Systems, Components, and Methods for Sterilizing Medical Waste

Abstract

To improve throughput of biomedical waste treatment, the present inventors devised an exemplary ozone-based system including a shredder, a roll-off treatment bin with ozone injectors, an ozone source, and a controller. The controller monitors electric current drawn by the shredder as shredded waste enters the ozone-enriched treatment bin. In response to current falling below a predetermined low level, indicating that a batch of waste has been shredded and loaded into the treatment bin, the controller starts a treatment timer. The timer measures elapsed ozone treatment or exposure time. If additional waste is added to the shredder and a subsequent low-current condition is detected, the controller restarts the treatment timer. Expiration of the timer indicates that the waste in the roll-off bin is sterilized and ready for transport to landfills. The exemplary system provides continuous waste processing and promises to boost throughput by 50% over some conventional ozone-based waste-treatment systems.

1 . A biomedical waste treatment assembly comprising: a roll-off container having a top and a bottom;
 a set of wheels attached to the bottom; and   a set of one or more ozone injectors mounted on the container.   
     
     
         2 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method of sterilizing or disinfecting biomedical waste, the method comprising:
 starting a treatment time measurement;   while measuring the treatment time, exposing a first portion of shredded biomedical waste in a roll-off container to a humidified ozone atmosphere having a sufficient ozone and humidity level to sterilize or disinfect the shredded biomedical waste during a predetermined treatment time period; and   restarting the treatment time measurement in response to a change in operational status of a shredder.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the treatment time measurement, that the predetermined treatment time period has lapsed;   in response to determining that the treatment time period has lapsed, outputting a signal indicating that waste in the roll-off container is sufficiently sterilized or disinfected.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium for use with a biomedical waste treatment system including a shredder and a roll-off container in fluid communication with an ozone generator, the medium storing:
 a first set of instructions for establishing biomedical waste sterilization conditions within the roll-off container, the conditions predetermined to allow for sterilization of contents of the roll-off container during a predetermined treatment time period;   a second set of instructions for starting measurement of elapsed treatment time; and   a third set of instructions for restarting the measurement of elapsed treatment time in response to a change in an operating condition of the shredder.   
     
     
         21 . The medium of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a fourth set of one or more instructions for determining, based on the measurement of elapsed treatment time, that the predetermined treatment time period has lapsed; and   a fifth set of instructions, responsive to the fourth set determining that the treatment time period has lapsed, for instructing output of a signal indicating that waste in the roll-off container is sufficiently sterilized or disinfected.   
     
     
         22 . The medium of  claim 20 , wherein the third set of instructions is responsive to information indicating a decrease in electric current drawn by the shredder.