System and methods for conversion of biohazard to municipal waste

Abstract

A system for shredding medical waste, the system comprising a medical waste treating chamber ( 4 ) being an interior of an enclosure disposed within an environment which is not to be polluted, a motor ( 11 a ), a shredder ( 2 ) seated in the chamber and including a motor-driven shaft ( 17 ) and blades rotated by the shaft, the shaft ( 17 ) extending through the enclosure thereby to define an interface between the waste treating chamber ( 4 ) and the environment, and interface seal apparatus ( 101 ) preventing leakage of at least fluids from the medical waste treating chamber into the environment, via the interface.

1 . A system for shredding medical waste, the system comprising:
 a medical waste treating chamber being an interior of an enclosure disposed within an environment which is not to be polluted;   a motor;   a shredder seated in the chamber and including a motor-driven shaft and blades rotated by the shaft, the shaft extending through the enclosure thereby to define an interface between the waste treating chamber and the environment; and   interface seal apparatus preventing leakage of at least fluids from said medical waste treating chamber into the environment, via the interface.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said interface has an internal end disposed interiorly of said enclosure and an external end disposed exteriorly of said enclosure, and wherein said interface seal apparatus comprises:
 first and second high-speed seals sealing off said internal and external ends of said interface respectively, such that unless the high-speed seals have degraded, said leakage is prevented even when said shredder is operating at high speed. 
 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2  and also comprising a lubricant chamber of pressurized lubricant surrounding, thereby to reduce degradation of said first and second seals and maintained at a pressure which exceeds pressure in the medical waste treating chamber. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3  and also comprising a pressure sensor measuring pressure in the lubricant chamber and alerting for seal degradation if the pressure in the lubricant chamber drops below a predetermined level. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein the medical waste treating chamber is generally cylindrical and has a bottom portion and wherein said shredder is seated in the bottom portion of the medical waste treating chamber, and wherein the motor is external to the medical waste treating chamber and wherein said shredder comprises a rotating shredder and wherein said interface is generally cylindrical. 
     
     
         6 . A system for shredding and separating liquids from medical waste, the system comprising:
 a medical waste treating chamber;   a rotating shredder seated in the chamber;   an apertured partition seated below the shredder and having at least one aperture defined therewithin, thereby to partition the chamber into two compartments communicating only via the at least one aperture; and   an aperture cleaner below and fixedly associated with the rotating shredder and configured and arranged to sweep non-fluids away from said aperture as said rotating shredder rotates.   
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6  wherein said chamber is cylindrical and has an axis and wherein said aperture cleaner comprises at least one cleaning rod which is disposed at a radial distance relative to the axis and which extends from said rotating shredder downward toward said apertured partition and wherein said apertured partition comprises a horizontal plate defining a centered circular track of radius r along which a plurality of apertures are defined and along which the rod travels when the shredder is rotating, thereby to sweep non-fluids away from said plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 6  and also comprising at least one internal liquid sprinkler using sprinkled liquid to provide automatic cleaning of said medical waste treating chamber and wherein said sprinkled liquid travels through said at least one aperture. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 6  wherein said at least one aperture partition has top and bottom surfaces and said at least one aperture defines a first hole in said top surface and a second hole, in said bottom surface, which is larger than said first hole, thereby to prevent particles from blocking the aperture. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to any of  claim 1 ,  2  or  6  and also comprising:
 a vacuum pump operative to eliminate air pockets in the medical waste treating chamber; and 
 a steam generator operative to generate steam in the chamber after the air pockets have been eliminated, thereby to ensure steam sterilization of all waste in the chamber. 
 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1  which is also operative for shredding and separating liquids from medical waste, the system comprising:
 an apertured partition seated below the shredder and having at least one aperture defined therewithin, thereby to partition the chamber into two compartments communicating only via the at least one aperture; and 
 an aperture cleaner below and fixedly associated with the rotating shredder, configured and arranged to sweep non-fluids away from said aperture as said rotating shredder rotates. 
 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 11  and also comprising a steam delivering conduit leading from the steam generator to an area adjacent said high speed seal thereby to prevent formation adjacent said at least one seal, of a region whose pressure is low, relative to medical waste treating chamber pressure, which consequently would attract sharp medical waste particles to said seals, low pressure region formation being prevented by steam pressurizing the area adjacent each of said high speed seals just prior to steam pressurization of the medical waste treating chamber. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 2  or  12  and also comprising a cone embracing the shaft encasing said high speed seals such that if said area's pressure is equal to pressure in the medical waste treating chamber as a whole, sharp medical waste particles do not climb up said cone, hence do not reach said seals. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 10  or  12  wherein external threading is provided on said shaft such that when said shaft rotates and said medical waste treating chamber is pressurized, sharp medical waste particles detrimental to said seals are propelled by said threading, away from said seals. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 6  wherein said medical waste treating chamber is defined by an enclosure having an opening at its top for introducing medical waste to be treated into said medical waste treating chamber and wherein said system includes a chamber upender to up-end the chamber thereby to remove treated medical waste therefrom via said opening. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 1  and also comprising a steam sterilizer operative to steam-sterilize contents of the medical waste treating chamber. 
     
     
         17 . A method for shredding and separating liquids from medical waste, the system comprising:
 providing a rotating shredder seated in a medical waste treating chamber and an apertured partition seated below the shredder and having at least one aperture defined therewithin, thereby to partition the chamber into upper and lower compartments communicating only via the at least one aperture; and   providing an aperture cleaner below and fixedly associated with the rotating shredder and configured and arranged to sweep non-fluids away from said aperture as said rotating shredder rotates.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  and also including washing said chamber with a fluid which flows into the lower compartment thereby to allow selective removal of the fluid but not of non-fluid waste, from the chamber, via the lower compartment. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 17  and also including flushing a fluid through medical waste in the chamber to eliminate malodor, wherein the fluid flows into the lower compartment thereby to allow selective removal of the fluid but not of non-fluid waste, from the chamber, via the lower compartment. 
     
     
         20 . A method for shredding medical waste, the method comprising:
 providing a medical waste treating chamber being an interior of an enclosure disposed within an environment which is not to be polluted, at least one high-speed seal to seal off the interior from the environment; and   providing a vacuum pump operative to eliminate air pockets in the medical waste treating chamber and a steam generator operative to generate steam in the chamber after the air pockets have been eliminated, thereby to ensure steam sterilization of all waste in the chamber, and to generate steam adjacent the seal, thereby to pressurize a region adjacent the seal so as to deter sharp particles within the medical waste, from approaching the seal.