Medical waste collection system, medical waste collection method, and management server for managing medical waste collection

Abstract

We provide technology that enables efficient collection and disposal of medical waste while preventing infection, and promotes the use of hydrogen energy in the medical field. [Solution] The medical waste collection system includes a medical waste discharger device equipped with hydrogen-powered medical equipment and transmitting a request for collection of the medical waste via a network, a management server equipped by a collection company that receives the collection request via the network and generates a flight plan for an unmanned aircraft based on the collection request, and an unmanned aircraft that flies according to the flight plan. The unmanned aircraft flies to the medical waste discharger, collects the medical waste, transports it to a waste disposal company, and, upon returning from the waste disposal company, transports a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen produced at the waste disposal company and to be supplied to the medical waste discharger.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a medical waste collection system, a medical waste collection method, and a management server that manages the collection of medical waste. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in hospitals and other medical institutions, medical waste such as used medical instruments and equipment is generated as a result of medical procedures. Regarding the disposal of medical waste, in order to prevent infection and protect the environment, strict management is required from collection to disposal in accordance with a manifest established by a public institution. Therefore, various technologies have been proposed that utilize computer network technology to more appropriately manage the collection and disposal of medical waste.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a system for transporting medical waste by vehicle from a medical institution to a waste disposal site. In the system of Patent Document 1 below, an identification number is read from a color code displayed on the container that holds the medical waste, and the collection and disposal of the medical waste is managed by using this identification number. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-085630 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, awareness of infection control has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to calls for further improvements in technology to prevent infection through medical waste. Furthermore, from the perspective of environmental protection, there has been a demand in various business sectors for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the utilization of hydrogen energy. However, in the field of medical waste collection and disposal technology, it cannot be said that sufficient efforts have been made to meet these demands.

[0006] The objective of this application is to provide technology that can efficiently collect and dispose of medical waste while preventing infection, and that can promote the use of hydrogen energy in the medical field. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The technology of the present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0008] [First Aspect] A first aspect of the technology disclosed herein is provided as a medical waste collection system. The medical waste collection system of the first aspect includes a medical waste disposal business operator (DVO) that disposes of medical waste generated during medical procedures and has medical equipment powered by hydrogen. The DVO device is provided by the DVO operator and transmits a request for collection of the medical waste via a network. The DVO device is provided by the DVO operator that collects the medical waste. The DVO receives the collection request via the network and generates a flight plan for the unmanned aircraft based on the collection request. The DVO also includes an unmanned aircraft that flies according to the flight plan. The flight plan is configured so that the unmanned aircraft (DVO) (i) flies to the DVO operator, collects the medical waste, and transports it to a waste disposal business operator that will perform waste disposal, and (ii) after delivering the medical waste to the waste disposal business operator, returns from the waste disposal business and transports a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen generated in the waste disposal process at the waste disposal business and to be supplied to the DVO operator. According to the first embodiment of the medical waste collection system, medical waste is transported by unmanned aerial vehicles, which reduces the chances of people coming into contact with the medical waste during transportation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of infection through medical waste. Furthermore, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles reduces carbon dioxide emissions generated during the transportation of medical waste. According to the first aspect of the medical waste collection system, a management server provided by the collection business can generate a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can collect medical waste and transport it to a waste disposal business according to the flight plan. Therefore, the collection and transportation of medical waste by the unmanned aerial vehicle can be carried out efficiently. According to the first aspect of the medical waste collection system, a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen generated by a waste disposal company and supplied to a waste generator can be transported by an unmanned aerial vehicle after transporting the medical waste to the waste disposal company. Therefore, hydrogen generated efficiently during waste disposal at the waste disposal company can be efficiently supplied to the waste generator, promoting the use of hydrogen energy in the medical field.

[0009] [Second form] In the medical waste collection system described in the first form above, the unmanned aerial vehicle is deployed at each of a plurality of bases in different locations, and when generating the flight plan, the management server selects a base from the plurality of bases to be responsible for collection, generates the flight plan including a flight route according to the location of the responsible base, and transmits the flight plan to a terminal at the responsible base via the network. According to the second embodiment of the medical waste collection system, a designated base can be selected from among multiple bases, where the flight route of the unmanned aircraft can be easily generated and medical waste collection can be efficiently performed, and the unmanned aircraft can be flown from that designated base. This makes it possible to more efficiently collect and transport medical waste by the unmanned aircraft.

[0010] [Third Mode] In the medical waste collection system described in the second mode, the management server may select the responsible base from among the plurality of bases based on information indicating the location of the base. According to the third embodiment of the medical waste collection system, the collection company terminal can select a base that is more suitable for medical waste collection based on the location of the base, thereby further improving the efficiency of medical waste collection and transportation by unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0011] [Fourth Form] In the medical waste collection system described in any of the first, second, and third forms above, if the collection request includes hydrogen order information requesting the delivery of hydrogen to the waste disposal business operator, the management server may send a request to the waste disposal business operator's terminal via the network to prepare the hydrogen storage container to be transported by the unmanned aerial vehicle. According to the fourth aspect of the medical waste collection system, hydrogen can be appropriately supplied to the waste generator in response to an order from the waste generator, thereby enabling more appropriate supply of hydrogen to the waste generator.

[0012] [Fifth Form] In the medical waste collection system described in any of the first, second, third, and fourth forms, the management server records the delivery history of hydrogen to the waste generator, and may decide to transport the hydrogen storage container to the waste generator by the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the delivery history. According to the medical waste collection system of the fifth aspect, hydrogen can be supplied to the waste generating business operator at an appropriate timing based on the delivery history of hydrogen to the waste generating business operator under the control of the management server.

[0013] [Sixth Form] In the medical waste collection system described in any of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth forms, the unmanned aerial vehicle may fly by consuming hydrogen as energy and may receive hydrogen replenishment at the waste disposal business operator. According to the sixth embodiment of the medical waste collection system, hydrogen generated by the waste disposal company can be used to transport medical waste by unmanned aerial vehicles, thereby further improving the efficiency of hydrogen energy utilization in the medical waste collection system.

[0014] [7th form] In the medical waste collection system described in any of the above 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th forms, the medical waste is placed in a container by the waste disposal business operator before collection, the container is provided with an information recording unit including a circuit configured to be able to emit electromagnetic waves, and the unmanned aerial vehicle may have the function of receiving the electromagnetic waves and detecting the container when collecting the container containing the medical waste. According to the seventh form of collection system, the unmanned aerial vehicle can easily detect containers containing medical waste, making it possible for the unmanned aerial vehicle to more smoothly collect medical waste.

[0015] [Eighth Aspect] The eighth aspect of the technology disclosed herein is a method for collecting medical waste generated by medical procedures. The method of the eighth aspect includes the steps of: a waste disposal business device, which has medical equipment powered by hydrogen and is provided by a waste disposal business that disposes of the medical waste, sending a medical waste collection request via a network to a management server provided by a collection business that is responsible for collecting the medical waste; the management server receiving the collection request via the network and generating a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle that will collect and transport the medical waste based on the collection request; the unmanned aerial vehicle flying to the waste disposal business in accordance with the flight plan, collecting the medical waste, and transporting it to a waste disposal business that will perform waste disposal; and the unmanned aerial vehicle delivering the medical waste to the waste disposal business in accordance with the flight plan, upon returning from the waste disposal business, transporting a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen produced in the waste disposal business and to be supplied to the waste disposal business. According to the method of the eighth aspect, medical waste can be efficiently collected and disposed of while preventing infection by using unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, hydrogen efficiently produced by waste disposal companies can be efficiently supplied to waste producers by unmanned aerial vehicles, thereby promoting the use of hydrogen energy.

[0016] [Ninth Aspect] A ninth aspect of the technology disclosed herein is provided as a management server connected to a network and managing the collection of medical waste generated by medical procedures. The management server of the ninth aspect has the following functions: a function to receive a collection request for the medical waste from a device of a medical waste generator owned by a medical waste generator that generates the medical waste via the network; a function to generate a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on the collection request, which is configured to (i) fly to the waste generator, collect the medical waste, and transport it to a waste disposal generator that will perform waste disposal, and (ii) after delivering the medical waste to the waste disposal generator, transport a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen that will be supplied to the unmanned aerial vehicle upon returning from the waste disposal generator; and a function to transmit the flight plan via the network to a terminal at a base where the unmanned aerial vehicle is deployed. The management server of the ninth embodiment can generate flight plans for unmanned aerial vehicles for the collection and transportation of medical waste and the transportation of hydrogen storage containers in response to a request for collection of medical waste from a waste generator. This allows for more efficient collection and disposal of medical waste and promotes the use of hydrogen energy.

[0017] The technology disclosed herein can be realized in various forms other than a medical waste collection system, a method for collecting medical waste, and a management server for managing medical waste collection, such as a medical waste management system or management method, a method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, a method for managing an unmanned aerial vehicle, a program for implementing these systems or methods by a computer, or a storage medium on which the program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a medical waste collection system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a management server provided in a collection company. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a medical waste collection container, a waste disposal company device, and an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing the flow of medical waste collection and hydrogen supply in a medical waste collection system. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a preparation process executed by a management server. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a medical waste collection container, a waste disposal company device, and an unmanned aerial vehicle in a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] 1. First embodiment: 1-1. Overview of the medical waste collection system: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a medical waste collection system 100 in the first embodiment.

[0020] The medical waste collection system 100 manages the collection for disposal of medical waste MW generated by medical procedures at medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics. The medical waste collection system 100 uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect the medical waste MW. Hereinafter, the "medical waste collection system 100" will also be simply referred to as the "collection system 100."

[0021] The medical waste MW, the collection of which is managed by the collection system 100, includes various items that have come into contact with medical personnel and patients, such as used medical implements such as syringe needles, various medical devices, and empty containers used for medicines and blood donations and blood collection. Hereinafter, medical waste MW will also be simply referred to as "waste MW."

[0022] The collection system 100 connects a waste generator 10 that generates waste MW, a collection operator 20 that collects the waste MW, and a waste disposal operator 30 that disposes of the waste MW, through communication via a network NW constructed using electrical communication technology. In this embodiment, the network NW is, for example, the Internet.

[0023] The waste disposal business operator 10 can access the collection system 100 by connecting to the network NW via a waste disposal business operator device 11 (described later) or a terminal (not shown) such as a personal computer, which is provided in the waste disposal business operator 10. For convenience, only one waste disposal business operator 10 is shown in Fig. 1, but the collection system 100 can be used by multiple waste disposal business operators 10 who are registered in advance in the management server 21 of the waste disposal business operator 20 and are issued and managed accounts.

[0024] The waste discharger 10 transmits a request for collection of the waste MW to the collection company 20 via the network NW using the waste discharger device 11 configured as an information processing terminal. In this embodiment, the waste MW is collected in a state where it is contained in a dedicated container 12. The waste discharger 10 automatically transmits the collection request by optically reading information about the waste MW from an information recording unit 13 provided in the container 12 using the waste discharger device 11. The request for collection of the waste MW by the waste discharger 10's device 11 will be described in detail later.

[0025] The recovery business operator 20 is connected to the network NW and includes a management server 21 that constructs the recovery system 100. The configuration of the management server 21 will be described in detail later. The management server 21 manages the recovery of waste MW based on a recovery request from the waste discharger 10 and the supply of hydrogen to the waste discharger 10. The management server 21 receives a recovery request from the waste discharger 10 via the network NW, generates a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 based on the recovery request, and transmits it to the base 23 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The management of the recovery of waste MW by the management server 21 will be described in detail later.

[0026] The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is deployed at a base 23 managed by the collection company 20. For convenience, only one base 23 is shown in Figure 1, but the collection company 20 manages multiple bases 23 in different locations. The management server 21 of the collection company 20 can manage the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 deployed at each base 23 by communicating with a terminal (not shown) at each base 23 via the network NW.

[0027] In this embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is configured as a small drone capable of autonomous flight. The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is configured to be able to transport the container 12 containing the waste MW and the hydrogen storage container 32 described below. The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 flies according to a flight plan generated by the management server 21, thereby collecting the waste MW from the waste discharger 10 and transporting it to the waste treatment business operator 30. The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 also transports the hydrogen storage container 32 prepared by the waste discharger 10 according to the flight plan.

[0028] The waste disposal business operator 30 can access the collection system 100 by connecting to the network NW using a terminal (not shown), such as a personal computer. The waste disposal business operator 30 receives a disposal request for the waste MW from the management server 21 via the network NW using the terminal.

[0029] 1, for the sake of convenience, only one waste disposal business operator 30 is shown, but a plurality of waste disposal businesses 30 with different locations, types of waste that can be disposed of, disposal methods, etc. are registered in the collection system 100. In response to a request to collect waste MW, the management server 21 selects a waste disposal business operator 30 to which to make a disposal request.

[0030] Based on the disposal request, the waste disposal business operator 30 prepares to receive the waste MW transported by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The waste disposal business operator 30 receives the waste MW from the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 and disposes of the waste MW. When the disposal process is complete, the waste disposal business operator 30 transmits a completion report to the management server 21 from the terminal via the network NW.

[0031] The waste disposal business operator 30 disposes of the waste MW by, for example, incineration in an incinerator. At the waste disposal business operator 30, hydrogen is generated in association with the waste disposal. For example, hydrogen is generated or extracted from gases generated during the waste disposal. Alternatively, hydrogen may be generated by utilizing heat or electricity generated during the waste disposal. The generation of hydrogen in association with the waste disposal can be achieved by known technology, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted in this specification.

[0032] In the recovery system 100, the waste disposal business operator 30 supplies hydrogen to the waste generating business operator 10 by transporting a hydrogen storage container 32 filled with the generated hydrogen by unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The hydrogen storage container 32 is formed, for example, by a tank or cartridge containing a hydrogen storage alloy.

[0033] The waste emitter 10 is equipped with medical equipment 15 that runs on hydrogen. The medical equipment 15 may be, for example, equipment that is driven by power generated by a fuel cell that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The medical equipment 15 may also be equipment that is mounted on a fuel cell vehicle and driven by power supplied by the fuel cell vehicle.

[0034] The medical device 15 may be a small device such as an electric scalpel, or may be a medium-sized or large device such as a CT (Computed Tomography) device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device, an X-ray device, or a medical robot.

[0035] The recovery system 100, under the management of the management server 21 of the recovery business operator 20, recovers the above-mentioned waste MW from the waste discharge business operator 10 and also supplies hydrogen to be consumed by the medical equipment 15. Details of the supply of hydrogen from the waste disposal business operator 30 to the waste discharge business operator 10 by the recovery system 100 constructed by the management server 21 will be described later.

[0036] 1-2.Medical waste collection system management server: FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the management server 21 provided in the collection company 20. As shown in FIG.

