Intelligent medical waste classification and collection box

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of medical waste treatment equipment technology, and more particularly to an intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin, comprising a main body, at least one inner liner partition plate fixed inside the main body, and a top cover assembly hinged to the upper end of the main body. The inner liner partition plate divides the interior of the main body into multiple independent collection chambers, each of which is provided with a perforated inner cylinder. It also includes a disinfection and deodorization module, which comprises a ring pipe fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber, several atomizing nozzles fixedly connected circumferentially to the inner side of the ring pipe, and a disinfectant storage tank installed on the outside of the main body for supplying disinfectant to the ring pipe. A drain hole is provided at the bottom of the main body, and a pull-out waste liquid hopper is provided at its lower end corresponding to each collection chamber. This invention integrates active disinfection, dynamic deodorization, and a high-efficiency solid-liquid separation system, solving the problem of uncontrolled pollution during waste storage and achieving a fundamental shift from "passive isolation" to "active purification."

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical waste treatment equipment technology, and more particularly to intelligent sorting and collection bins for medical waste. Background Technology

[0002] In the daily operations of medical institutions, the source sorting and temporary storage of medical waste is the first line of defense in controlling nosocomial infections and environmental pollution. Statistics show that a large general hospital with an average daily outpatient volume of approximately 5,000 visits can generate over 400 kilograms of infectious, traumatic, and pathological medical waste daily. This waste typically carries large numbers of highly pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and multidrug-resistant bacteria. In an indoor environment of 25°C to 30°C, the number of bacteria on its surface can increase more than 1,000 times within 6 hours. Currently, medical institutions generally use foot-operated or flip-top sorting collection bins. Their design logic primarily relies on physical isolation and passive sealing, i.e., visual differentiation through different colors and markings on the bins, and using the mechanical closure of the lids to block the escape path of pollutants, thus complying with the basic classification requirements of the "Regulations on the Management of Medical Waste."

[0003] However, existing waste sorting and collection devices have revealed a series of problems in practical use. First, their passive design of "isolating but not treating" waste cannot cope with the continuous contamination risks during collection cycles lasting 8 to 48 hours. Monitoring data shows that inside sealed traditional collection bins, the concentration of odorous gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide produced by leachate and organic matter decomposition can rise to more than 50 times the initial value within 12 hours, and the average total bacterial count (CFU) inside exceeds 10. 5 pcs / m 3 This creates a serious risk of cross-contamination. Secondly, most devices lack effective solid-liquid separation and waste liquid collection functions, causing mixed waste liquid to accumulate at the bottom of the container. This not only accelerates bacterial growth but also easily leads to leakage during movement or removal, causing secondary pollution. The current static and passive "isolation logic" of existing solutions is in sharp conflict with the modern infection control needs of medical institutions for "dynamic purification and proactive prevention." There is an urgent need for an intelligent collection device that can proactively intervene in the temporary storage stage and achieve integrated disinfection and deodorization.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the fact that the existing collection boxes cannot handle the problem of harmful gases and microbial growth continuously emitted by waste during temporary storage, and also lack an effective solid-liquid separation design, which is prone to secondary pollution and infection risks, an intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box can be designed. By setting up a ring tube atomization disinfection system, a hollow inner liner for solid-liquid separation and a bottom waste liquid collection hopper in each independent collection chamber, automatic disinfection, odor control and dry-wet separation of waste can be achieved, which can effectively improve the hygiene and safety level of the temporary storage process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the problems of existing collection boxes being unable to handle the harmful gases and microbial growth continuously emitted from waste during temporary storage, and lacking an effective solid-liquid separation design, which easily leads to secondary pollution and infection risks.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a medical waste intelligent sorting and collection box, including a main box body, at least one inner liner partition plate fixed inside the main box body, and a top cover assembly hinged to the upper end of the main box body. The inner liner partition plate divides the interior of the main box body into multiple independent collection chambers. Each collection chamber is provided with a hollow inner cylinder body and also includes a disinfection and deodorization module. The disinfection and deodorization module includes a ring pipe fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber, a plurality of atomizing nozzles fixedly connected to the inner side of the ring pipe in the circumferential direction, and a disinfection liquid storage tank installed on the outside of the main box body for supplying disinfection liquid to the ring pipe. A drain hole is provided at the bottom of the main box body, and a pull-out waste liquid hopper is provided at its lower end corresponding to each collection chamber.

[0007] Preferably, medical personnel open the corresponding opening on the top cover assembly according to the waste category, and the waste is accurately put into the hollow inner cylinder inside the collection chamber. The separation process of liquid waste and solid waste is carried out simultaneously. Liquid waste or disinfectant condensate seeps down through the holes in the hollow inner cylinder, passes through the drain hole, and falls into the pull-out waste liquid hopper located at the bottom of the main box, corresponding to each collection chamber, for temporary storage. When the preset time period is reached or triggered by other signals, the disinfectant in the disinfectant storage tank is pumped into the ring pipe. After being pressurized, the disinfectant is sprayed out by several atomizing nozzles distributed around the circumference of the ring pipe, forming a fine mist droplet, which diffuses the waste inside the corresponding collection chamber and the hollow inner cylinder for disinfection.

[0008] Preferably, the top cover assembly is connected to the upper rear side of the main box via a hinge, and a sealing ring is provided on its lower edge. The top cover assembly has a dispensing port that corresponds to each collection chamber. Each dispensing port has a dispensing cover hinged to its upper end and a guide funnel fixedly connected to its lower end.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the disinfection and deodorization module also includes a mounting bracket, a micro water pump, and pipelines. The ring pipe is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber via the mounting bracket, and the micro water pump is connected in series between the disinfectant storage tank and the ring pipe via pipelines.

[0010] Preferably, the main body has an air inlet and an air outlet on its side, and an air deodorization box is installed on the inner wall of the main body corresponding to the air outlet. The air deodorization box contains an activated carbon filter, a photocatalytic filter, an antibacterial and mildew-proof filter, and a deodorizing filter in sequence.

[0011] As a preferred option, a fan is installed on the inner wall of the main housing corresponding to the air inlet, and a filter is installed on the outer side of the main housing corresponding to the air inlet.

[0012] Preferably, baffles are provided on the two side walls of the collection chamber, with the baffles being staggered vertically. Preferably, the front of the main body is hinged with a cleaning door that corresponds to the collection chamber.

[0013] Preferably, the lower end of the main body is provided with a limiting guide rail corresponding to the collection chamber, the two sides of the waste liquid hopper are provided with sliders that slide in cooperation with the limiting guide rail, and the bottom of the waste liquid hopper is provided with pulleys and a drain valve.

[0014] Preferably, a PLC controller is also included, which is electrically connected to the control fan and the micro water pump and controls their start and stop.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By integrating active disinfection, dynamic deodorization, and a high-efficiency solid-liquid separation system, the problem of uncontrolled pollution during waste storage is solved. First, the ring pipe and atomizing nozzle system installed in each independent collection chamber can automatically start according to a preset cycle or release signal to carry out diffuse spray disinfection of the space inside the chamber and the waste. This can achieve a kill rate of over 99.9% for key pathogens (such as E. coli) inside the collection chamber, and suppress the concentration of odorous gases to less than 1 / 10 of the safe threshold within 30 minutes after spraying, realizing a fundamental transformation from "passive isolation" to "active purification". Secondly, the unique hollow inner cylinder and bottom pull-out waste liquid hopper design enable immediate physical separation of solid waste and contaminated waste liquid, avoiding the problem of bacterial breeding grounds caused by waste liquid accumulation. This reduces the average humidity at the bottom of the collection chamber by about 70%, significantly inhibiting the growth environment of microorganisms. Finally, the modular disinfection and air purification units, combined with intelligent control, create a safe temporary storage space that continuously inhibits bacteria and removes odors without significantly increasing manual operation. This effectively blocks the secondary pollution chain of medical waste in the hospital and greatly improves the infection control capabilities and environmental hygiene level of medical institutions. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a first three-dimensional structural schematic of Embodiment 1 of the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention; Figure 2 The diagram shown is a second three-dimensional structural schematic of Embodiment 1 of the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention; Figure 3 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of Embodiment 1 of the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention. Figure 4 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic of the disinfection and deodorization module in the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention. Figure 5 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the air deodorization box in the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention. Figure 6 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional perspective view of Embodiment 2 of the intelligent medical waste sorting and collection box of the present invention.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Main housing; 101. Collection chamber; 102. Drain hole; 103. Baffle plate; 104. Cleaning door; 2. Inner liner partition plate; 3. Hollowed-out inner cylinder; 4. Top cover assembly; 501. Ring pipe; 502. Atomizing nozzle; 503. Disinfectant storage tank; 504. Mounting bracket; 505. Miniature water pump; 506. Pipeline; 6. Sealing ring; 7. Dispensing port; 8. Dispensing cover; 9. Guide funnel; 10. Air inlet; 11. Air outlet; 12. Air deodorization box; 13. Waste liquid hopper; 14. Limiting guide rail; 15. Slider; 16. Pulley; 17. Drain valve; 18. Fan; 19. Filter screen; 20. PLC controller. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] Example 1 Please see Figures 1-5 This invention provides an embodiment of a smart medical waste sorting and collection bin, comprising a main body 1, at least one inner liner partition 2 fixed inside the main body 1, and a top cover assembly 4 hinged to the upper end of the main body 1. The inner liner partition 2 divides the interior of the main body 1 into multiple independent collection chambers 101. Each collection chamber 101 is provided with a hollow inner cylinder 3. The bin also includes a disinfection and deodorization module. The disinfection and deodorization module includes a ring pipe 501 fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber 101, a plurality of atomizing nozzles 502 fixedly connected to the inner side of the ring pipe 501 in the circumferential direction, and a disinfectant storage tank 503 installed on the outside of the main body 1 for supplying disinfectant to the ring pipe 501. The bottom of the main body 1 is provided with a drain hole 102, and a pull-out waste liquid hopper 13 is provided at its lower end corresponding to each collection chamber 101.

