High volume liquid waste collection and disposal system
A system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid includes a station that features transfer, flushing and mixing pumps as well as a bowl that holds the waste fluid. The waste fluid is collected in a container mounted on a cart. The cart container connects to the station so that the waste fluid is transferred from the cart to the station bowl by the transfer pump. The flushing pump has an inlet that communicates with a source of water and a disinfectant dispenser. The flushing pump is used to flush both the cart container and the station bowl, the latter of which communicates with a drain system. The flushing pump also delivers disinfectant to the waste fluid in the station bowl. The inlet and outlet of the mixing pump communicate with the bowl so that it mixes the bowl contents. Buffer is provided to the circulating waste fluid until the pH level drops to a predetermined level.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/910,332, filed Aug. 3, 2004, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,711.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONI. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for handling biological fluids and, in particular, to a system for collecting a large volume of liquid waste and safely disposing of the waste.
II. Description of the Related Art
Various forms of liquid medical wastes are commonly produced in surgery and other medical procedures. Such wastes may include blood and other body fluids of patients. The wastes may also include solid particles such as fragments of bone or cartilage. Some procedures produce a high volume of such waste from a single patient. For example, saline solution is used to irrigate the knee area during arthroscopic procedures. As another example, saline solution is used to flush the bladder, urethra and/or prostate in some urology procedures. Such procedures may produce as much as 30,000 cc of liquid medical waste.
Liquid medical waste generates significant disposal problems due to its possible contamination with various infectious diseases, including AIDS, hepatitis and MRSA. As a result, rules and regulations for the handling and disposal of liquid medical waste have been imposed by various governmental and regulatory agencies. For example, new regulations require the use of engineering controls to protect employees from exposure. In addition, hospitals and other health care facilities have been searching for methods and systems that reduce hospital personnel's exposure to the fluids during collection, handling and disposal. Procedures that produce large volumes of liquid medical waste amplify these issues and concerns.
Various systems and methods have been used for collecting, handling and disposing of fluids from procedures that produce large volumes of liquid medical waste. The collection vessels vary from simple buckets to automated, electronically controlled processing equipment.
A bucket, referred to as a “gravity bucket”, may be placed by an operating room table or placed in another convenient location within the room in which a medical procedure is being performed. Flexible tubing typically connects the gravity bucket with the region of the patient from which the fluid wastes are collected. When the gravity bucket becomes filled, it is carried out of the operating room and its contents are poured down a drain. Such an arrangement has several drawbacks. Carrying the open bucket and emptying it manually creates the opportunity for direct human contact with the potentially infected wastes if the fluid spills or leaks from the bucket. In addition, the fluids may splash back or otherwise result in the formation of aerosols that contact the person disposing of the waste.
Suction canisters are commonly used to aspirate fluids from patients during surgical procedures. Such canisters range in volume from around 1200 cc to around 3000 cc. A suction canister typically features a removable lid with a vacuum port and a patient or suction port. During a surgical procedure, the vacuum port is connected by flexible tubing to a hospital vacuum source while the suction port is connected by a second flexible tube to the region of the patient from which the fluid wastes are collected.
As an alternative to a gravity bucket, a number of suction canisters may be positioned on a stand and connected in tandem. The stand features a base positioned on rollers so that the stand may be rolled to, from and around an operating room. A vertical rod extends upwards from the base and has a number of horizontal rings connected thereto. Each ring is sized to hold a suction canister and the rings are positioned on the vertical rod in a spaced and staggered fashion. The eight (for example) canisters positioned on the stand are connected in a tandem fashion as follows. The first canister has its suction port connected to the patient's surgery site by a flexible tube. The vacuum port of the first canister is connected to the suction port of a neighboring second canister. The vacuum port of the second canister is connected to the suction port of a third canister. The arrangement is repeated for the fourth through seventh canisters. The eighth canister suction port is connected to the vacuum port of the seventh canister while the vacuum port of the eighth canister is connected to the hospital vacuum source. As a result, each of the eight canisters is subjected to suction so that fluids produced by the medical procedure are collected in the canisters.