[0037] The management server 21 is configured by a computer having a central processing unit (CPU) and a main memory device (RAM). The management server 21 includes a management control unit 40, a communication unit 41, an input unit 42, an output unit 43, and a memory unit 45. These components 40, 41, 42, 43, and 45 are connected via a bus.

[0038] The management control unit 40 is a functional unit realized by the CPU of the management server 21 reading and executing commands and programs prepared in advance on its RAM. The management control unit 40 controls the components 41, 42, 43, and 45 of the management server 21 and executes various processes for collecting waste MW.

[0039] The communication unit 41 controls communication via the network NW under the control of the management control unit 40. The input unit 42 is configured with, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc., and accepts input operations of information to the management server 21. The output unit 43 is configured with a display device and a printer, and outputs various notifications and information related to the processing of the collection system 100.

[0040] The storage unit 45 corresponds to an external storage device of the management server 21, and is configured by a non-volatile large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk (HD) or solid state disk (SSD) that stores information not only temporarily but also so that the information can be retained even after power is turned off. A database is constructed in the storage unit 45, which stores data used by the management server 21 to control the collection system 100.

[0041] At least management information IM, map information IG, and aviation management information IA are stored in the database of the storage unit 45. The management information IM includes waste generator information ID, base information IB, and waste disposal operator information IW.

[0042] The emission business operator information ID is information related to the emission business operator 10, and includes unique information IDa, collection request information IDb, and hydrogen delivery information IDc. The unique information IDa is information for identifying the emission business operator 10. The unique information IDa is unique information that is linked to the emission business operator 10, and includes, for example, the name of the emission business operator 10 and account information issued at the time of registration for logging in to the collection system 100. The unique information IDa includes at least location information that indicates the location (address) of the emission business operator 10. The management server 21 uses the unique information IDa of the emission business operator 10 to manage logins of the terminal of the emission business operator 10 to the collection system 100.

[0043] The collection request information IDb is information about a request for collection of waste MW received from the waste generator 10. The collection request information IDb includes, for example, the date and time when the collection request was made, the type and amount of waste MW for which collection is requested, the dimensions and number of the containers 12 to be collected, the reservation date and time for collection, whether or not there is a request for delivery of hydrogen in conjunction with the collection of the waste MW, and information indicating the performance of collection of the waste MW.

[0044] The hydrogen delivery information IDc is information relating to the delivery of hydrogen from the waste disposal business operator 30 to the discharge business operator 10. The hydrogen delivery information IDc includes information indicating the delivery history of hydrogen, such as the date and time when the hydrogen storage container 32 was delivered to the discharge business operator 10 and the quantity delivered.

[0045] The base information IB is information relating to the base 23 that deploys the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The base information IB includes, for example, unique information IBa that is unique to each base 23 to enable each base 23 to be identified, and aircraft information IBb that is information relating to the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 deployed at each base 23.

[0046] The base 23 specific information IBa is information uniquely linked to each base 23 and includes at least location information indicating the location of the base 23. The aircraft information IBb includes, for example, identification information for identifying the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 deployed at that base 23 and flight schedule information indicating the scheduled flight dates and times of each unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The base information IB may also include, for example, information regarding aircraft registration for applying for a flight permit for each unmanned aerial vehicle 25, and information regarding the performance and current operating status of each unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0047] The waste disposal business information IW includes unique information IWa that is unique to each waste disposal business 30 and is used to identify each waste disposal business 30, and waste treatment information IWb related to the waste treatment of the waste disposal business 30. The unique information IWa of each waste disposal business 30 is information that is uniquely linked to the waste disposal business 30, and includes at least location information that indicates the location of the waste disposal business 30. The management server 21 can identify each waste disposal business 30 registered in the collection system 100 based on the unique information IWa.

[0048] The waste disposal information IWb is information for each waste disposal business operator 30 registered in the collection system 100. The waste disposal information IWb includes, for example, information on the disposal capacity of the waste disposal business operator 30, such as the type and amount of waste that can be disposed of, and information on the waste disposal implementation schedule.

[0049] Furthermore, the waste disposal business information IW includes hydrogen generation information IWc that indicates the current inventory of hydrogen at the waste disposal business 30 and the future hydrogen generation schedule. The hydrogen generation information IWc is updated periodically through communication with the terminal of the waste disposal business 30, and is referenced when generating a flight plan, which will be described later, for delivering hydrogen to the waste discharge business 10.

[0050] The map information IG includes information showing a map of the area under the jurisdiction of the recovery system 100 and information on the flyable area within the area in which the unmanned aircraft 25 is permitted to fly. The aviation management information IA is information used for flight management of the unmanned aircraft 25, and includes, for example, information on prior applications and permission for flying the unmanned aircraft 25.

[0051] 1-3. Medical waste collection containers, waste generator devices, and unmanned aerial vehicles: Referring to Fig. 3, the collection container 12, the waste generator device 11, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 used for collecting waste MW in the collection system 100 will be described. Fig. 3 illustrates blocks of the container 12, the waste generator device 11, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, and the management server 21, and shows an overview of the collection flow of waste MW. In Fig. 3, two speech bubbles each show a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the waste generator device 11 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0052] (1) Medical waste collection containers: As described above, when the waste generator 10 requests the collection of the waste MW, the waste MW is stored in a dedicated container 12. The container 12 is made of a material that has been treated with antibacterial and antiviral agents to prevent infection. The container 12 is also configured so that the inside is airtightly sealed to prevent the leakage of bacteria and viruses from the inside.

[0053] The container 12 is preferably configured so that it cannot be opened after the waste MW is contained and the container is sealed by a locking mechanism that locks the lid that seals the container body. This prevents the container 12 from being opened during transportation or other times before disposal, and the contained waste MW from being exposed to the outside.

[0054] Furthermore, the container 12 is made of a material that allows it to be disposed of by the waste disposal business operator 30 while still containing the waste MW. This eliminates the need for the waste disposal business operator 30 to remove the waste MW from the container 12, thereby preventing the outbreak of infectious diseases at the waste disposal business operator 30.

[0055] In this embodiment, an information recording section 13 is provided on the outer surface of the container 12, in which waste information related to the waste MW contained in the container 12 is recorded. In this embodiment, the information recording section 13 is configured by an optically readable code. For example, a QR code (registered trademark) can be used as the code that configures the information recording section 13. In other embodiments, the information recording section 13 may be configured by a barcode or other image.

[0056] The waste information recorded in the information recording unit 13 includes, for example, information such as the type of waste MW contained in the container 12, the amount and weight of the waste MW, and the dimensions of the container. The waste information includes identification information that enables identification of each container 12. In addition, the waste information may include various information used to create a manifest for the waste MW.

[0057] (2) Emission business device: The waste generator 10 uses the waste generator device 11 to optically read the information recording unit 13 provided in the container 12 containing the waste MW, and thereby requests the collection business operator 20 to collect the waste MW contained in the container 12. The waste generator device 11 can be configured, for example, by a mobile terminal having a camera function and a communication function, such as a smartphone or tablet, or a personal computer.

[0058] The waste disposal business device 11 includes a device control unit 50, a communication unit 51, an input unit 52, a display unit 53, and an imaging unit 54, all of which are connected to one another via a bus. The device control unit 50 is a functional unit that is realized by a CPU (not shown) reading and executing instructions and programs prepared in advance on RAM, and controls the waste disposal business device 11. The communication unit 41 communicates via the network NW under the control of the device control unit 50.

[0059] The input unit 52 accepts operations by a user of the waste disposal business device 11. The display unit 53 includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and is capable of displaying images including text information under the control of the device control unit 50. In the waste disposal business device 11 of this embodiment, the input unit 52 and the display unit 53 are integrated to form a touch panel. The imaging unit 54 includes, for example, a lens and an image sensor, and performs imaging under the control of the device control unit 50, and outputs an image signal obtained by imaging to the device control unit 50.

[0060] In this embodiment, the device control unit 50 executes a collection request program 55, which is a dedicated application program for collection requests. The collection request program 55 displays an interface image (not shown) on the display unit 53 of the waste generator device 11, and executes a collection request for the waste MW in response to an operation received from a user via the interface image. The collection request program 55 has, as functional units, an information acquisition unit 56 and a request execution unit 57.

[0061] The information acquisition unit 56 executes a process of acquiring waste information from the information recording unit 13 of the container 12. The information acquisition unit 56 optically reads the waste information from the information recording unit 13 provided in the container 12. The information acquisition unit 56 photographs the information recording unit 13 using the imaging unit 54, analyzes the data of the photographed image, and acquires the waste information.

[0062] The request execution unit 57 generates a collection request, which is information requesting the collection of the waste MW, using the waste information acquired by the information acquisition unit 56, and transmits the request to the management server 21 via the communication unit 41. In addition to the waste information, the request execution unit 57 includes in the collection request at least information for identifying the waste discharger 10 that has sent the collection request, and information on the collection request date and time that indicates the date and time when the collection request was sent. The collection request may also include information on the collection location of the waste MW within the facility of the waste discharger 10 and information on the desired collection date and time, which have been input in advance via the collection request program 55.

[0063] The request execution unit 57 also includes hydrogen order information in the recovery request, which requests the delivery of hydrogen to the discharge business operator 10. The hydrogen order information is generated based on information previously input by the user through the recovery request program 55. The hydrogen order information includes, for example, whether or not delivery of hydrogen storage containers 32 is required, the capacity and number of hydrogen storage containers 32 that are desired to be delivered, etc. The hydrogen order information may also include a setting to leave the delivery of the hydrogen storage containers 32 to the recovery business operator 20.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, when the user who is the person in charge of the waste disposal business operator 10 causes the waste disposal business operator device 11 to optically read the information recording unit 13 provided on the container 12 using the collection request program 55, a collection request is generated and automatically transmitted to the management server 21. Therefore, a collection request for the waste MW can be easily made.

[0065] (3) Unmanned aerial vehicle: As described above, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 flies autonomously according to a flight plan generated by the management server 21, flying from the base 23 where it is deployed to the waste generator 10, collecting the waste MW, and transporting it to the waste disposal business operator 30. The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 also receives the hydrogen storage container 32 at the waste disposal business operator 30, and transports it to the waste generator 10 for delivery.

[0066] Unmanned aerial vehicle 25 includes an aircraft control unit 60, a position detection unit 61, an attitude detection unit 62, an object detection unit 63, a camera unit 64, a drive unit 65, and a communication unit 66, all of which are connected to one another via a bus. Aircraft control unit 60 is a functional unit that is realized by a CPU (not shown) reading and executing instructions and programs prepared in advance on RAM, and controls unmanned aerial vehicle 25. Control of unmanned aerial vehicle 25 by aircraft control unit 60 will be described after describing the other components 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66.

[0067] The position detection unit 61 is configured, for example, by a GPS sensor, and outputs a signal indicating the current location of the aircraft control unit 60 to the aircraft control unit 60. The attitude detection unit 62 is configured, for example, by an acceleration sensor, and outputs a signal for detecting the attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to the aircraft control unit 60. The object detection unit 63 is equipped, for example, with a sonar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave sensor, etc., and detects objects present around the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The camera unit 64 is equipped with a lens and an image sensor, and captures images of the outside world of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 under the control of the aircraft control unit 60, and outputs an image signal to the aircraft control unit 60.

[0068] The drive unit 65 generates a drive force for flying the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 under the control of the aircraft control unit 60. The drive unit 65 is composed of, for example, multiple motors, multiple propellers rotated by the motors, and multiple actuators that change the mounting angle of each propeller. The communication unit 66 communicates with a terminal at the base 23 under the control of the aircraft control unit 60. The aircraft control unit 60 acquires a flight plan and other information through communication via the communication unit 66.

[0069] The aircraft control unit 60 has, as functional units, an information acquisition unit 67, a flight control unit 68, and a container detection unit 69. The information acquisition unit 67 acquires the flight plan generated by the management server 21 by communicating with a terminal at the base 23 via the communication unit 66. The information acquisition unit 67 acquires, via the communication unit 66, commands for the unmanned aircraft 25 and other information used in the flight of the unmanned aircraft 25.

[0070] The flight control unit 68 controls the drive unit 65 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 and flies the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 according to a flight plan while detecting the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 using the position detection unit 61. The flight control unit 68 controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to fly between the base 23 and the waste generator 10, and between the waste generator 10 and the waste disposal business operator 30, along a route defined in the route information included in the flight plan.

[0071] The flight control unit 68 detects the attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 using the attitude detection unit 62, and controls the drive unit 65 based on the detection result to control the attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 during flight. Furthermore, the flight control unit 68 detects obstacles around the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 using the object detection unit 63 and camera unit 64 while the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is flying, and controls the drive unit 65 so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 does not collide with the obstacles. Additionally, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 lands, the flight control unit 68 detects a possible ground surface using the object detection unit 63 and camera unit 64, and controls the drive unit 65 so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 lands on that ground.

[0072] The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 has a function for automatically handling the object to be transported, i.e., loading and unloading the container 12, which is the object to be transported. The container detection unit 69 of the aircraft control unit 60 can optically detect the container 12 by analyzing images acquired by the camera unit 64. When the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 arrives at a predetermined collection location at the waste generator 10, the container detection unit 69 optically detects the container 12 to be collected. The flight control unit 68 causes the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to hold the container 12, for example, by hovering the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 and engaging a locking portion attached to the container 12 with a locking portion provided on the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0073] Furthermore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 arrives at a predetermined location for receiving waste at the waste disposal business operator 30, the flight control unit 68 unloads the container 12 that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is carrying. The flight control unit 68, for example, hovers the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 while landing the container 12 and releases the locking mechanism, thereby lowering the container 12 to the predetermined location. In the same manner as for the container 12, the flight control unit 68 loads the hydrogen storage container 32 onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 at the waste disposal business operator 30, and transports and delivers it to the waste disposal business operator. Note that in other embodiments, the loading and unloading of the container 12 and the hydrogen storage container 32 onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 may be performed manually by a worker.

[0074] The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 of this embodiment flies by consuming hydrogen as energy. The unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is equipped with a hydrogen tank and a fuel cell, and is powered by electricity generated by the fuel cell using hydrogen from the hydrogen tank. This allows the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to extend its range by refueling with hydrogen.

[0075] 1-4. Medical waste collection system and hydrogen supply: Figure 4 is a flow diagram showing the recovery of waste MW and the flow of hydrogen supply in the recovery system 100. Figure 4 shows flow charts in parallel showing the process procedures of the waste generator 10, recovery operator 20, and waste disposal operator 30.

[0076] In step S10, a person in charge of the waste discharge business operator 10 places the waste MW in the container 12 and seals it. In step S15, the person in charge of the waste discharge business operator 10 uses the waste discharge business operator device 11 to send a collection request for the waste MW placed in the container 12 to the management server 21 of the collection business operator 20 via the network NW. As described above, in this embodiment, the collection request is automatically sent by the waste discharge business operator device 11 optically reading the information recording unit 13 of the container 12.

[0077] In step S20, the management server 21 of the collection business operator 20 receives a collection request from the waste generating business operator 10. In step S22, the management server 21 executes preparation processing for collection of the waste MW based on the received collection request.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the preparation process for collection of waste MW by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, which is executed by the management server 21 in step S22 of FIG.

[0079] In step S100, the management server 21 determines a waste disposal business operator 30 to which a disposal request for the waste MW is to be made based on the collection request. The management server 21 extracts candidates for waste disposal business operators 30 that are capable of disposing of the waste MW based on the waste information included in the collection request. Furthermore, the management server 21 determines the waste disposal business operator 30 to which a disposal request is to be made from the extracted candidates based on the location of the waste discharger 10 that requested the collection. The management server 21 may, for example, select a waste disposal business operator 30 that is closest to the waste discharger 10 that requested the collection, or a waste disposal business operator 30 that has geographical conditions (described later) that make it easy to set a route (flight route) for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 between the waste discharger 10 and the waste discharger 10. The management server 21 may also select a waste disposal business operator 30 based on the current inventory of hydrogen at the waste disposal business operator 30.

[0080] In step S110, the management server 21 selects a responsible base 23a to be in charge of collecting the waste MW from among the multiple bases 23 it manages. The management server 21 selects a responsible base 23a that is suitable for collection by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 based on the collection request, the waste generator information ID, the base information IB, and the waste disposal business information IW. The management server 21 selects, as a candidate for the responsible base 23a, a base 23 where the sum of the distance from the base 23 to the waste generator 10 that made the collection request and the distance from the waste generator 10 to the waste disposal business 30 is less than a predetermined distance. When there are multiple candidates for the responsible base 23a, the management server 21 may select, as the responsible base 23a, the base 23 that is able to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 earliest based on the flight schedule of the deployed unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0081] The management server 21 may select, as the responsible base 23a, a base 23 having geographical conditions that make it easy to set a flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 between the base 23 and the waste generator 10, or between the waste generator 10 and the waste disposal operator 30. "Geographical conditions that make it easy to set a flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25" refer to geographical conditions that allow the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to fly smoothly, and may also refer to geographical conditions that make it easy to obtain flight permission for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 from a public institution that manages airspace. Geographical conditions that make it easy to set a flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 may also refer to geographical conditions such as the presence of an ocean, river, irrigation canal, vacant land, forest, or farmland below the flight route.

[0082] In step S120, the management server 21 generates a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. First, based on the aircraft information IBb of the base information IB, the management server 21 selects an unmanned aerial vehicle 25 to execute collection from among the unmanned aerial vehicles 25 deployed at the responsible base 23a selected in step S110. The management server 21 may determine the number of unmanned aerial vehicles 25 to execute collection of the waste MW according to the number of containers 12 to be collected, and select that number of unmanned aerial vehicles 25. The management server 21 includes the selection result of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 in the flight plan.

[0083] Next, the management server 21 uses the management information IM, map information IG, and aviation management information IA to generate a flight route between the responsible base 23a and the waste generator 10, and a flight route between the waste generator 10 and the waste disposal operator 30. The management server 21 includes the generated flight routes in the flight plan as flight route information.

[0084] The management server 21 includes in the flight plan time schedule information including the average flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, the scheduled departure time from the base 23a, the scheduled arrival time at the waste discharger 10 or the waste disposal business operator 30, and the scheduled passing times for passing through predetermined points along the way. In addition, the management server 21 includes in the flight plan a setting as to whether or not to transport the hydrogen storage container 32 from the waste disposal business operator 30 to the waste discharger 10, and information on the flight route and time schedule for transporting the hydrogen storage container 32.

[0085] The management server 21 includes in the flight plan a setting as to whether or not hydrogen will be refueled to the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 at the waste disposal business operator 30. Based on the flight route information, the management server 21 calculates the flight distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 between the waste generator 10 and the waste disposal business operator 30. If the calculated flight distance is greater than a predetermined threshold, the management server 21 generates a flight plan set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is refueled with hydrogen at the waste disposal business operator 30.

[0086] If the collection request includes hydrogen order information requesting the supply of hydrogen to the waste disposal business operator 10, the management server 21 references the hydrogen generation information IWc in the waste disposal business operator information IW. Based on the hydrogen generation information IWc, the management server 21 generates a flight plan so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 can arrive on the date and time when the waste disposal business operator 30 is expected to be able to prepare the hydrogen storage container 32 for delivery to the waste disposal business operator 10.

[0087] If the hydrogen order information in the recovery request includes a setting to entrust the delivery of the hydrogen storage container 32 to the recovery business operator 20, the management server 21 determines to transport the hydrogen storage container 32 to the discharge business operator 10 by unmanned aerial vehicle 25 based on the hydrogen delivery information IDc of the discharge business operator 10. The management server 21 refers to the hydrogen delivery history included in the hydrogen delivery information IDc, and if a predetermined period has passed since the last hydrogen delivery date, includes in the flight plan the transportation of the hydrogen storage container 32 from the waste disposal business operator 30 to the discharge business operator 10.

[0088] If the flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 created in generating the flight plan includes airspace for which prior application or permission is required from an external organization or landowner, the management server 21 outputs a message indicating this via the output unit 43 of the management server 21. When this message is output, the person in charge of the recovery business operator 20 carries out the prescribed procedures to obtain permission to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The management server 21 may have a function to automatically carry out the procedures for prior application and permission for flying the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 via the network NW.

[0089] In step S130, management server 21 transmits the generated flight plan to a terminal at responsible base 23a via network NW. At responsible base 23a, information included in the flight plan is set in unmanned aerial vehicle 25 that will perform the recovery specified in the flight plan so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 can fly autonomously according to the flight plan.

[0090] In step S140, the management server 21 transmits the flight plan to the waste discharger device 11 via the network NW. Based on the flight plan, the waste discharger device 11 notifies the user of the scheduled time when the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 will arrive at the waste discharger 10's collection location for collecting the waste MW. Furthermore, when a hydrogen storage container 32 is delivered from the waste disposal business operator 30, the waste discharger device 11 notifies the user of the scheduled time when the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 carrying the hydrogen storage container 32 will arrive at the set collection location within the waste discharger 10.

[0091] In step S150, the management server 21 contacts the waste disposal business operator 30. The management server 21 notifies the terminal of the waste disposal business operator 30 via the network NW of the scheduled date and time when the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 will arrive carrying the container 12 containing the waste MW. If the flight plan includes a setting for the waste disposal business operator 30 to refuel the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 with hydrogen, the management server 21 sends a message to the terminal of the waste disposal business operator 30 requesting that hydrogen be refueled to the arriving unmanned aerial vehicle 25. Furthermore, if the flight plan includes a schedule for transporting a hydrogen storage container 32 to the waste discharge business operator 10, the management server 21 sends a message to the terminal of the waste disposal business operator 30 requesting that the hydrogen storage container 32 be prepared for transport by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0092] This completes the preparation process in the management server 21 of the collection company 20. Next, the process after the preparation process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0093] In step S24, a person in charge at the waste disposal business operator 10 that has requested the collection of the waste MW prepares the waste MW so that it can be collected by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. The person in charge places the container 12 containing the waste MW at a predetermined collection location. In step S26, a person in charge at the waste disposal business operator 30 that has received the disposal request prepares to receive the waste MW. When a request for a hydrogen storage container 32 is received from the management server 21, the person in charge at the waste disposal business operator 30 prepares for delivery of the hydrogen storage container 32 to the waste disposal business operator 10.