[0020] The top cover assembly 4 is connected to the upper rear side of the main box 1 via a hinge. A sealing ring 6 is provided on its lower edge. The top cover assembly 4 has a dispensing port 7 corresponding to each collection chamber 101. A dispensing cover 8 is hinged to the upper end of each dispensing port 7, and a guide funnel 9 is fixedly connected to its lower end. This ensures the independent sealing of each collection chamber 101 and prevents cross-contamination. The guide funnel 9 guides the waste to fall accurately into the corresponding hollow inner cylinder 3 to avoid spillage. At the same time, the sealing ring 6 enhances the overall airtightness and effectively blocks the overflow of odors.

[0021] The disinfection and deodorization module also includes a mounting bracket 504, a micro water pump 505, and a pipeline 506. The ring pipe 501 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber 101 through the mounting bracket 504. The micro water pump 505 is connected in series between the disinfectant storage tank 503 and the ring pipe 501 through the pipeline 506. The mounting bracket 504 ensures that the ring pipe 501 is stable. The micro water pump 505 provides stable pressure, so that the disinfectant is evenly sprayed through the atomizing nozzle 502, realizing automatic and efficient diffused disinfection, significantly reducing the concentration of microorganisms, and is simple and reliable to operate.

[0022] The main body 1 has an air inlet 10 and an air outlet 11 on its side. An air deodorization box 12 is installed on the inner wall of the main body 1 corresponding to the air outlet 11. The air deodorization box 12 is equipped with an activated carbon filter, a photocatalytic filter, an antibacterial and mildew-proof filter, and a deodorizing filter in sequence. The multi-layer filter combination can adsorb, decompose and intercept a variety of harmful gases and microorganisms, achieve deep air purification, continuously improve the air quality inside the box, suppress the generation of odors from the source, and ensure a fresh surrounding environment.

[0023] A fan 18 is installed on the inner wall of the main housing 1 at the air inlet 10, and a filter 19 is installed on the outer side of the main housing 1 at the air inlet 10. The fan 18 promotes air circulation, and the filter 19 blocks large particles from entering.

[0024] The main housing 1 is hinged to a cleaning door 104 that corresponds one-to-one with the collection chamber 101. The cleaning door 104 facilitates daily maintenance and inner cylinder replacement, improving purification efficiency and equipment maintainability.

[0025] The lower end of the main body 1 is provided with a limiting guide rail 14 corresponding to the collection chamber 101. The waste liquid hopper 13 is provided with sliders 15 on both sides that slide in cooperation with the limiting guide rail 14. The bottom of the waste liquid hopper 13 is provided with pulleys 16 and a drain valve 17. The sliders 15 and the limiting guide rail 14 ensure that the waste liquid hopper 13 can be pulled out smoothly. The pulleys 16 facilitate movement, and the drain valve 17 facilitates the centralized discharge of waste liquid. This achieves safe and convenient collection and cleaning of waste liquid, prevents leakage, and keeps the bottom of the body dry and hygienic.

