In particular, this application relates to systems used for the collection and disposal of certain medical waste. The collection of fluent waste material is a common procedure in the medical field. Most methods of surgical waste collection are carried out using vacuum suction. Some methods use gravity, while some use impelling devices which produce suction/vacuum. Examples of such impelling devices may comprise a meniscus shaver, a lipo-suction system, an arthroscopic fluid pump, an endoscopic irrigation and aspiration wand and the like. Surgical fluid waste is collected in containers commonly referred to as canisters, and or canister liners. These waste collection devices are generally disposable, some are recycled reprocessed or re-washed. Some collection devices are reused. Some are partially reused, while some are intermittently reused. Some are disposable or partially disposable. Some are used in conjunction with servicing units while some are used with additive agents for treating the waste material. Some are used multiple times on multiple patients without preferable cleaning between patients. In certain instances, reused devices are cleaned, reprocessed, sterilized, re-sterilized, and/or re-cycled and prepared for re-use. There are disadvantages to the use of disposable collection canisters and canister liners. One problem is that disposable collection canisters and disposable collection liners contribute contaminated infections plastic waste to the medical waste stream which is undesirable for the environment. Re-use of disposable collection devices by re-cleaning or re-processing re-cycling and/or sterilizing, has the disadvantages of adding costly labor, and requiring additional labor costs for sorting, containing, transporting and handling of contaminated medical waste canisters, and then the added costs of product re-entry into the cleaning and re-sterilization internal systems. There is a significant need to reduce medical waste. The need to reduce medical waste is a serious common goal of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Hospital Association which has entered into a landmark “Memorandum of Understanding” formally establishing the goals to reduce medical waste 50% by the year 2010. Hospitals for Healthy Environment (www.h2e-online.org) is the name of the aforementioned alliance and is supported by many formidable organizations and companies such as the American Nurses Association, Health Care Without Harm, Group Purchasing Organizations, Health Care Systems, State and local government agencies, Health Care Associations and the like.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds