Patent ID: 7644834

Claim:
A liquid medical waste receptacle comprising: an open top vessel having a bottom and an upstanding wall defining an upper rim; and a lid adapted to cover the open top vessel in engagement with the upper rim, the lid comprising a rim and a body portion, the body portion defining a recess portion, the recess portion having at least 40 fingers adapted to extend into the open top vessel, wherein at least selected fingers have a proximal section, a distal section, that extends into the open top vessel, and an intermediate section disposed between the proximal and distal sections, the proximal section being closer to the rim than the distal section, wherein the proximal section or the intermediate section includes a flexibility that is greater than the flexibility of at least a portion of the distal section, and wherein the intermediate section or proximal section of the selected fingers has a width that is less than the width of the distal section of the selected fingers, such that the proximal section or the intermediate section absorbs the energy from the liquid medical waste hitting the recess portion and redirects at least a majority of the liquid into the open top vessel.