While such an arrangement allows a large volume of fluid to be collected, as the above description reveals, the connection of the canisters is complicated. If one mistake is made in connecting the tubing, no suction is available for the procedure. In addition, the stand becomes somewhat top heavy with the canisters filled so that the cart becomes difficult to maneuver and great care must be exercised when moving the cart. The arrangement also results in a large number of canisters to clean or dispose of as infectious waste. Using the above example, one procedure would result in eight canisters that need to be dumped and cleaned. This is very time consuming. The large number of canisters required also makes the arrangement expensive.
Systems for collecting and disposing of high volumes of fluids are offered by the Steris Corporation of Mentor, Ohio, as the “SafeCycle 40”, and Stryker Instruments of Kalamazoo, Mich., as the “Neptune Waste Management System.”
The Steris “SafeCycle 40” system, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,863,446 and 4,957,491, both to Parker, is a fluid collection and disposal system featuring a mobile fluid collection cart and a disposal station. The fluid collection cart includes vacuum and suction ports that communicate with a reservoir that is positioned on the cart. The reservoir also features a drain outlet. A vacuum line connects the vacuum port of the collection cart to a hospital vacuum source during surgery so that fluid is withdrawn from the patient via flexible tubing that is connected to the cart's suction port and collected in the reservoir. The collection cart features a vacuum regulator that permits the level of suction provided by the cart suction ports to be adjusted by knobs on the cart. After surgery, the collection cart is connected to the disposal station via washing and draining connectors so that the reservoir is drained and flushed via a timed cleaning process.
The Stryker “Neptune” system, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,997,733 and 6,180,000, both to Wilbur et al., is a portable waste disposal system that includes a waste collection system, a smoke extraction system and a treatment and disposal system that heats the waste to sanitize it for disposal. The system includes a container that features a vacuum port that is connected to a vacuum source of a hospital. The container also includes a suction port that is in communication with the patient surgery site via flexible tubing. As a result, fluids from the patient are collected in the container. Smoke is withdrawn from the patient surgery site by an additional flexible tube that is in communication with the head space of the container. The smoke is filtered as it is withdrawn from the head space into a housing that contains additional filters and a fan that pulls the smoke into the housing. The container also includes a drain which may either be connected to the treatment system or a hospital drain so that the fluid in the container may be drained or treated and then drained.
While the Steris and Stryker systems have proven to be effective, the systems are unable to accommodate suction canisters of the 1200 cc to 3000 cc variety. As a result, a separate cleaning and disposal system for the smaller suction canisters must be purchased by a hospital in addition to the Steris and Stryker machines. This results in an increase in purchase expenses and personnel training for a hospital or other health care facility. The requirement for two separate systems also results in increased maintenance costs. Due to their complexity, the Steris and Stryker systems are also quite costly. Also due to their complexity, at least in part, the carts of the Steris and Stryker systems are heavy when their containers are full. This makes pushing and maneuvering the carts burdensome.
Laboratories, manufacturing equipment and industrial processes may also produce biological wastes that must be conveniently and safely disposed of. For example, automated cell culture growing equipment in a pharmaceutical laboratory may empty the cell culture waste into an area that must be vacuumed out. A large volume of the cell culture waste fluid is collected during the vacuuming and must be disposed of.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for safely and conveniently collecting a large volume of waste fluid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system that permits large volumes of waste fluid to be treated and disposed of without contact by personnel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system for collecting, treating and disposing of large volumes of waste fluid that is easy to configure and operate.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system that facilitates treating of large volumes of waste fluid.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the remaining portion of this specification.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid includes a waste fluid treating and disposing station featuring a housing having transfer and flushing connectors and a bowl. A flushing pump has an inlet in communication with a disinfectant dispenser and an outlet selectively in communication with the bowl and the flushing connector. A transfer pump has an inlet in communication with the transfer connector and an outlet in communication with the bowl. A mixing pump has an inlet and an outlet in communication with the bowl so that the waste fluid therein is circulated. A pH sensor is in communication with the bowl so that a pH level of the circulating waste fluid may be detected. A container holds a supply of buffer. A pH controller delivers buffer to the circulating waste fluid when the pH sensor detects that the pH level of the circulating waste fluid is above a predetermined pH level.
