Method and apparatus for sterilizing infectious material

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sterilization of infectious waste including animals, infected animal herds, infected human corpses and other infected material and proper disposal of resultant waste. The method and apparatus specifically relates to methods of safely sterilizing and disposing of infectious and non-infectious bio-waste in a cost effective manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for sterilizing infectious waste comprising:
 a pressure vessel having a vessel interior chamber and a powered mechanical agitator adapted to size reduce material within the vessel interior chamber;   a pH neutral water source input in fluid communication with the vessel interior chamber;   an external heat source sufficiently powered to heat the vessel interior chamber of a pH neutral water combination of tissue and other material to a temperature range of 250 to 308 degrees F.;   a pressure control sufficiently designed to establish a pressure in the vessel interior chamber in a pressure range of 0 to 60 psig;   said pressure vessel adapted to maintain the temperature of and pressure in the vessel interior chamber for a period in the range 0 to 4 hours to raise the actual temperature of the pH neutral water combination of tissue and other material, and maintaining the pH neutral water combination of tissue and other material at a pH of approximately 7; and   a discharge port in fluid communication with the vessel interior chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for sterilizing of infectious waste as recited in  claim 1 , where said mechanical agitator is an arcuate shaped member having opposing first and second ends attached to axially aligned rotatable first and second axles respectively about which the arcuate shaped member rotates. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for sterilizing of infectious waste as recited in  claim 2 , where said mechanical agitator is a semi-circular or circular shaped member. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for sterilizing of infectious waste as recited in  claim 2 , where said mechanical agitator is a u-shaped, hemispherical or circular-shaped member. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for sterilizing of infectious waste as recited in  claim 4 , where one of said first or second axles is powered for rotation. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , where said pressure control is adapted to reduce the pressure of the pressure vessel to approximately atmospheric pressure to effect a dehydration of the mixture, and said pressure vessel further having a condenser adapted to condense and collect the reclaimed water. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the agitator adapted to size reduce bone and tissue and is sufficiently powered to effect reduction to produce bone chards less than about 1.5 inches in diameter and tissue fibers of diameters less than about 0.015 inches in diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 an indirect cooling source adapted to cool the internal liquid to less than about 140 degrees F.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 recycling path adapted to recycle at least a portion of reclaimed water into the next load for re-use.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a visual monitoring system.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a validation chamber and said validation chamber's mounting fixture.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a caustic input portal.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for sterilizing as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a waste water exit portal.