JPH0354585B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a medical waste treatment device. More specifically, it relates to a device for sterilizing and volume-reducing waste such as used syringes, catheters, IV sets, blood transfusion sets, etc. generated at medical institutions such as hospitals, clinics, clinics, and health centers at the site where they are generated. It is something.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of processing equipment simultaneously sterilizes and reduces the volume of medical waste by heating it at high temperatures and pyrolyzing it (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1999).
172959), syringes that are crushed with a cutting device such as a cutter and then sterilized with chemicals (for example, JP-A-61-
94661), or those that burn out the injection needle by passing a high current (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-40060,
JP-A-62-227367) is disclosed.

However, when plastic waste is burned, these processing devices emit high-temperature toxic gases outside the device, so if they are installed at a waste-generating site such as a hospital, there are problems that can worsen the environment inside the hospital. It was hot.

Furthermore, since these treatment devices use toxic chemicals containing large amounts of chlorine and the like for disinfection, they are highly effective in sterilizing waste, but have the disadvantage of increasing the amount of chemically harmful substances to be treated. Furthermore, since the syringe is crushed before being sterilized, there is a risk that bacteria and other germs may leak outside during the crushing process, and the noise generated during crushing is large, making it unsuitable for use in hospitals.

Another problem is that the processing equipment can only process the conductive metal needles of syringes, so syringes used for blood collection and other medical waste must be discarded with bacteria and other germs still attached. It was hot.

In order to solve these problems, used synthetic resin syringes and needles are stored in heat-resistant containers,
A device has been proposed that inserts this container into a heating furnace and heats it, melts the syringe, and then cools and hardens the used syringe, making it safe and easy to dispose of. 1-176486).

The above device is a method for treating gas generated in a heating furnace. First, the generated gas is guided through a gas guide pipe to a heater pipe with a built-in heating wire, where it is heated to a temperature of 200℃
It is heated to 250 degrees Celsius to combust the odor components of the gas and release them into the atmosphere. In the second method, the generated gas guided through the gas guide pipe is brought into contact with water in an ejector, and the odor components of the gas are absorbed into the water.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the first method for treating generated gas in the above-mentioned device, high temperature air is directly diffused to the outside of the device.
It is difficult to install it in hospitals, etc. where waste is generated. In addition, the second generated gas treatment method does not burn the generated gas, so although the above problems are resolved, the odor component that is poorly soluble in water leaks outside the device, and it still has the problem that it cannot be installed inside a hospital. was left behind.

In addition, since the above equipment is not equipped with a means to circulate the air in the heating furnace, the volume ratio of the heating furnace to the amount of waste to be processed needs to be relatively large, and as a result, the processing equipment must be made smaller. There were some drawbacks that made it difficult.

Furthermore, since the above-mentioned apparatus is not equipped with a means for cooling the molten material, there is a problem in that it takes a long time for the molten material to harden within the heat-resistant container.

The object of the present invention is to be able to process medical waste such as used plastic medical tools and syringes into a harmless molten substance in a short period of time at the site where it is generated, and also to eliminate unpleasant odors and noise during the process. Another object of the present invention is to provide a medical waste treatment device that does not generate high-temperature air outside the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact medical waste treatment device that can be installed within an existing hospital.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the processing apparatus of the present invention has a heat-resistant container 23 for storing medical waste S that can be removed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The heat-resistant wall 18 and the heat-resistant lid 12 seal the air supply hole 31 and the exhaust hole 32 in the heat-resistant wall 18.
The melting chamber 19 is provided through the melting chamber 19;
Heaters 26, 27, and 28 are provided in the container and heat the container 23 at a temperature range of 180° C. or more and 280° C. or less for a predetermined period of time to melt the medical waste S in the container 23;
A first cooler 21 that is provided at the inner bottom of the melting chamber 19 and cools the melt T in the container 23;
It is provided outside and connected to the exhaust hole 32 of the melting chamber 19 via a connecting pipe 33, and the gas generated in the melting chamber 19 arriving via the pipe 33 is heated to a temperature of 300°C or higher.
Exhaust pipe 3 is heat treated in a temperature range of 550℃ or less.
6, a gas separation device 34 and an exhaust pipe 3
The second cooler 22 cools the air containing the heat treatment gas in the melting chamber 19 , and the air in the exhaust pipe 36 that is connected to the air supply hole 31 of the melting chamber 19 via the air supply pipe 38 and cooled by the second cooler 22 . is sucked and introduced into the melting chamber 19 through the air supply pipe 38, and the melting chamber 19, the connecting pipe 33, the gas separation device 34, and the exhaust pipe 3
6 and an air pump 37 for circulating air through an air supply pipe 38.

[Function] By heating the heaters 26, 27, and 28, the medical waste S is transferred to the heat-resistant container 23 of the sealed melting chamber 19.
melt within. When melting starts, air pump 3
7 and the gas separation device 34 operate to heat-treat the gas generated in the melting chamber 19, and the heat-treated gas is cooled by the second cooler 22 and introduced into the melting chamber 19 as supply air. When the melting is finished, the first cooler 21 quickly cools and hardens the molten material.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, an operation panel 11 and a heat-resistant lid 12 are provided on the top of the medical waste treatment apparatus 10. The operation panel 11 is provided with an operation switch 13, timers 14a to 14c, and an indicator lamp 15. The heat-resistant lid 12 is a lid for disposing of medical waste, and can be opened by a hinge 16 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, and is locked by a hook 17 in the closed state. A heat-resistant wall 18 is provided at the bottom of the heat-resistant lid 12, and the melting chamber 1 is closed by the heat-resistant lid 12 and the heat-resistant wall 18.
9 is composed. In this example, the volume of the melting chamber 19 is
20, it has the capacity to process up to 1.0Kg (100 10c.c. syringes) of waste. A door 20 for loading and unloading containers is provided on the heat-resistant wall 18 corresponding to the front side of the device 10. 12a and 20a are the lids 12, respectively.
and a handle for the door 20.

A first cooler 21 using water as a refrigerant is provided at the inner bottom of the melting chamber 19, and a second cooler 22 using water as a refrigerant is provided below this cooler 21. Inside the melting chamber 19, a wire mesh stand 24 on which a heat-resistant container 23 is placed is fixed on a cooler 21. An electric heater 26 is provided between the wire mesh stand 24 and the cooler 21.
Further, electric heaters 27 and 28 are also provided on the left and right walls 18 of the melting chamber 19. These electric heaters 26 to 28 heat the container 23 while being maintained within a temperature range of 180° C. or more and 280° C. or less by a temperature sensor and a controller (not shown). If the temperature is less than 180°C, the sterilization process will not be sufficient, and if it exceeds 280°C, the waste will melt more than necessary and the amount of gas will increase abnormally, so it is maintained within the above range.

A hopper 29 for guiding the medical waste S into the container 23 is attached to the upper part of the melting chamber 19.
An air supply hole 31 and an exhaust hole 32 are provided through the back wall 18 of the melting chamber 19 . A gas separation device 34 is connected to the exhaust hole 32 via a connecting pipe 33. Inside the device 34, an electric gas separation heater 34a is provided. This heater 34a is maintained at a temperature range of 300° C. to 550° C. by a temperature sensor and controller (not shown), and heat-processes the gas. If the temperature is less than 300℃, it will not be possible to separate organic components such as proteins and amino acids contained in the gas generated by melting the waste, and if it exceeds 550℃, the gas will burn, producing black smoke and soot, which will cause the heater to burn. In order to shorten the life of 34a, it is maintained within the above range.

An exhaust pipe 36 is connected to the gas separation device 34, and the pipe 36 is piped into the aforementioned cooler 22, which acts as a radiator. The terminal end of the pipe 36 connected to the cooler 22 is connected to the suction side of an air pump 37. An air supply pipe 38 communicating with the air supply hole 31 of the melting chamber 19 is connected to the discharge side of the pump 37 . A sealed cresol liquid tank 39 and a check valve 40 are provided in the middle of this air supply pipe 38 . The midway end of the air supply pipe 38 is inserted into the cresol liquid, and the other midway end is arranged so as to be located in the upper space of the tank 39. The air pump 37 is configured to circulate air through the melting chamber 19 , the connecting pipe 33 , the gas separation device 34 , the exhaust pipe 36 , and the air supply pipe 38 .

The first cooler 21 and the second cooler 22 are connected by an intermediate pipe 41. 42 is a water supply pipe, 4
3 is a drainage pipe, each of which has a water pump 44.
connected to the discharge side and suction side of the water pump 44
Accordingly, the first cooler 21, the intermediate pipe 41 and the second
Water is configured to circulate through the cooler 22, the drain pipe 43, and the water supply pipe 42.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be explained based on the operation time chart of FIG.

First, open the door 20 and place the empty container 23 on the wire mesh stand 2.
Place it on top of 4. Close the door 20, open the lid 12, and throw in 100 used 10 c.c. syringes as waste S. The waste S is guided to the hopper 29 and stored in the container 23. After locking the lid 12,
Turn on the operation switch 13. The indicator lamp 15 lights up, the electric heater timer 14a starts, the heaters 26 to 28 operate for 60 minutes, and the container 23 is heated. The heaters 26 to 28 are heated to 280℃ above 180℃ as mentioned above.
The container 23 is heated while being maintained in a temperature range below .degree. At this temperature, the plastic components in the waste melt and at the same time generate trace amounts of organic gas. In addition, the water contained in the waste is converted into water vapor.

After 20 minutes have elapsed since the switch 13 was turned on and the waste material begins to melt, the air pump and gas separation timer 14b are started, and the air pump 37 and heater 34a are operated for 70 minutes. Air is circulated through the air path of the device 10 by the pump 37, and the gas separation device 3
The gas arriving at step 4 is heat-treated by the heater 34a, where organic components such as proteins and amino acids are separated. The air containing the gas heat-treated in the gas separation device 34 is sent to the cooler 22 by the air pump 37, where it is cooled and then transferred to the cresol liquid tank 3.
It is deodorized and sterilized in step 9 and enters the melting chamber 19 through the air supply hole 31.

After 60 minutes have passed since the switch 13 was turned on, the electric heaters 26 to 28 are turned off, and at the same time, the water pump timer 14c is started and the water pump 44 is operated for 70 minutes. Cooling water is circulated through the coolers 21 and 22, and the container 23 and the molten material therein, which have become extremely hot, are cooled down. At the same time, the water in the cooler 22, which had been heated by the air discharged from the gas separation device 34, is also cooled. When the water pump 44 stops, the operation switch 1
3 is automatically turned off, the lamp 15 is turned off, and the processing operation of the processing device 10 is completed.

The door 20 is opened, the container 23 containing the cooled and hardened molten material T is taken out, and only the molten material is disposed of as ordinary non-flammable garbage. Even when the door 20 is opened, the interior of the melting chamber 19 is deodorized, so no strange odor will be present in the surrounding area.

Note that the operating times of the heater, pump, etc. shown in the above example are just examples, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the amount of waste, the volume of the melting chamber, etc. The heater is not limited to an electric heating type, but may be a gas combustion type.

In addition, although the door 20 for taking in and out the heat-resistant container 23 and the hopper 29 for guiding waste are provided, the door 20 and the hopper 29 are not provided, and the heat-resistant lid 12 is opened to the container 23.
It is also possible to directly take in and out.

Further, although an example has been shown in which the refrigerant in the coolers 21 and 22 is water, other refrigerants may be used, and the refrigerant in the coolers 21 and 22
They may not be connected to the intermediate pipe 41, and may each independently perform the cooling action.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, medical waste is melted in a heat-resistant container of a sealed melting chamber by heating with a heater, so that bacteria such as bacteria and microorganisms are completely removed. Since it is sterilized, there is no risk of secondary contamination. In particular, the heating conditions for the waste of the present invention satisfy the Japanese Pharmacopoeia's sterilization regulations of 180 to 200° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour, so that it can be completely sterilized and disinfected.

In addition, the gas generated during the melting of waste is forcibly drawn out by an air pump, heated by a gas separation device, cooled by a second cooler, and then reintroduced into the melting chamber, resulting in unpleasant odors, noise, and high temperatures. Air does not escape outside the device, and a relatively large amount of waste can be treated with a compact treatment device.

Further, after the waste is melted, the melt is cooled by the first cooler, so that the melt hardens quickly and the treated waste can be disposed of without fear of burns.

As a result, the processing device of the present invention can be easily installed in an existing hospital, and has excellent effects in that it can be easily handled without contaminating the surrounding environment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6 showing a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6. FIG. 3 is a plan view with the lid removed.
Figure 4 is its right side view. Figure 5 is its front view. Figure 6 is its plan view. Figure 7 is its rear view. Figure 8 is a time chart of its operation. S: Waste, T: Cooled and hardened melt, 10:
Medical waste processing device, 12: Heat-resistant lid, 14a:
Electric heater timer, 14b: Air pump and gas separation timer, 14c: Water pump timer,
18: Heat-resistant wall, 19: Melting chamber, 21: First cooler, 22: Second cooler, 23: Heat-resistant container, 26-
28: Electric heater, 31: Air supply hole, 32: Exhaust hole, 33: Connection pipe, 34: Gas separation device, 3
6: Exhaust pipe, 37: Air pump, 38: Air supply pipe, 39: Cresol liquid tank, 41: Intermediate pipe, 44: Water pump.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Heat-resistant container 23 for containing medical waste S
A heat-resistant wall 18 and a heat-resistant lid 1
a melting chamber 19 that is sealed by a heat-resistant wall 18 and provided with an air supply hole 31 and an exhaust hole 32 passing through the heat-resistant wall 18;
heaters 26, 27, and 28 that melt the medical waste S in the container 23 by heating in a temperature range of 180° C. or more and 280° C. or less; a first cooler 21 for cooling the melt T inside; a first cooler 21 provided outside the melting chamber 19;
is connected to the exhaust hole 32 of the melting chamber 19 via a connecting pipe 33, and the gas generated in the melting chamber 19 arriving via the pipe 33 is heat-treated in a temperature range of 300°C or more and 550°C or less and discharged to an exhaust pipe 36. a second cooler 22 that cools the air containing the heat treatment gas in the exhaust pipe 36; and an air supply pipe 38 connected to the air supply hole 31 of the melting chamber 19.
The air from the exhaust pipe 36 cooled by the second cooler 22 is sucked and introduced into the melting chamber 19 through the air supply pipe 38, and the air is connected to the melting chamber 19, the connection pipe 33, and the The gas separation device 34, the exhaust pipe 36, and the air supply pipe 3
8 and an air pump 37 for circulating air. 2. The medical waste treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cresol liquid tank 39 for deodorizing and sterilizing the supplied air is provided in the middle of the air supply pipe 38.