The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid may also feature a waste fluid collection cart including a body supported by wheels. A container is supported by the body and features vacuum, suction, flushing and drain ports. Liquid waste is collected within the container through the suction port when the vacuum port is connected to a vacuum source and the flushing and drain ports are closed. After waste fluid is collected in the cart, it is disconnected from the vacuum source and the drain port of the cart container is connected to the transfer connector of the station so that waste fluid from the cart container is transferred to the station bowl when the transfer pump is activated. The flushing port of the cart container is connected to the flushing connector of the station so that disinfectant may be directed to the cart container when the flushing pump is activated. Disinfectant is also directed to the station bowl when the outlet of the flushing pump is redirected to the bowl.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings, provide a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention.
The fluid collection cart of a preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention is indicated in general at 12 in
The cart body 14 defines an interior space 22 within which a shelf 24 is mounted. While not illustrated, doors may optionally be provided on the cart so that the interior space 22 is hidden from view when the doors are closed. Shelf 24 features a pair of openings 26a and 26b formed therein within which bottle-shaped containers 32a and 32b are secured. Containers 32a and 32b are preferably constructed of glass for ease of cleaning and are sized to hold approximately six gallons of liquid each.
As illustrated in
The tops of containers 32a and 32b are closed by caps 54a and 54b, respectively, which extend through the top surface 55 of cart body 14. Caps 54a and 54b preferably are constructed of plastic and feature vacuum ports 56a and 56b and patient or suction ports 58a and 58b. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The operating mode of the cart during a medical procedure depends upon the configuration of valve handles 108a, 108b and 110 and whether one or both of vacuum source lines 82 and 96 are connected to hospital vacuum sources. Taking first the situation where only vacuum source line 82 is connected to a hospital vacuum source, a full vacuum of approximately 25 in. Hg is pulled on container 32b through lines 64b, 98 and 82, as illustrated by arrows 112 and 114, when valve 104 is opened (via valve handle 108b of
With the cart connected to a single hospital vacuum source through line 82, and a full vacuum being pulled on container 32b, container 32a may simultaneously pull a low or gravity drain vacuum of approximately 5 in. Hg when valve handle 108a (
If valve 104 is shut, by placing corresponding valve handle 108b of
If both lines 82 and 96 are connected to hospital vacuum sources, and valves 86, 104 and 94 are open, a full vacuum of approximately 25 in. Hg is pulled on each container 32a and 32b.
As illustrated at 120a and 120b in
Enlarged and detailed views of container 32b are presented in
The inner portion 132 of cap 54b features vacuum port 56b and patient or suction port 58b formed in its circular surface 141. In addition, as illustrated in
As a result, inner cap portion 132 may be removed from the outer cap portion 130 for disposal after use. This is desirable in that potentially contaminated biological fluids from a medical procedure flow through suction port 58b during a medical procedure. In addition, as illustrated in
It should be noted that other temporary inner cap portion fastening arrangements may be substituted for the one illustrated in
During a surgical procedure, the surgical site of a patient may undergo procedures that produce smoke. Examples of such procedures include cauterizing and drilling. Such smoke contains foul smelling and potentially infectious airborne particles. As a result, for sanitary reasons, such smoke must removed from the patient's surgical site. As illustrated in phantom at 152 in
As illustrated in
In some instances, the spray provided by nozzle 162 causes the pressure within container 32b to increase rapidly. The increased pressure within the container 32b causes liquid to back up in conduit 156, sometimes as high as six to eight inches. To combat this occurrence, a “top hat” shaped piece 163 may optionally be added to conduit 156 so as to extend below the nozzle 162. The top hat piece features a number of orifices 164 through which liquid from the conduit flows. The liquid then cascades over the brim 166 of the top hat piece. As a result, the pressure head within the container 32b is collapsed so that the back up of liquid into conduit 156 does not occur.
With reference to
After a medical procedure is completed, or the containers 32a and 32b are filled, lines 82 and 96 (
As illustrated in
Microprocessor 192 also communicates with an automated control valve 197. Control valve 197 may be configured to route the mixture of bleach and water from pump 194 to either flushing connector 176 or spray jets 234 and 236, which are positioned in the sink 224 of the station. The microprocessor also communicates with the draining and cleaning station canister handling mechanism 199. As will be explained below, these components permit the draining and cleaning station to drain and flush suction canisters and are disabled when the station is draining and flushing the containers of cart 12.
