Patent ID: 7694811

Claim:
A medical implement dispensing and disposal system comprising: an enclosure defining an interior and having a first opening for receiving soiled medical implements and a second opening for dispensing clean medical implements; a dispensing chamber removably positionable within the interior of the enclosure, the dispensing chamber being adapted to contain the clean medical implements and having an access opening for passage of the clean medical implements from the dispensing chamber, the access opening being positioned for alignment with the second opening of the enclosure to facilitate passage of the clean medical implements from the enclosure, the dispensing chamber having a top and a bottom; a disposal chamber removably positionable within the interior of the enclosure such that the disposal chamber is positionable adjacent the dispensing chamber, the disposal chamber being adapted to collect soiled medical implements, the disposal chamber having an inlet opening for passage of the soiled medical implements into the disposal chamber, the inlet opening being positioned for alignment with the first opening of the enclosure to facilitate passage of the soiled medical implements into the enclosure, the disposal chamber having a top and a bottom, the inlet opening of the disposal chamber being positioned at an elevation measured from the bottom of the disposal chamber that differs from an elevation of the access opening of the dispensing chamber measured from the bottom of the dispensing chamber, wherein the dispensing chamber and the disposal chamber are formed from a single unitized body; and a lid covering the dispensing chamber and the disposal chamber, the lid including a door positioned proximal of the inlet opening of the disposal chamber, the door having an open position configured to permit access to an interior of the disposal chamber and a closed position configured to inhibit access to the interior of the disposal chamber, the door being mounted for rotation between the open and closed positions.