[0026] It also includes a PLC controller 20, which is electrically connected to the control fan 18 and the micro water pump 505 and controls their start and stop. In this embodiment, the PLC controller 20 is a Siemens S7-200 SMART. The PLC controller 20 realizes automated intelligent control of the disinfection and deodorization process. It can operate precisely according to preset programs or sensor signals, improve the operating efficiency and stability of the equipment, reduce manual intervention, and ensure the continuous and reliable disinfection and purification effect.

[0027] During operation, medical personnel open the corresponding disposal cover 8 on the upper cover assembly 4 according to the waste category, and accurately place the medical waste into the hollow inner cylinder 3 in the corresponding collection chamber 101 below through the disposal port 7 and the guide funnel 9 fixed at its lower end. After disposal, the disposal cover 8 closes automatically under gravity. The upper cover assembly 4 is hinged to the main box 1. When closed, the sealing ring 6 at its lower edge presses against the upper edge of the main box 1 to form a preliminary seal to isolate the environment inside the box. The separation process of liquid waste and solid waste is carried out simultaneously. Liquid waste or disinfectant condensate seeps down through the holes in the hollow inner cylinder 3, passes through the drain hole 102, and falls into the pull-out waste liquid hopper 13 located at the bottom of the main box 1, corresponding to each collection chamber 101. The waste liquid hopper 13 is temporarily stored in the main body 1. It slides against the limiting guide rail 14 at the lower end of the main body 1 via sliders 15 on both sides, facilitating easy emptying. A pulley 16 at the bottom facilitates movement, and a drain valve 17 at the bottom controls discharge. The core disinfection and deodorization function is completed collaboratively by the disinfection and deodorization module, centrally controlled by the PLC controller 20. The core actuator of this module is a ring pipe 501 fixed to the inner wall of each collection chamber 101. The ring pipe 501 is securely connected via a mounting bracket 504. When a preset time period is reached or triggered by other signals, the PLC controller 20 starts the micro water pump 505. The micro water pump 505 pumps disinfectant from the disinfectant storage tank 503 installed on the outside of the main body 1 through pipes 506. The disinfectant is pumped into the ring pipe 501. After being pressurized, the disinfectant is sprayed out from several atomizing nozzles 502 distributed around the circumference of the ring pipe 501, forming a fine mist. This mist disinfects the waste inside the corresponding collection chamber 101 and the hollow inner cylinder 3. Simultaneously, to eliminate odors and promote air circulation, the PLC controller 20 can synchronously or independently control the fan 18 installed on the inner wall of the main housing 1 at the corresponding air inlet 10. The fan 18 operates, driving external air through a filter 19 installed on the outer side of the main housing 1 at the corresponding air inlet 10 for preliminary filtration before entering the housing. This airflow carries any odors and aerosols that may be present inside the housing, flowing through the air deodorization box 12 installed on the inner wall of the main housing 1 at the corresponding air outlet 11. The deodorizing box 12 is equipped with multiple layers of filters, including an activated carbon filter for adsorbing organic odors, a photocatalytic filter for catalytic decomposition of harmful gases, an antibacterial and anti-mildew filter for intercepting microorganisms, and a deodorizing filter for removing specific odors. This provides deep air purification. The purified air is discharged through the air outlet 11 or partially circulated within the box, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth and cross-contamination, and keeping the air around the collection box fresh. All electrical components, including the fan 18 and the micro water pump 505, are intelligently started and stopped by the PLC controller 20 according to preset programs or sensor signals, realizing active and dynamic purification management of the medical waste temporary storage environment. The hollow inner cylinder 3 can be cleaned by opening the cleaning door 104.

[0028] Example 2 Please see Figure 6 In this embodiment, while retaining all the structures of Embodiment 1, the airflow organization path inside the box has been structurally optimized. Specifically, baffles 103 are provided on the two side walls of the collection chamber 101, and the baffles 103 are distributed alternately up and down.

[0029] By forcibly changing the airflow direction, a more effective "S"-shaped detour air duct is formed. Its advantages are as follows: First, it significantly prolongs the effective flow path and residence time of air in the collection chamber 101, allowing aerosols carrying odors and microorganisms to come into more full contact with the filter media in the air deodorization box 12, thereby improving the purification efficiency of a single cycle. Second, the staggered baffles 103 can generate good turbulence and flow equalization effect on the rising airflow, which helps to break the temperature and pollutant stratification, promotes more uniform air mixing in the entire chamber, avoids purification dead corners, and ensures that disinfection droplets and deodorizing airflow can cover all the space around the hollow inner cylinder 3.