The processing performed by the microprocessor 192 of
When the capacitance sensor 120b (
After a period of time, the flushing pump is deactivated. The drain pump continues to run so that all of the liquid in container 32b drains. When the capacitance sensor 120b indicates that the container is empty, the flushing pump is once again activated so that the flushing cycle is repeated. Microprocessor 192 keeps track of the number of flushing cycles performed by using, for example, the cycle counter included in
Once draining and flushing of container 32b is completed, the drain valve handle 48b is closed and the connectors 174, 176 and 178 of station 173 are disconnected from connectors 122b, 168b and 46b. The station connectors are then reconnected to cart connectors 122a, 168a and 46a and drain valve handle 48a is opened so that container 32a may be drained and flushed.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,436, when cart 12 is not present, the draining and cleaning station may alternatively be used to clean suction canisters. With reference to
While
As an alternative to collecting medical waste, the cart 12 of
A draining and cleaning station suitable for receiving, treating and disposing of the cell culture waste fluid collected in cart 12 of
Container 32a of the cart may alternatively be drained and flushed by connecting electrical, flushing and drain connectors of the cart, 122a, 168a and 46a (
As illustrated in
The flushing pump inlet is in communication to a water supply source 302. A dispenser 304 containing a supply of bleach 306, or other disinfectant, is positioned within the draining and cleaning station cabinet 281 and also communicates with the water supply source 302 and the inlet of flushing pump 294. Microprocessor 292 also communicates with automated control valves 308 and 309. Control valve 308 may be configured to route the mixture of bleach and water from flushing pump 294 to either flushing connector 276 or wash heads 310 and 312, which are positioned in the tank or bowl 313 of the station. Valve 309 permits the delivery of either pure bleach or a mixture of bleach and water. The bowl 313 also communicates with a drain system 314, which will be described in better detail below with regard to
The inlet of the transfer pump 297 communicates with transfer connector 278, while the outlet communicates with station bowl 313.
Both the inlet and outlet of mixing pump 299 communicate with the station bowl 313. A container 315 holding a supply of buffer 316 communicates with bowl 313 under the control of metered pH controller 320.
The station 273 may or may not have the capacity to also clean canisters. In the case of the former, the bowl 313 would be in the form of sink 224 described above with reference to
Operation of the station 273 of
When the “Wash” cycle is initiated by a button on the station control panel 288, the microprocessor 292 first checks for the presence of cell culture waste fluid in container 32b via capacitance sensor 120b (
Mixing pump 299 is next activated so that the bleach and cell culture waste in the station bowl 313 is thoroughly mixed. The mixing may occur, for example, approximately 20 seconds. The mixed solution then preferably sits in the station bowl 313 for a hold time of approximately 10 minutes, or for another specified period of time as required by applicable standards and regulations.
At the end of the hold time period, the cart is washed. More specifically, the valves 308 and 309 are reconfigured to direct a water and bleach mixture to flushing connector 276. Flushing pump 294 is then activated by the microprocessor. Flushing pump 294 sends a stream consisting of a mixture of water and bleach from water source 302 and dispenser 304 to, with reference to
Once the cart container 32b is completely emptied and the contents pumped into the station bowl 313, the mixing pump 299 and metered pH controller 320 are activated by microprocessor 292 and remain activated until the pH of the solution drops to a predetermined level. More specifically, as mixing pump 299 re-circulates the liquid from bowl 313, a pH sensor 324 detects and measures the pH of the solution. The pH sensor 324 communicates with the metered pH controller 320 so that when the pH is above the predetermined level (for example, 9), buffer is added to the station bowl, and thus the solution, from buffer container 315. As an example only, the buffer 316 may be a 1 Molar solution of Citric Acid.
It is to be understood that as an alternative to the illustrated embodiment where the pH controller 320 is a separate meter component, the pH controller may take the form of an automated valve in circuit between the buffer container 315 and the bowl 313, where the automated valve operates under the direction of the microprocessor 292. In such an embodiment, the pH sensor 324 communicates directly with the microprocessor 292.