[0094] In step S30, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 flies from the responsible base 23a selected by the management server 21 to the waste generator 10 in accordance with the flight plan. In step S32, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 collects the container 12 containing the waste MW from the waste generator 10 and transports it to the waste disposal operator 30 in accordance with the flight plan.

[0095] In step S34, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 drops off the container 12 at the waste disposal business operator 30, and a person in charge of the waste disposal business operator 30 receives the container 12. If the flight plan includes refueling the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 with hydrogen, in step S36, hydrogen is refueled to the unmanned aerial vehicle 25.

[0096] Furthermore, if the flight plan includes the transportation of the hydrogen storage container 32 to the waste discharger 10, in step S38 the hydrogen storage container 32 prepared by the waste disposal business operator 30 is loaded onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 and transported to the waste discharger 10. However, if the flight plan does not include the transportation of the hydrogen storage container 32 to the waste discharger 10, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 returns to the base 23a.

[0097] In step S40, the discharger 10 receives the hydrogen storage container 32 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. After this, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 returns to the base 23a.

[0098] In step S42, the waste disposal business operator 30 disposes of the waste MW received in step S34 by waste disposal processing while it is still contained in the container 12. As described above, in the waste disposal business operator 30, hydrogen is produced in conjunction with the waste disposal processing in step S42.

[0099] In step S44, after the disposal process of the waste MW is completed, the person in charge of the waste disposal business operator 30 notifies the management server 21 of the collection business operator 20 of the completion of the disposal process via the network NW using the terminal of the waste disposal business operator 30. In step S46, the management server 21 records that the disposal of the collected waste MW has been completed, and notifies the waste generator device 11 of the completion of the disposal of the waste MW via the network NW. In step S48, the waste generator 10 creates a manifest for the collection and disposal of the waste MW using the information managed by the management server 21 in the memory unit 45.

[0100] 1-5. Main benefits of the medical waste collection system: According to the collection system 100 of the first embodiment, the waste MW is transported by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, which reduces the chances of people coming into contact with the waste MW during transportation, thereby suppressing the occurrence of infection via the waste MW. Furthermore, by using the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, the waste MW can be transported efficiently without being affected by traffic congestion, accidents, construction work, etc. on the ground. Furthermore, the transportation distance of the waste MW can be easily shortened, which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by transporting the waste MW.

[0101] According to the collection system 100 of the first embodiment, a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is generated by the management server 21 provided in the collection business operator 20, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 collects the waste MW and transports it to the waste disposal business operator 30 according to the flight plan. Therefore, the collection and transportation of the waste MW by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 can be efficiently carried out.

[0102] According to the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 that transported the waste MW to the waste disposal business operator 30 can transport the hydrogen storage container 32 filled with hydrogen produced at the waste disposal business operator 30 to the waste discharger 10. Therefore, the hydrogen efficiently produced in conjunction with the waste disposal process at the waste disposal business operator 30 can be efficiently supplied to the waste discharger 10, thereby promoting the use of hydrogen energy in the medical field.

[0103] According to the collection system 100 of the first embodiment, the management server 21 selects a responsible base 23a suitable for collecting the waste MW based on the collection request, the waste generator information ID, the base information IB, and the waste disposal operator information IW. The collection of the waste MW is carried out by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 deployed at the responsible base 23a. According to this configuration, the responsible base 23a is appropriately selected by the management server 21, so that the collection and transportation of the waste MW by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 can be carried out more efficiently. In the first embodiment, the management server 21 selects the responsible base 23a based on its location, so that a more efficient flight route can be easily generated. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the management server 21 selects the responsible base 23a based on the flight schedule of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 can be operated more efficiently.

[0104] According to the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, hydrogen is appropriately supplied to the emitter 10 in accordance with the order from the emitter 10 at the time of the recovery request, thereby enabling a more appropriate supply of hydrogen to the emitter 10. Furthermore, according to the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, the management server 21 can determine the transportation of the hydrogen storage container 32 to the emitter 10 by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 based on the delivery history of hydrogen to the emitter 10, thereby enabling hydrogen to be supplied to the emitter 10 at an appropriate time.

[0105] According to the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 is refueled with hydrogen produced by the waste disposal business operator 30 at the waste disposal business operator 30. This makes it possible to extend the range of the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 and further improve the efficiency of hydrogen utilization in the recovery system 100.

[0106] According to the collection system 100 of the first embodiment, after the disposal of the waste MW is completed, the waste generator 10 can easily and efficiently create a manifest for the disposal of the waste MW using the information managed by the management server 21. Therefore, according to the collection system 100 of the first embodiment, it is possible to more thoroughly manage the waste MW using the manifest.

[0107] 1-6. Summary of the first embodiment: According to the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, the method for recovering waste MW executed by the recovery system 100, and the management server 21 that constructs the recovery system 100, waste MW can be efficiently recovered and disposed of while preventing infection by using the unmanned aerial vehicle 25. In addition, hydrogen efficiently produced by the waste disposal business operator 30 can be efficiently supplied to the waste generating business operator 10, thereby promoting the use of hydrogen energy.

[0108] 2. Second embodiment: Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the collection of waste MW in the collection system 100A of the second embodiment. Fig. 6 illustrates a container 12A, a waste generator device 11A, and an unmanned aerial vehicle 25A, and shows an overview of the exchange of signals when the waste MW is collected in the collection system 100A. Fig. 6 also shows a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the waste generator device 11A, the information recording unit 13A, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A in speech bubbles.

[0109] The configuration of the recovery system 100A of the second embodiment is almost the same as that of the recovery system 100 of the first embodiment, except for the points described below. In addition, the procedure for recovery and disposal of waste MW in the recovery system 100A of the second embodiment and the procedure for the management method thereof are as described in the first embodiment with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0110] (1) Information recording unit: In the collection system 100A of the second embodiment, the configurations of the information recording unit 13A provided in the container 12A, the waste generator device 11A used by the collection company 20, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A used to collect the waste MW are different from those described in the first embodiment. As will be described below, in the collection system 100A of the second embodiment, the information recording unit 13A is configured to emit electromagnetic waves, and the waste generator device 11A and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A are configured to be able to receive the electromagnetic waves.

[0111] In the collection system 100A of the second embodiment, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is applied to the information recording unit 13A, the waste disposal company device 11A, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A. In the collection system 100A, the information recording unit 13A is configured with an IC tag, and the waste disposal company device 11A and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A have RFID reader functions.

[0112] With this configuration, when waste disposal business device 11A or unmanned aerial vehicle 25A transmits a predetermined first electromagnetic wave W1 to information recording unit 13A, information recording unit 13A receives the first electromagnetic wave W1 and transmits a second electromagnetic wave W2 carrying a signal representing waste information. Waste disposal business device 11A and unmanned aerial vehicle 25A receive the returned second electromagnetic wave W2. The configurations of information recording unit 13A, waste disposal business device 11A, and unmanned aerial vehicle 25A will be described in detail below.

[0113] The information recording unit 13A of the second embodiment includes an antenna unit 80 and a circuit unit 81, which are electrically connected to each other. The antenna unit 80 is capable of receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves W1 and W2. The frequency band of the electromagnetic waves W1 and W2 may be, for example, the 2.45 GHz band or the UHF band of 860 to 960 MHz.