[0030] Through the above steps, by integrating active disinfection, dynamic deodorization, and a high-efficiency solid-liquid separation system, the problem of uncontrolled pollution during waste storage is solved. First, the ring pipe 501 and atomizing nozzle 502 system installed in each independent collection chamber 101 can automatically start according to a preset cycle or release signal to carry out diffuse spray disinfection of the space inside the chamber and the waste. This can achieve a kill rate of more than 99.9% for key pathogens such as E. coli inside the collection chamber 101, and suppress the concentration of odorous gases to less than 1 / 10 of the safe threshold within 30 minutes after spraying, realizing a fundamental shift from "passive isolation" to "active purification". Second, the unique hollow inner cylinder 3 and the bottom pull-out waste liquid hopper 13 design achieves... The immediate physical separation of solid waste and contaminated liquid waste avoids the problem of bacterial breeding caused by the accumulation of waste liquid, reducing the average humidity at the bottom of the collection chamber 101 by about 70%, which significantly inhibits the growth environment of microorganisms. Finally, the modular disinfection and air purification unit, combined with intelligent control, creates a safe temporary storage space that continuously inhibits bacteria and removes odors without significantly increasing manual operation. This effectively blocks the secondary pollution chain of medical waste in the hospital and greatly improves the infection control capabilities and environmental hygiene level of medical institutions. This solves the problem that existing collection boxes cannot handle the harmful gases and microbial growth continuously emitted by waste during temporary storage, and also lack an effective solid-liquid separation design, which easily leads to secondary pollution and infection risks.

[0031] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical waste intelligent sorting and collection bin, comprising a main body (1), at least one inner liner partition plate (2) fixed inside the main body (1), and a top cover assembly (4) hinged to the upper end of the main body (1), wherein the inner liner partition plate (2) divides the interior of the main body (1) into multiple independent collection chambers (101), and each collection chamber (101) is provided with a hollow inner cylinder (3), characterized in that: It also includes a disinfection and deodorization module, which includes a ring pipe (501) fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber (101), a number of atomizing nozzles (502) fixedly connected to the inner side of the ring pipe (501) in the circumferential direction, and a disinfection liquid storage tank (503) installed on the outside of the main box (1) for supplying disinfection liquid to the ring pipe (501). The bottom of the main box (1) is provided with a drain hole (102), and a pull-out waste liquid bucket (13) is provided at the lower end of each collection chamber (101).

2. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper cover assembly (4) is connected to the upper rear side of the main box (1) via a hinge. A sealing ring (6) is provided on its lower edge. The upper cover assembly (4) has a delivery port (7) corresponding to each collection chamber (101). Each delivery port (7) has a delivery cover (8) hinged at the upper end and a guide funnel (9) fixedly connected at its lower end.

3. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 1, characterized in that: The disinfection and deodorization module also includes a mounting bracket (504), a micro water pump (505), and a pipeline (506). The ring pipe (501) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber (101) through the mounting bracket (504), and the micro water pump (505) is connected in series between the disinfectant storage tank (503) and the ring pipe (501) through the pipeline (506).

4. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main body (1) has an air inlet (10) and an air outlet (11) on its side. An air deodorization box (12) is installed on the inner wall of the main body (1) at the air outlet (11). An activated carbon filter, a photocatalytic filter, an antibacterial and mildew-proof filter and a deodorizing filter are arranged in sequence inside the air deodorization box (12).

5. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 4, characterized in that: A fan (18) is installed on the inner wall of the main body (1) at the air inlet (10), and a filter (19) is installed on the outer side of the main body (1) at the air inlet (10).

6. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collecting chamber (101) is provided with baffles (103) on its two side walls, and the baffles (103) are staggered vertically.

7. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main box (1) has a cleaning door (104) that corresponds one-to-one with the collection chamber (101) on the front side.

8. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the main body (1) is provided with a limiting guide rail (14) corresponding to the collection chamber (101), and the two sides of the waste liquid hopper (13) are provided with sliders (15) that slide with the limiting guide rail (14). The bottom of the waste liquid hopper (13) is provided with a pulley (16) and a drain valve (17).

9. The intelligent medical waste sorting and collection bin according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a PLC controller (20), which is electrically connected to and controls the start and stop of the control fan (18) and the micro water pump (505).

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