Patent ID: 7767142

Claim:
An apparatus for treating medical waste, wherein the apparatus comprises: (i) a drum defining a substantially cylindrical treatment chamber having a closed end and a substantially open end, wherein the drum is rotationally balanced about a rotational axis; (ii) an enclosing body supporting the drum so that the drum can be rotated within the body about the rotational axis of the drum, the body having an opening for accessing the open end of the drum, wherein the opening is located substantially in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the drum; (iii) a movable barrier for selectively closing the opening for accessing the open end of the drum; (iv) a structure for supporting the enclosing body so that the pitch of the rotational axis of the drum is positioned or can be positioned in at least one position between about 0 degrees and about 30 degrees; (v) a chemical generator for generating a germicidal agent operatively connected to introduce the germicidal agent into the enclosing body; and (vi) an inner movable barrier for selectively closing the open end of the drum, thereby preventing any substantial solids of medical waste from escaping from the treatment chamber during rotation of the drum into the enclosing body outside the drum.