WO1996001661A1

WO1996001661A1 - A device for destruction of cannulae, needles and the like

Info

Publication number: WO1996001661A1
Application number: PCT/NO1995/000125
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ivar Dahl-Larsen; Johnny Stensrud
Original assignee: Dahl Larsen Ivar; Johnny Stensrud
Priority date: 1994-07-11
Filing date: 1995-07-10
Publication date: 1996-01-25
Also published as: NO942603D0; NO942603L; AU2992195A

Abstract

A cannula eliminator for the destruction of cannulas, syringe needles and the like comprises a combustion part (2) with a feed-in aperture (7) for cannulas or syringe needles. Below the aperture (7) there is placed an upper electrode (19) and a lower electrode (14) which is rotatable about a horizontal axis. The electrodes are connected to a power part (1) which constitutes an energy source with sufficient output to melt the syringe needles/cannulas. The combustion part (2) is connected with a container for collecting destroyed syringe needles via an inclined transport surface. The combustion part's upper electrode is composed of spring-loaded horizontal rod elements (19). The rotating, lower electrode (14) is provided with a circumferential surface for the removal of melted particles. The combustion part's transport surface ends in a discharge opening (9), preferably with a flange. A waste container (4) can be connected to the discharge opening (9) with an opening designed for sealing cooperation. The waste container's opening can be sealed, thus permitting the syringe needles to be removed in a sealed container.

Description

A DEVICE FOR DESTRUCTION OF CANNULAE, NEEDLES AND THE LIKE

The invention concerns a cannula eliminator of the type indicated in the introduction to claim 1.

All over the world a large number of cannulas are used every day in connection with the public health service and thus it is important for these cannulas to be sterile. There is and has been a requirement that such cannulas should not be used more than once. The reason for this is the prevention of the dissemination of disease by direct inoculation of infection (e.g. Hepatitis B - HIV) and Cytostatikum. Health workers who administer syringes/cannulas are exposed to this danger of puncture/infection in their daily work. A prick from an "infected" cannula can have very serious consequences for the individual.

The current routines with regard to filling/injecting of syringes/cannulas are as follows:

A syringe is filled by pulling up the plunger in a preparation room and bringing it to a patient in his room. The retractable cannula (which is not intended for use on the patient) should be placed in a cannula bin, which is the special waste bin. After the contents of the syringe have been injected into the patient by means of a new cannula, at present the health worker has to take the syringe/cannula back to a preparation room/sluice where they are placed in cannula bins. The cannula bins cannot be placed inside the patient's room due to the risk of the cultivation/growth of bacteria. Accident reports from many hospitals document that many puncture wounds occur both in the preparation and the clearing up phase (when returning used syringes/cannulas). These puncture wounds affect both health workers, cleaners and waste disposal personnel. Thus there is a need for a device which can solve these problems at the user locations as simply and safely as possible for the user. The puncture/infection risk will thereby be minimal, resulting in a better and safer working environment for health workers all over the world.

A number of methods are known for the destruction of cannulas and reference is made to UK Patent Application 2211420A, US Patent Application 5138125, US Patent Application 5076178, AU Patent Application no. 92/00207 and US Patent Application 92/00465. The devices which are described in these publications are all stationary and built as a unit which cannot be divided. These solutions have to be purchased in large numbers in order to cover the safety requirements in. e.g. a hospital ward. The reason for this is that, due to their weight, which is attributable to large transformers or batteries, the above-mentioned solutions stand in a stationary position and thereby cannot be easily moved around by the personnel. Since these known devices will be located in central positions, all the problems involved in handling the used cannulas/syringes have not been solved.

In EPA 1455075 there is further disclosed an apparatus for destroying cannulas using the well-known principle of melting between two electrodes. The apparatus which is described in this publication has a feed-in aperture where electric contact is created to the needle of the cannula and a lower electrode element with an inclined plane with which the needle of the cannula makes contact, thus initiating the electrical destruction.

Furthermore in EPA 1517643 there is disclosed a similar device wherein the contact with the needle of the cannula is provided by means of a spring leaf element which slides against the needle of the cannula. The second electrode is provided via a rotating table and the particles created are flung out from the table, fall down on to an inclined bottom surface and are passed out of the container. This design has the drawback that a residue can be left on the table.

Furthermore in US Patent 4628169 there is disclosed a destruction apparatus of the general type wherein there is a contact between the cannula feed-in aperture and an electrode further down. The apparatus is equipped with a refuse drawer which can be pulled out. In US Patent no. 4965426 an apparatus is described in which the electrodes are inserted between two steering rollers and come into contact with a spring electrode and a lower electrode. Thus in this case rollers are used for steering the cannulas into the correct position between two electrodes.