Once the solution in the station bowl has a pH below the predetermined level (9 in the above example), the contents of the station bowl may be emptied via a drain system, indicated at 314 in
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A station for treating waste fluid including:
- a) a housing;
- b) a bowl reservoir positioned within said housing and adapted to receive the waste fluid from a source and communicate with a drain system;
- c) a mixing pump having an inlet and an outlet in communication with the bowl reservoir so that waste fluid therein is circulated;
- d) a pH sensor in communication with the bowl reservoir so that a pH level of the circulating waste fluid may be detected;
- e) a container holding a supply of buffer;
- f) a pH controller in circuit between the buffer container and the bowl reservoir so that said pH controller controls the delivery of buffer to the circulating waste fluid;
- g) said pH controller communicating with the pH sensor so that said pH controller delivers buffer to the circulating waste fluid when the pH sensor detects that the pH level of the circulating waste fluid is above a predetermined pH level;
- h) a wash head positioned in the bowl reservoir;
- i) a dispenser containing a disinfectant;
- j) a flushing pump having an inlet in communication with a the disinfectant dispenser and an outlet in communication with the wash head so that when said flushing pump is activated, disinfectant is delivered to the contents of the bowl reservoir;
- k) a transfer pump having an inlet in communication with a transfer connector and an outlet in communication with the bowl reservoir, said transfer connector adapted to communicate with the waste fluid source so that when said transfer pump is activated, waste fluid is transferred from the waste fluid source to the bowl reservoir; and
- l) a microprocessor in communication with the pH sensor and in communication with and controlling the pH controller, mixing pump, flushing pump and transfer pump.
2. The station of claim 1 wherein the waste fluid is cell culture waste fluid.
3. The station of claim 1 wherein the drain system includes drain pipe adapted to communicate with a sewer system and an eductor in communication with the drain pipe, said eductor including a venturi adapted to communicate with a water source so that water flows through the venturi which results in suction being applied to the drain pipe to aid in draining treated waste fluid from the station bowl reservoir.
4. The station of claim 1 wherein the pH controller includes an automated valve in circuit between the buffer container and the bowl reservoir and the microprocessor communicates with the automated valve.
5. The station of claim 1 wherein the disinfectant is bleach.
6. The station of claim 1 wherein the waste fluid source is a cart featuring a container having a drain connector that removably connects to the transfer connector of the station so that when said transfer pump is activated, and the cart drain and station transfer connectors are connected, waste fluid in the cart container is transferred to the station bowl reservoir.
7. A system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid comprising:
- a) a waste fluid treating and disposing, station including; i) a housing having transfer and flushing connectors; ii) a bowl tank positioned within said housing; iii) a dispenser containing a disinfectant; iv) a flushing pump having an inlet in communication with the disinfectant dispenser and an outlet selectively in communication with the bowl tank and the flushing connector; v) a transfer pump having an inlet in communication with the transfer connector and an outlet in communication with the bowl tank, vi) a mixing pump having an inlet and an outlet in communication with the bowl tank so that waste fluid therein is circulated; vii) a pH sensor in communication with the bowl tank so that a pH level of the circulating waste fluid may be detected; viii) a container holding a supply of buffer; ix) means for delivering buffer to the circulating waste fluid when the pH sensor detects that the pH level of the circulating waste fluid is above a predetermined pH level; and x) a microprocessor in communication with the pH sensor and in communication with and controlling the means for delivering buffer, the flushing pump, the transfer pump and the mixing pump.
8. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 7 further comprising:
- b) a waste fluid collection cart including: i) a body supported by a plurality of wheels; ii) a container supported by said body and featuring vacuum, suction, flushing and drain ports, where liquid waste is collected within the container through the suction port when the vacuum port is connected to a vacuum source and the flushing and drain ports are closed; iii) said drain port of the cart container removably connected to the transfer connector of the station so that waste fluid from the cart container is transferred to the station bowl tank when the transfer pump is activated; and iv) said flushing port of the cart container removably connected to the flushing connector of the station so that disinfectant may be directed to the cart container when the flushing pump is activated.
9. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 7 further comprising a wash head positioned in the bowl tank and selectively in communication with the outlet of the flushing pump.
10. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 7 wherein the disinfectant is bleach.
11. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 7 wherein said bowl tank also communicates with a drain system.
12. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 11 wherein the drain system includes drain pipe adapted to communicate with a sewer system and an eductor in communication with the drain pipe, said eductor including a venturi adapted to communicate with a water source so that water flows through the venturi which results in suction being applied to the drain pipe to aid in draining treated waste fluid from the station bowl tank.
