Solidifier for liquid medical waste

Abstract

A solidifier for liquid medical waste disposed in a vessel, the solidifier comprising a mixture of absorbents having different apparent densities whereby at least one absorbent is negatively buoyant and at least one absorbent is positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste. Packaging for the solidifier is disclosed for effecting selective dispersal of the solidifier within the liquid medical waste disposed in the vessel.

1 . a solidifier for the solidification of a volume of liquid medical waste contained in a vessel comprising: 
 a first absorbent,    a second absorbent,    said first absorbent having an apparent density which renders said first absorbent positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste disposed within the vessel,    said second absorbent having an apparent density which renders said second absorbent negatively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste disposed within the vessel.    
     
     
         2 . The solidified of  claim 1  wherein said first and second absorbents comprise a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The solidifier of  claim 2  wherein said mixture comprises substantially equal parts, by weight, of said first and second absorbents.  
     
     
         4 . The solidifier of  claim 1  wherein said mixture comprises greater that fifty percent, by weight, of said second absorbent whereby said second absorbent gravitates toward the bottom of said vessel.  
     
     
         5 . The solidifier of  claim 1  wherein said first absorbent comprises between about eighty percent and about twenty percent, by weight of said first absorbent.  
     
     
         6 . The solidifier of  claim 1  and including a third absorbent.  
     
     
         7 . The solidifier of  claim 6  wherein said third absorbent exhibits an apparent density which renders said third absorbent positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         8 . The solidifier of  claim 6  wherein the apparent density of said third absorbent is intermediate the apparent densities of said first and second absorbents.  
     
     
         9 . The solidifier of  claim 6  wherein said absorbents comprise a mixture of said first, second and third absorbents.  
     
     
         10 . The solidifier of  claim 9  wherein said mixture comprises about fifty percent, by weight, of said second absorbent, about ten percent, by weight, of said third absorbent, and about forty percent, by weight, of said first absorbent.  
     
     
         11 . The solidifier of  claim 6  wherein the average particle size of said third absorbent is greater than the average particle size of said second absorbent.  
     
     
         12 . The solidifier of  claim 1  wherein each of said absorbents is in the form of a flowable powder.  
     
     
         13 . The solidifier of  claim 1  and further including packaging for said mixture which is dissolvable or disintegrative when disposed in the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         14 . The solidifier of  claim 13  wherein said packaging comprises two or more compartments, each compartment containing a portion of one or more of said absorbents.  
     
     
         15 . The solidifier of  claim 14  wherein said two or more compartments exhibit different rates of dissolution or disintegration when disposed in the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         16 . The solidifier of  claim 6  wherein each of said absorbents is in the form of a flowable powder.  
     
     
         17 . The solidifier of  claim 6  and further including packaging for said mixture which is dissolvable or disintegrative when disposed in the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         18 . The solidifier of  claim 17  wherein said packaging comprises two or more compartments, each compartment containing a portion of one or more of said absorbents.  
     
     
         19 . The solidifier of  claim 18  wherein said two or more compartments exhibit different rates of dissolution or disintegration when disposed in said liquid to be solidified.  
     
     
         20 . A solidifier in powder form for solidifying a volume of liquid medical waste in a vessel comprising: 
 a first mixture of powdered absorbents,    a second mixture of powdered absorbents,    said first mixture of powdered absorbents exhibiting an apparent density which renders said first mixture of powdered absorbents positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste,    said second mixture of powdered absorbents exhibiting an apparent density which renders said second mixture of powdered absorbents negatively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste.    
     
     
         21 . A solidifier for a liquid medical waste disposed in a vessel and having a density approximating the density of a 0.9% saline solution comprising a mixture of a plurality of different absorbents, at least one of said absorbents having an apparent density which renders it negatively buoyant in the liquid medical waste, and at least one of said absorbents having an apparent density which renders it positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         22 . The solidifier of  claim 21  and including packaging for said mixture, said packaging being dissolvable or disintegrative when disposed within the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         23 . The solidifier of  claim 21  wherein said mixture includes at least three different absorbents, two of said absorbents having respective apparent densities which render each negatively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste, and the third of said absorbents having an apparent density which renders said third absorbent positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste.  
     
     
         24 . The solidifier of  claim 21  wherein said negatively buoyant absorbents exhibit different apparent densities whereby one of said negatively buoyant absorbents is more buoyant than the other of said negatively buoyant absorbents and said absorbent of lesser buoyancy enhances the distribution within said liquid of said absorbent of greater buoyancy.  
     
     
         25 . A method for the solidification of a liquid medical waste comprising the steps of: 
 introducing the liquid medical waste into a vessel,    mixing together a first absorbent having an apparent density which renders said first absorbent positively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste whereby said first absorbent floats adjacent the surface of the liquid, and at least one further absorbent having an apparent density which renders said further absorbent negatively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste, whereby said at least one further absorbent sinks toward the bottom of the liquid medical waste, and    introducing at least a portion of said mixture into the liquid medical waste disposed in the vessel.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  and including the step of mixing a still further absorbent with said first and further absorbents, said still further absorbent having an apparent density intermediate the densities of said first and further absorbents and which renders said still further absorbent negatively buoyant relative to the liquid medical waste disposed within the vessel.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said still further absorbent exhibits an average particle size greater than the average particle size of said at least one further absorbent.