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide a new cannula eliminator, which destroys cannulas in a simple and reliable manner and wherein the treatment of waste also takes place in a closed system where no personnel come into contact with the waste. Thus the object of the invention is to avoid the above-described problems and to provide an improvement in relation to the known devices.

This object is achieved with a device which is characterized by the features in the patent claims.

With the device according to the invention the following advantages are gained for the user:

A) All hypodermic cannulas can be destroyed at the user locations, (sufficient melting capacity).

B) The investments required for the apparatus will be far lower than for the above-mentioned solutions known in the patent literature, since one destruction part (2) can be used on several power parts ( 1).

C) Maintenance is simplified and any stoppage due to technical faults is reduced. This is due to the fact that the user himself can replace any main components which are defective, e.g. power part (1) or combustion part (2).

D) The degree of risk for used syringes as waste can be downgraded, thereby making investments in special packaging (cannula bins) superfluous in the course of time.

E) The "heavy" part of the waste is reduced, thereby reducing costs for waste disposal. The pollution in the external environment is also reduced, since a large part of the future risk of infection in the ground water on and around the waste deposits is avoided.

F) The working environment for health workers, cleaners and waste disposal personnel becomes much safer (less risk of injury and thereby much less risk of absence due to illness).

The invention will now be illustrated in more detail by means of an embodiment which is schematically illustrated in the drawing, in which: fig. 1 is a perspective view which illustrates a cannula eliminator according to the invention and its main components,

fig. 2 is a cannula eliminator according to fig. 1 where the power part and the combustion part are separated,

fig. 3 is a section of the cannula eliminator in fig. 1 , illustrating the method of operation,

fig. 4 is a perspective view which illustrates the upper electrode holder system in the eliminator according to the invention,

fig. 5 is a further partial section of an eliminator according to the invention, and

fig. 6 is a view illustrating the lower electrode device in an eliminator according to the invention.

The cannula eliminator according to the invention has three main components, viz. a combustion part 2 which is placed on a power part 1 which includes an operating part 3, and an external waste container 4. The voltage is supplied to the combustion part via contacts 5. When in use a cannula with or without syringe is inserted into a downwardly-leading funnel 7 in the combustion part 2. The cannula is steered by means of a mounting bracket 20 (fig. 3) to an upper electrode holder 18 and fits between rod electrodes 19, which are pressed together by compression springs 27 (fig. 4). The rod electrodes 19 are electrically connected to transfer contacts 5.

For destruction the cannula is pressed further down into the combustion chamber 38 until it meets the rotating lower electrode 14 which is driven by a motor 13 and a gear 24 (fig. 5). The lower rotating electrode is connected to sliding contacts 17, which in turn are connected to the transfer contacts 5. The rotation of the lower electrode 14 causes the cannula to be pressed against the rod electrode 19, resulting in a short circuit (arc) between the lower electrode 14 and the upper rod electrode 19 inside the combustion chamber 38. The combustion starts at the top of the lower electrode 14 at a temperature of approximately 2200°C and the waste which after the combustion is in the form of small pellets, is steered down in a drainage track 36 on the lower electrode 14. The waste falls down on to a discharge plate 23 and is gradually cooled while being passed downwards and running out into an external waste container 4, where the temperature of the waste in the meantime has been reduced to a temperature in the order of 40°C -60°C .

During the treatment phase the cannula is pulled down until the plastic lip stops against the rod electrodes 19 and the contact between the lower electrode 14 and the rod electrode ceases. The steel part of the cannula is now removed, completely burned down and only the Luer cylinder remains on the syringe.

The Luer cylinder with the actual syringe mounted/not mounted is pulled straight up through the funnel 7 and the steel part is removed. The Luer cylinder is sealed, closed by the melting process and the syringe cannot release any medicine remaining therein due to the vacuum which now exists within the syringe. Thus what was previously a syringe, equipped with a dangerous, sharp steel needle with the potential for infection has now become a harmless syringe which is classified and treated as ordinary risk waste free of all danger of puncture/infection.

The external container 4 is connected to the combustion part 2 via a connecting pipe and thus can be exchanged in a simple manner. The container 4 is pulled right off the waste pipe 9 which cooperates with a lock washer 10 on the container 4. A double-sided tape which is attached to the waste container 4 is released and folded around and over the filling aperture and the lock washer 10. The used waste container is thereby sealed and can either be treated as ordinary waste or sent for recycling.