[0114] The circuit unit 81 is connected to the antenna unit 80 and receives signals carried on electromagnetic waves W1 from the waste disposal business operator device 11A and the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A via the antenna unit 80. Waste information is pre-recorded in the memory area of ​​the circuit unit 81. When the circuit unit 81 receives the signal carried on electromagnetic waves W1 via the antenna unit 80, it generates a signal representing the waste information recorded in the memory area, carries the signal on electromagnetic waves W2, and emits it via the antenna unit 80. The waste information recorded in the memory area of ​​the circuit unit 81 may be recorded before the unused container 12A is delivered, or may be written by the waste disposal business operator 10 after the unused container 12A is delivered.

[0115] In the second embodiment, the information recording unit 13A is configured as a passive tag. The information recording unit 13A drives the circuit unit 81 with electricity generated by reception of the electromagnetic wave W1 by the antenna unit 80. Note that in other embodiments, the information recording unit 13A may be provided with an internal battery for driving the circuit unit 81, and may be configured as an active tag or a semi-active tag.

[0116] (2) Emission business device: The waste disposal company device 11A of the second embodiment is an RFID reader configured to be able to transmit a collection request for waste MW. In the second embodiment, when a person in charge of the waste disposal company 10 operates a button to instruct the waste disposal company device 11A to execute a collection request, the collection request including the waste information recorded in the information recording unit 13A of the container 12A is automatically transmitted to the management server 21 of the collection company 20.

[0117] The waste disposal business device 11A includes a device control unit 70, a communication unit 71, an operation unit 72, and an antenna unit 73. The device control unit 70 of the waste disposal business device 11A is a functional unit realized by a CPU (not shown) reading and executing commands and programs prepared in advance on RAM, and controls the waste disposal business device 11A. The device control unit 70 has the functions of an information acquisition unit 75 and a request execution unit 76, which will be described later.

[0118] The communication unit 71 executes communication via the network NW under the control of the device control unit 70. The operation unit 72 accepts operations by the user of the waste disposal business device 11A and outputs a signal indicating the operation content to the device control unit 70. The operation unit 72 includes at least a button for issuing a command to send a collection request. The antenna unit 73 has a function of emitting electromagnetic waves W1 and a function of receiving electromagnetic waves W2 under the control of the device control unit 70.

[0119] When the information acquisition unit 75 of the device control unit 70 receives an operation from the user via the operation unit 72 to instruct the transmission of a collection request, it emits an electromagnetic wave W1 via the antenna unit 73. When the electromagnetic wave W2 returned from the information recording unit 13A is received by the antenna unit 73, the information acquisition unit 75 analyzes the signal carried on the received electromagnetic wave W2 to acquire waste information. The request execution unit 76 uses the waste information acquired by the information acquisition unit 75 to generate data for a collection request for the waste MW and transmits the data to the management server 21 of the collection business operator 20 via the communication unit 71.

[0120] The contents of the collection request sent from the waste discharger device 11A to the management server 21 are almost the same as those described in the first embodiment. Note that in the waste discharger device 11A of the second embodiment, information to be included in the collection request, such as hydrogen order information, which was described in the first embodiment as being input or set in advance, is input to the device control unit 70 from an information processing terminal such as an external computer via the communication unit 71.

[0121] The waste disposal business device 11A can exchange electromagnetic waves W1 and W2 with the information recording unit 13A from a location several tens of centimeters to several meters away from the container 12A. This makes it even easier for the waste disposal business device 11A to obtain waste information and send collection requests. Furthermore, since the user of the waste disposal business device 11A can obtain waste information without approaching the container 12A containing the waste MW, the risk of infection via the waste MW can be reduced.

[0122] The waste disposal business device 11A is configured to emit an electromagnetic wave W1 once, simultaneously receive the electromagnetic wave W2 returned from each of the multiple information recording units 13A, and distinguish and acquire individual waste information from the signals carried by each electromagnetic wave W2. The waste disposal business device 11A can simultaneously acquire waste information from multiple containers 12A and transmit collection requests for each container 12A. Therefore, the waste disposal business device 11A is efficient because it can simultaneously request collection for multiple containers 12A.

[0123] (3) Unmanned aerial vehicle: The second form of unmanned aerial vehicle 25A is equipped with an antenna unit 85 and has almost the same configuration as the unmanned aerial vehicle 25 described in the first embodiment, except that it has the added functions described below to enable control using signals received by the antenna unit 85.

[0124] Antenna unit 85 of unmanned aerial vehicle 25A is configured to be able to transmit electromagnetic wave W1 and receive electromagnetic wave W2 returning from information recording unit 13A. In unmanned aerial vehicle 25A, transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves W1 and W2 is performed via antenna unit 85 under the control of container detection unit 69 of aircraft control unit 60. Container detection unit 69 detects the position of container 12A by receiving electromagnetic wave W2 returning after transmitting electromagnetic wave W1. This facilitates detection of the position of container 12A by unmanned aerial vehicle 25A, thereby making it easier for unmanned aerial vehicle 25A to automatically collect container 12A.

[0125] Furthermore, the container detection unit 69 acquires waste information from the electromagnetic waves W2. By acquiring the waste information, the container detection unit 69 can identify the container 12A that the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A is set to be responsible for collection. This prevents the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A from mistakenly collecting a different container 12A that it is not scheduled to collect. Furthermore, when the container detection unit 69 acquires the waste information, it transmits the waste information to the management server 21 of the collection business operator 20. This allows the management server 21 to confirm that the container 12A for which a collection request has been made will be collected by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A. This further improves the accuracy of management of the collection of waste MW.

[0126] As described above, according to the collection system 100A of the second embodiment, the container 12A is provided with the information recording unit 13A, so that waste information can be acquired by the waste disposal company device 11A and a collection request can be sent without using optical means. Furthermore, the waste disposal company 10's personnel can request collection of the container 12A without approaching the container 12A, allowing collection requests for multiple containers 12A to be executed simultaneously. According to the collection system 100A of the second embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A can detect the location of the container 12A and acquire waste disposal information by receiving the electromagnetic waves W2 emitted from the information recording unit 13A of the container 12A. This improves the management accuracy of the collection of waste MW by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25A. Additionally, the collection system 100A, collection method, and management server 21 of the second embodiment can achieve various effects similar to those described in the first embodiment.

[0127] 3. Other embodiments: The technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the first and second embodiments described above, and can be modified as follows, for example.

[0128] Alternative embodiment 1: In each of the above embodiments, unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A may fly using the driving force of a hydrogen engine. In other embodiments, unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A may not be configured to fly by consuming hydrogen as energy, and may fly using, for example, the charging power of an on-board secondary battery.

[0129] Alternative embodiment 2: In each of the above embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A may temporarily return the hydrogen storage container 32 received from the waste disposal business operator to the base 23 rather than transporting it directly to the discharger 10. The recovery business operator 20 may store the hydrogen storage container 32 at the base 23 and, upon request from the discharger 10, transport and deliver it to the discharger 10 by the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A. When the recovery business operator 20 sends the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A to the discharger 10 to recover the waste MW, the recovery business operator 20 may have the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A transport the stored hydrogen storage container 32.

[0130] Alternative embodiment 3: In each of the above embodiments, the container 12, 12A containing the waste MW may not be provided with the information recording unit 13, 13A, and the waste disposal business device 11, 11A may not have the function of acquiring waste information from the information recording unit 13, 13A. For example, the person in charge of the waste disposal business 10 may use a computer provided by the collection business 20 as the waste disposal business device and send a collection request to the management server 21 from a web application or homepage for sending a collection request via the network NW.

