Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2001-04-24
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C209S219000, C324S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222450
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to metal detection devices designed to detect the inadvertent disposal of metal articles into waste receptacles and, more particularly, to a metal detector designed to detect the inadvertent disposal of metal objects such as surgical instruments into disposal receptacles particularly useful in medical facilities and the like. Specifically, the present invention relates to a support assembly for the operating components of such a metal detection device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the major problems in the health care industry today is the high cost of patient care. While many factors contribute to this cost, one of these factors is the difficulty in controlling waste in a hospital environment. In the operating room, surgical instruments are inadvertently but routinely discarded along with the disposable drapes and gowns after an operation. These expensive instruments are intended for reuse, and their disposal represents a substantial waste. In addition, theft of such instruments and small metallic objects also occurs through such disposal mechanisms. A survey of randomly selected hospitals revealed that such wasteful disposal and theft of surgical instruments amounted to losses between $30,000-$50,000 per year per operating room. In a typical hospital having six to ten operating rooms, such loss is substantial.
Moreover, used disposable surgical drapes and gowns, by law, are required to be deposited in a so-called “red bag” designated for infectious waste. Such red bags are approximately the size of a lawn and garden trash and leaf bag. The red bags are held for use in an open position in each operating room by a bag holder, typically in the form of a wheeled cart. Hospital personnel merely wad up used drapes and gowns and stuff them into the red bag for disposal. As can be readily appreciated, valuable surgical instruments, typically fashioned from an expensive grade of stainless steel, can easily become bundled with the used drapes and gowns, and disposed inadvertently or otherwise.
In penal institutions such as jails and prisons, prisoners are encouraged to participate in various jobs and vocational training programs including welding, mechanics and machining. Some inmates, consequently, have access to machine tools and metal stock materials from which they might fashion weapons. Receptacles for trash and laundry, although necessary in the daily operations of such penal institutions, create the potential for the smuggling by inmates of weapons and potential weapon stock material from shop and training areas to other locations. Accordingly, the monitoring and search of such receptacles place a substantial burden on guards, and thus increases the operating costs of these institutions.
Metal detectors of various types are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,412 discloses a metal detector useful in its detection of metallic impurities in powders, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,023 discloses a walk-through metal detector useful at airports. Thus, metal detection devices have been applied in a wide variety of uses in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,253 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,970 disclose devices that are specifically designed to detect the inadvertent disposal of cutlery into a trash container in restaurant environments. Both these patent references disclose devices which are designed to cover trash containers, the first one of which utilizes an inductive probe to detect metal cutlery so as to close a flap to prevent its disposal into the trash container, while the latter reference discloses a magnetic arrangement which traps cutlery prior to being deposited into the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,425 discloses a device designed to cover a receptacle for use in a hospital environment to detect the inadvertent disposal of metal articles in such a receptacle. As is pointed out therein, however, a significant problem in a hospital environment, and in particular surgical environments, is the presence of numerous metal objects surrounding the receptacle. Such metal objects proximate the detector can cause the inadvertent triggering of the detector alarm system without a metallic article having actually been placed therein due to false readings from metal articles immediately surrounding or near the top of such a receptacle. Thus, there is a need for a metal detector that is designed to detect the inadvertent disposal of small metal objects into a receptacle in a hospital, prison or kitchen environment, which is reliable and designed to prevent false signals from being registered due to the presence of metal articles on or near the top or exterior of such a receptacle without having been placed therein. The devices illustrated in the above-identified related U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,247 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,621 are designed to meet these needs. However, there remains a need to be able to mass produce such devices in a manner that is both economically viable as well as permits the accurate placement of the operational components of these devices, which placement is extremely important for the proper operation and long term use of the devices. The present invention satisfies this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device to detect the inadvertent disposal of surgical instruments and other small metal articles into a receptacle to allow for their retrieval and reuse.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device to assist in the monitoring of receptacles to prevent the unauthorized deposit of metal articles therein to prevent theft or the undetected transfer of metal articles using such receptacles.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a metal detector for receptacles useful in surgical operating rooms or kitchen environments for the detection of inadvertent disposal of metal articles therein while preventing false alarms or signals resulting from metal material or articles on or near such receptacles.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a metal detector for receptacles which is able to be mass produced in a manner that is both economically viable as well as permits the accurate placement and maintenance of the operational components of these devices.
Finally, it is another object of the present invention to provide a metal detector which is readily attachable and removable from wheeled receptacles and which includes a support structure which accurately positions the sensing elements of the device throughout the operational lifetime of the detector.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a support assembly for a metal detection device is disclosed. The detection device includes a housing with a central orifice, an induction member surrounding the orifice for generating an output voltage when a metal object is passed nearby, and a mechanism which includes pulse emitting and pulse receiving members for selectively sensing an object passing through the orifice. The support assembly includes a base member having front, rear and opposed side portions sized and shaped for positioning beneath the housing. The base member has a central aperture adapted for substantial alignment with the housing orifice when the base member is positioned beneath the housing. A mechanism secures the base member to the housing, and a plurality of mounting posts are disposed along the base member front, rear and side portions for positioning a metal detection device induction member about the central aperture. A mounting mechanism is provided for the pulse emitting and pulse-receiving members on opposite sides of the central aperture. Finally, a plurality of pulse regulating elements are provided for eliminating ambient light interference and cross-pulse sensing in the pulse-receiving members.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4367138 (1983-01-01), Kustas
patent: 4494657 (1985-01-01), Oldenkamp
pa
Denver Dynamics, Inc.
Hofsass Jeffery
Isaac John L.
Isaac & Associates
Tweel , Jr. John
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