Typical examples of places where the device according to the invention can be used are in dentists' surgeries or in hospitals. A dentist who gives a patient an injection merely has to turn round immediately after the injection to his cannula eliminator which is located on a table and destroy the syringe needle forthwith. The syringe can thereby be discarded in ordinary waste without risk of infection either for the dentist or the cleaning personnel. In a hospital and, e.g., in a hospital ward the installation of the power parts 1 in a preparation room and a patient's room respectively are the natural places in order to achieve maximum security against puncture wounds to the user. Between these user locations, therefore, the user only has to carry the eliminator or combustion part 2 which is of the lightweight type. This combustion part 2 is placed on the power part 1 before the syringe is employed. Thus the power parts can be placed in a stationary position in suitable locations at which a transportable combustion part can be connected.

To summarize, therefore, it can be said that the invention provides the user with the following advantages:

The user will always be able to destroy/melt (at 2200°C) all hypodermic cannulas directly at the user location. It will be possible to seal the syringe hermetically, thus ensuring that no cytostatikum can leak out. The syringe can thereby be downgraded to ordinary risk waste and deposited in a waste container suited to this purpose in the patient's room.

The user can be sure that the waste from the melting process (small pellets) is free of all infection. The destruction can take place so close to the user location that the risk of puncture/infection is reduced to a minimum. The amount of infectious waste is thereby reduced.

In the illustrated embodiment only one special design of the invention is described and many modifications will be possible within the scope of the invention.

In the following parts list parts of the device according to the invention are listed with reference numbers to the figures, which parts are intended to illustrate a practical design of the invention. CANNULA ELIMINATOR - PARTS LIST

Pos. no. Name Pos. no. Name

1. Power part 23. Discharge plate, waste

2. Combustion part 24. Gear box

3. Operating part 25. Start/stop button

4. External waste container 26. Power supply 220/1 10/12V

5. Transfer contacts between power 27. Compression springs for upper part (1) and combustion part (2) rod electrodes (19)

6. Power outlet for transfer 28. Pressure control screw contacts (5) 29. Fixing/locking screws for

7. Funnel mounting bracket upper

8. Removable top plate electrode holder (20) and upper

9. Discharge pipe, waste electrode holder (18)

10. Lock washer on external waste 30. Steering hole in mounting container (4) bracket (20)

1 1. Filling aperture, waste container 31. Base bracket in combustion part

(4) 32. Wall bwteen motor

12. Attachement for locking of compartment (33) and slide combustion part (2) together contact compartment ( 16) with power part (3) 33. Axle shaft for lower electrode

13. Motor for operation of lower (14) electrode (14) 34. Lining of axle shaft (33)

14. Lower electrode 35. Insulating lining between lower

15. Wall between combustion electrode (14) and axle shaft chamber ( 18) and slide contact (33) compartment (16) 36. Drainage track in lower

16. Slide contact compartment electrode (14)

17. Sliding contacts 37. Seal flange on lower electrode

18. Upper electrode holder (14)

19. Upper rod electrodes 38. Combustion chamber

20. Mounting bracket upper electrode holder (18)

21. Fixing screws, upper electrode holder (18)

22. Contact holder for slip-ring contacts (17)

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A cannula eliminator for destruction of cannulas. syringe needles and the like, comprising a combustion part (2) with a feed-in aperture (7) for cannulas/syringe needles, an upper electrode ( 19) and a lower electrode ( 14) which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, which electrodes (19,14) are connected to a power part (1) which constitutes an energy source with sufficient output to melt the syringe needle and wherein the combustion part (2) is connected to a container (4) for collecting the destroyed syringe needles via an inclined transport surface, characterized in that: a) the combustion part's upper electrode is composed of spring-loaded horizontal rod elements (19), that the rotating, lower electrode ( 14) is designed with a circumferential surface for removal of melted particles, and that the combustion part's transport surface ends in a discharge opening, preferably with a flange, b) there is connected to the discharge opening (9) a waste container with an opening designed for sealing cooperation, and c) the combustion part (2) is preferably connected to a separate power part ( 1).

2. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening of the waste container is sealable, preferably with tape.

3. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening of the combustion part is equipped with a collar for cooperation with a packing in the opening of the waste container (4).

4. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotating, lower electrode (14) has a conical end.

5. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotating lower electrode (14) has a groove and a flange in its internal attachment area for the removal of particles.

6. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the feed-in aperture (7) is designed for inserting the cannula to the end of the syringe needle.

7. A cannula eliminator according to claim 1, characterized in that the power part (1) and the combustion part (2) can be coupled together with a skew-nail connection.