13. The system for collecting, treating and disposing of waste fluid of claim 7 wherein the inlet of said flushing pump also is adapted to communicate with a source of water so that a mixture of disinfectant and water may selectively be delivered to the bowl tank and the flushing connector.
14. A station for treating waste fluid including:
- a) a housing;
- b) a bowl reservoir positioned within said housing and adapted to receive the waste fluid from a source and communicate with a drain system;
- c) a mixing pump having an inlet and an outlet in communication with the bowl reservoir so that waste fluid therein is circulated;
- d) a pH sensor in communication with the bowl reservoir so that a pH level of the circulating waste fluid may be detected;
- e) a container holding a supply of buffer;
- f) a pH controller in circuit between the buffer container and the bowl reservoir so that said pH controller controls the delivery of buffer to the circulating waste fluid;
- g) said pH controller communicating with the pH sensor so that said pH controller delivers buffer to the circulating waste fluid when the pH sensor detects that the pH level of the circulating waste fluid is above a predetermined pH level;
- h) a wash head positioned in the bowl reservoir;
- i) a dispenser containing a disinfectant;
- j) a flushing pump having an inlet in communication with a the disinfectant dispenser and an outlet in communication with the wash head so that when said flushing pump is activated, disinfectant is delivered to the contents of the bowl reservoir;
- k) a transfer pump having an inlet in communication with a transfer connector and an outlet in communication with the bowl reservoir, said transfer connector adapted to communicate with the waste fluid source so that when said transfer pump is activated, waste fluid is transferred from the waste fluid source to the bowl reservoir; and
- l) a microprocessor in communication with the pH sensor and in communication with and controlling the pH controller, mixing pump, flushing pump and transfer pump
- m) said microprocessor programmed to perform the steps of: i. adding disinfectant to the collected waste fluid to create a solution; ii. mixing the solution; iii. allowing the solution to sit for a predetermined period of time; iv resuming mixing of the solution; v. detecting a pH level of the solution during the resumed mixing; and vi. adding a buffer to the solution during the resumed mixing until the pH levels drops below a predetermined level so that a treated solution is created.
15. A system for handling waste fluid from a patient, comprising:
- a) a movable waste fluid collection cart including: i) a body supported by a plurality of wheels; ii) a flushing portion and a drain portion; and iii) at least two containers supported by the body, each container including a suction port, each container being configured to collect liquid waste from the patient via its respective suction port when a vacuum is applied to the container, at least one of the suction ports being configured to provide at least two different levels of suction, an outlet from each container being operatively connectable to the drain portion and an inlet to each container being operatively connectable to the flushing portion; and
- b) a waste fluid disposal unit including: i) a first portion coupleable to the flushing portion of the waste fluid collection cart, the first portion being connectable to a water source via a water line to provide water to the waste fluid collection cart when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion; and ii) a second portion coupleable to the drain portion of the waste fluid collection cart, the second portion being connectable to a drain via a drain pump, wherein patient's waste fluid in the waste fluid collection cart is pumpable to the drain by the drain pump when the second portion is coupled to the drain portion and to the drain.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the waste fluid disposal unit further comprises a flushing pump between the water source and the first portion to pump water to the at least two containers when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein a level of vacuum in one of the at least two containers is controllable independently from a level of vacuum in another of the at least two containers.
18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a cleaning nozzle disposed in at least one of the containers, the cleaning nozzle in communication with the flushing portion to spray fluid into the at least one container.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the moveable waste fluid collection cart comprises no more than first and second containers, first and second cleaning nozzles being disposed in the first and second containers respectively.
20. The system of claim 15, wherein the movable waste fluid collection cart further comprises a vacuum port for communicating with a vacuum system, and communicating with the suction ports of the containers so as to permit a vacuum to be pulled in the containers when the vacuum port is coupled to the vacuum system.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the vacuum port is couplable to a vacuum system external to the movable waste fluid collection cart.
22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a vacuum control system comprising a plurality of valves in a vacuum network between the vacuum port and the suction ports of the containers, the valves being controllable by a user from a valve control panel.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of valves comprises at least a first check valve on a vacuum path between the vacuum port and the first container and a second check valve on a vacuum path between the vacuum port and the second container.
24. The system of claim 15, further comprising a smoke filter disposed to filter smoke entering one of the containers from the patient.
