Special receptacle or package – For a tool – Body treatment
Patent
1996-09-04
1998-10-20
Adams, Donald E.
Special receptacle or package
For a tool
Body treatment
206366, 220203, 220319, 220320, 220321, 220686, 422112, 422300, B65D 8310, B65D 5116, B65D 4532, G05D 1600
Patent
active
058233407
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a sterilization container, preferably for hospital refuse.
PRIOR ART
A sterilization container of this kind has a receptacle, whose top opening can be closed with a lid, and is primarily designated for hospital refuse, but can also be used in other fields, such as drug manufacturing.
In order to sterilize contaminated refuse, this refuse is usually heated with steam. An adequate quantity of sufficiently heated steam must be introduced into the refuse for the purpose of reliably preventing any part of the refuse from not being heated with the steam intensely enough or long enough to be germ-free in all cases. The introduction of superheated steam also involves the danger that contaminated steam, which has cooled down excessively, or insufficiently heated, contaminated air might possibly escape into the environment.
The use of microwave radiation has also been already proposed for sterilizing refuse. Provided that this refuse is fluid, it can easily be heated by microwaves; however, care must be taken that even those zones in the refuse which are insufficiently acted upon by the radiation due to a nonhomogeneity in it are sufficiently heated by means of heat exchange with adjacent zones.
But if the refuse is either completely or partially dry, microwaves are unsuited for heating the refuse. For this reason, it is useful to moisten the refuse until as a result of the evaporation of the water, a sufficient quantity of steam is produced so that a reliable sterilization of the refuse takes place. Since steam cannot be heated further by microwaves because it is gaseous, in order to achieve a sufficient steam temperature, the refuse must be placed in a pressure vessel in which the evaporation temperature rises due to the increased internal pressure caused by the initial evaporation.
Consequently, the use of microwave radiation for sterilizing refuse requires the employment of pressure-tight receptacles for the refuse. However, since receptacles of this kind are usually very costly, for reasons of economy alone, it does not make sense to also use these containers for collecting the refuse prior to sterilization and for hauling away the sterilized refuse.
The handling of contaminated refuse before sterilization is extremely dangerous and the sterilized refuse, for its part, is an ideal, fertile ground for existing germs so that ideally, the sterilized refuse should be supplied for disposal in a package which prevents it from being reinfected.
DE 38 33 281 C1 has disclosed a pressure-tight refuse container which permits a sterilization of solid hospital refuse by means of microwave radiation. Furthermore, DE 42 25 430 A1 discloses a device for disinfecting or sterilizing trash, in particular hospital garbage that is laden with germs and bacteria. In this case, garbage is put into a container, which can be sealed in an airtight manner by means of a pivoting lid with a sealing ring, is moistened with water, if need be, and then irradiated with microwaves.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention, therefore, is to embody a container in such a way that within the framework of the above-described problems, it permits the collection, sterilization, and disposal of contaminated or germ-laden refuse in a particularly simple and economical manner.
According to the invention, in a sterilization container according to claim 1, a pressure-tight sealing device and a closure device are provided between the receptacle and the lid of the container to hold the lid on the receptacle counter to the force of an internal pressure in the receptacle and to prevent an inadvertent opening of the lid. Lid and container are comprised of a plastic which, due to its composition, reliably withstands both pressure load and temperature load during the sterilization process and is permeable by microwaves.
A sterilization container of this kind according to the invention can be produced with an expenditure that is on the same order of magnitude as that of prior, simpler refuse containers
REFERENCES:
patent: 4796776 (1989-01-01), Dalquist et al.
patent: 5495941 (1996-03-01), Leonard
Adams Donald E.
Nordpunkt AG
Park Hankyel T.
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