Stericycle, Inc.

Other

Iit Research Institute

James W Sharp

Jeffery S Held

Jack E Bridges

Guggilam C Sresty

Thomas J Bajzek

Jeffrey S Held

An apparatus and method for processing medical waste are disclosed. Medical waste is disintegrated or shredded, disinfected with radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation and then transformed into useful material such as reclaimed plastic and refuse-derived fuel.

Apparatus and method for processing medical waste

Infectious medical materials is rendered innocuous by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio frequency electric field. The medical materials are exposed to the radio frequency electric field in order to heat the medical waste. The medical waste may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be shredded and recycled.

Radio frequency heating apparatus for rendering medical materials

Infectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio-frequency electric field. The medical materials may be comminuted prior to heating. The medical materials are exposed to the radio-frequency electric field in order to heat the medical materials. The medical materials may include sorted medical or veterinary waste which after heat treatment may be recycled.

Apparatus for rendering medical materials safe

Method and apparatus for rendering medical materials safe

Infectious medical materials are rendered harmless by heating heterogeneous medical materials having wet and dry portions with a radio-frequency electric field. The medical materials are exposed to the radio-frequency electric field in order to heat the medical materials to inactivate microorganisms thereon. The medical materials are then irradiated with gamma radiation to inactivate microorganisms remaining viable thereon after application of the radio-frequency electric field.

A device for disinfecting medical materials includes a heat source capable of heating the medical materials to approximately 60.degree. C. and exposing the medical materials to a source of gamma irradiation capable of irradiating medical materials with about 0.25 to about 2.0 Mrads.

Device for disinfecting medical materials

Apparatus for processing medical waste

A method of disinfecting medical materials, which comprises heating medical materials and exposing the medical materials to gamma radiation, is provided. One method of heating is the application of radio-frequency waves. The medical materials are subjected to radio-frequency waves for at least approximately 5 minutes and to gamma radiation measuring at least approximately 0.25 Mrads. When the starting material consists of pre-sorted medical or veterinary waste, the method further comprises shredding the irradiated waste and recycling the shredded waste.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

James W Sharp