25. The system of claim 15, wherein the flushing portion comprises a first flushing coupling operatively coupled to a first container of the at least two containers and a second flushing coupling operatively coupled to a second container of the at least two containers, the first and second flushing couplings being connectable to respective first and second connectors of the first portion of the waste fluid disposal unit.
26. The system of claim 15, wherein the drain portion comprises a first drain coupling operatively coupled to a first container of the at least two containers and a second drain coupling operatively coupled to a second container of the at least two containers, the first and second drain couplings being connectable to respective first and second connectors of the second portion of the waste fluid disposal unit.
27. The system of claim 15, wherein the waste fluid disposal unit further comprises a reservoir for containing treating liquid in fluid communication with the water line for injecting the treating fluid into the container when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion.
28. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least two containers comprises only first and second containers.
29. A system for handling waste fluid from a patient, comprising:
- a) a movable waste fluid collection cart including: i) a body supported by a plurality of wheels; ii) a flushing portion and a drain portion; and iii) at least two containers supported by the body, each container including a suction port, each container being configured to collect liquid waste from the patient via its respective suction port when a vacuum is applied to the container, a level of suction at one of the suction ports being independently adjustable of a level of suction at another of the suction ports, outlets from the at least two containers being operatively connectable to the drain portion and an inlet to each container being operatively connectable to the flushing portion; and
- b) a waste fluid disposal unit including: i) a first portion coupleable to the flushing portion of the waste fluid collection cart, the first portion being connectable to a water source via a water line to provide water to the waste fluid collection cart when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion; ii) a second portion coupleable to the drain portion of the waste fluid collection cart, the second portion being connectable to a drain via a drain pump, wherein patient's waste fluid in the container is pumpable to the drain by the drain pump when the second portion is coupled to the drain portion and to the drain.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the waste fluid disposal unit further comprises a reservoir for containing treating liquid in fluid communication with the water line for injecting the treating fluid into the container when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion.
31. The system of claim 29, wherein the waste fluid disposal unit further comprises a flushing pump between the water source and the first portion to pump water into the container when the first portion is coupled to the flushing portion.
32. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the suction ports is configured to provide at least two different levels of suction.
33. The system of claim 29, further comprising a cleaning nozzle disposed in at least one of the containers, the cleaning nozzle in communication with the flushing portion to spray fluid into the at least one container.
34. The system of claim 33, wherein the moveable waste fluid collection cart comprises no more than first and second containers, first and second cleaning nozzles being disposed in the first and second containers respectively.
35. The system of claim 29, wherein the movable waste fluid collection cart including further comprises a vacuum port for communicating with a vacuum system, and communicating with the suction ports of the containers so as to permit a vacuum to be pulled in the containers when the vacuum port is coupled to the vacuum system.
36. The system of claim 35, wherein the vacuum port is couplable to a vacuum system external to the movable waste fluid collection cart.
37. The system of claim 35, further comprising a vacuum control system comprising a plurality of valves in a vacuum network between the vacuum port and the suction ports of the containers, the valves being controllable by a user from a valve control panel.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the plurality of valves comprises at least a first check valve on a vacuum path between the vacuum port and the first container and a second check valve on a vacuum path between the vacuum port and the second container.
39. The system of claim 29, further comprising a smoke filter disposed to filter smoke entering one of the containers from a patient.
40. The system of claim 29, wherein the flushing portion comprises a first flushing coupling operatively coupled to a first container of the at least two containers and a second flushing coupling operatively coupled to a second container of the at least two containers, the first and second flushing couplings being connectable to respective first and second connectors of the first portion of the waste fluid disposal unit.
41. The system of claim 29, wherein the drain portion comprises a first drain coupling operatively coupled to a first container of the at least two containers and a second drain coupling operatively coupled to a second container of the at least two containers, the first and second drain couplings being connectable to respective first and second connectors of the second portion of the waste fluid disposal unit.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 21, 2013
Date of Patent: Jun 3, 2014
Assignee: Dornoch Medical Systems, Inc. (Riverside, MO)
Inventors: James L. Dunn (Topeka, KS), Lawrence E. Guerra (Mission, KS)
Primary Examiner: Nam X. Nguyen
Assistant Examiner: Paul J Durand
Application Number: 13/772,686
International Classification: C02F 1/00 (20060101); A61M 1/00 (20060101);