Patent ID: 8560460

Claim:
A sorting system for sorting a plurality of medical waste items, the system comprising: a plurality of container compartments, each container compartment configured to receive a removable container; a plurality of removable containers, wherein each of the removable containers comprises an opening; a plurality of movable lids, wherein each of the movable lids is configured to cover a corresponding one of the removable containers; wherein the removable containers are configured to be placed within the container compartments, wherein each of the removable containers is associated with at least one of a plurality of medical waste categories, wherein each of the movable lids is movable to an open position via rotation on an axis to expose a receiving cavity having a generally v-shaped cross section for acceptance of a medical waste item, wherein the movable lid blocks access to contents of the corresponding removable container while moving to and while in the open position; and wherein each of the movable lids is movable to a closed position via rotation on the axis to partially invert the receiving cavity having a generally v-shaped cross section above the corresponding removable container, wherein the movable lid blocks access to the contents of the corresponding removable container while moving to and while in the closed position; an input device configured to receive a first information on the medical waste item, wherein the first information comprises a waste item identifier, the input device configured to query a user for a second information as to whether the medical waste item is empty or not empty; a control system configured to classify the medical waste item based on the first and second information; wherein the control system is configured to assign the medical waste item to at least one medical waste category; and wherein the control system is configured to identify one of the removable containers based on the medical waste category and allow the movable lid of the identified removable container to move to the open position to receive the medical waste item.