indicating that the inner container 14 has been filled and is 
ready for removal and replacement. 
Both the outer enclosure 12 and the inner container 14 may be molded from a 
suitable plastic material. Because the inner container 14 is intended to 
be disposable, if it is formed of plastic, polypropelene or a similar 
plastic is most suitable since, when incinerated, the products of 
combustion are carbon dioxide and water. The outer enclosure 12 is 
preferably formed of a stiffer plastic which does not readily deform in 
use. 
The purpose of the cowl 28 is twofold. As described above, the cowl 28 in 
combination with the shelf 32, define a limited opening to the interior of 
the enclosure 12. In addition, the cowl 28 stiffens the relatively 
flexible hood 46 so that a hand cannot be forced into the opening 34, 
deforming the opening and gaining access to the contents of the container 
14. 
The receptacle 36 is preferably symmetrical, and thus two notches 54 are 
formed in each of the opposite ends thereof to accomodate the cover 38 and 
closure 48 in any possible orientation. 
While a primary and preferred embodiment of the invention has been 
illustrated and described above, various changes can be made to the 
invention without depating from the spirit thereof or scope of the 
following claims.