[0131] Alternative embodiment 4: In each of the above embodiments, unmanned aerial vehicles 25 and 25A may be configured by an aircraft other than a drone capable of autonomous flight. Unmanned aerial vehicles 25 and 25A may be configured by a drone capable of radio control, or may be configured by a small helicopter other than a drone capable of radio control.

[0132] Alternative embodiment 5: In each of the above-described embodiments, a network NW other than the Internet may be applied to the collection systems 100 and 100A. For example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) may be applied to the network NW.

[0133] Alternative embodiment 6: The technology described in each of the above embodiments may be applied to the collection of waste other than medical waste, for example. For example, in the above embodiments, the waste MW may be industrial waste other than medical waste, and the waste generator 10 may be, for example, an office, factory, or research institute of a company or various institutions equipped with equipment, devices, or machinery that runs on hydrogen. In this case, the collection request for the waste MW may include information indicating the type of business of the waste generator and the type of waste MW. Furthermore, when the waste MW is collected, the waste MW may be stored in a container prepared in advance and suitable for the waste MW. The collection operator 20 may select a waste disposal operator 30 that can dispose of the waste MW according to the type of waste MW indicated in the collection request, and generate a flight plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle 25, 25A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 10...waste generator, 11, 11A...waste generator device, 12, 12A...container, 13, 13A...information recording unit, 15...medical device, 20...recovery operator, 21...management server, 23...base, 23a...responsible base, 25, 25A...unmanned aerial vehicle, 30...waste disposal operator, 32...hydrogen storage container, 40...management control unit, 41...communication unit, 42...input unit, 43...output unit, 45...memory unit, 50...device control unit, 51...communication unit, 52...input unit, 53...display unit, 54...imaging unit, 55...recovery request program, 56...information acquisition unit, 57...request execution unit, 60...aircraft control unit, 61...position detection unit, 62...attitude detection unit, 63...object detection unit, 64...camera unit, 65...drive unit, 66...communication unit, 67...information acquisition acquisition unit, 68...flight control unit, 69...container detection unit, 70...device control unit, 71...communication unit, 72...operation unit, 73...antenna unit, 75...information acquisition unit, 76...request execution unit, 80...antenna unit, 81...circuit unit, 85...antenna unit, 100, 100A...medical waste collection system, W1...first electromagnetic wave, W2...second electromagnetic wave, IA...aviation management information, IB...base information, IBa...unique information, IBb...aircraft information, ID...waste generator information, IDa...unique information, IDb...collection request information, IDc...hydrogen delivery information, IG...map information, IM...management information, IW...waste treatment company information, IWa...unique information, IWb...waste treatment information, IWc...hydrogen generation information, MW...medical waste, NW...network

Claims

1. A medical waste collection system, comprising: a waste disposal business operator device that has medical equipment that runs on hydrogen and that disposes of medical waste generated by medical procedures, and that transmits a request for collection of the medical waste via a network; a management server provided by the collection business operator in charge of collecting the medical waste, which manages the collection of the medical waste from the waste discharger and the supply of hydrogen to the waste discharger, and which receives the collection request via the network and, based on the collection request, generates a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle that collects the medical waste from the waste discharger and transports the collected medical waste to a waste disposal business operator that generates hydrogen in conjunction with the disposal process of the medical waste; a database storing data used by the management server to generate the flight plan; an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies according to the flight plan; Equipped with The database stores waste disposal business operator information including waste disposal information, which is information about the waste disposal carried out by the waste disposal business operator, and hydrogen generation information, which is information about hydrogen generated by the waste disposal business operator; A medical waste collection system in which the management server generates the flight plan based on the waste disposal business information, the flight plan being set to transport a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen produced by the waste disposal business upon returning from the waste disposal business after handing over the medical waste collected by the waste disposal business to the waste disposal business.

2. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, The database stores the hydrogen generation information of each of the plurality of waste disposal businesses, The management server selects the waste disposal business operator to which the request for disposal of the medical waste is to be made based on the hydrogen generation information for each waste disposal business operator.

3. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, The unmanned aerial vehicle is deployed at each of a plurality of bases located in different locations, A medical waste collection system in which, when generating the flight plan, the management server selects a base station from among the multiple bases to be responsible for collection based on information indicating the location of the base stored in the database, generates the flight plan including a flight route according to the location of the base station, and transmits the flight plan to a terminal at the base station via the network.

4. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, the waste generator device is capable of generating the recovery request including hydrogen order information requesting delivery of hydrogen; A medical waste collection system in which, if the collection request includes the hydrogen order information, the management server sends a request to the waste disposal company's terminal via the network to prepare the hydrogen storage container to be transported by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, The database stores information indicating the delivery history of hydrogen to the emission business operator, A medical waste collection system in which the management server determines the transportation of the hydrogen storage container to the waste discharger by the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the delivery history and generates the flight plan for transporting the hydrogen storage container to the waste discharger.

6. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, The unmanned aerial vehicle flies by consuming hydrogen as energy, The management server generates the flight plan set to receive hydrogen refueling at the waste disposal business operator.

7. 2. The medical waste collection system according to claim 1, The medical waste is placed in a container at the waste disposal business operator before collection, the container is provided with an information recording unit including a circuit configured to be able to transmit electromagnetic waves, The unmanned aerial vehicle has a function of receiving the electromagnetic waves and detecting the container containing the medical waste when collecting the container.

8. A method for collecting medical waste generated by medical practices, comprising: a process in which a discharger device equipped with a medical device that operates on hydrogen and that discharges the medical waste transmits a request for collection of the medical waste via a network to a management server equipped with a collection business that is in charge of collecting the medical waste and that manages collection of the medical waste from the discharger and supply of hydrogen to the discharger; a step of the management server receiving the collection request through the network; a step in which the management server uses data stored in a database to generate a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle that collects the medical waste from the waste generator based on the collection request and transports the collected medical waste to a waste disposal operator that generates hydrogen in conjunction with the waste disposal process for disposing of the medical waste, wherein the management server generates the flight plan based on waste disposal operator information stored in the database, the flight plan being set to transport a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen generated by the waste disposal operator after delivering the medical waste collected by the waste generator to the waste disposal operator and returning from the waste disposal operator; a step of flying the unmanned aerial vehicle to the waste disposal business operator in accordance with the flight plan, collecting the medical waste, transporting the medical waste to the waste disposal business operator, and then transporting the hydrogen storage container when returning from the waste disposal business operator; A method comprising:

9. A management server connected to a network, having medical equipment that operates on hydrogen, and managing the collection of medical waste from waste-generating businesses that generate medical waste from medical procedures and the supply of hydrogen to the waste-generating businesses, a function of receiving a request for collection of the medical waste from a waste disposal business device owned by a waste disposal business that disposes of the medical waste through the network; a function to generate, using data stored in a database, a flight plan for an unmanned aerial vehicle that will collect the medical waste from the waste generator based on the collection request and transport the collected medical waste to a waste disposal business operator that generates hydrogen in conjunction with the waste disposal process for disposing of the medical waste, the flight plan being set to transport a hydrogen storage container filled with hydrogen generated by the waste disposal business operator upon returning from the waste disposal business operator after the medical waste collected by the waste generator has been handed over to the waste disposal business operator, based on waste disposal business operator information stored in the database, including waste disposal information that is information about the waste disposal process carried out by the waste disposal business operator and hydrogen generation information that is information about the hydrogen generated by the waste disposal business operator; a function of transmitting the flight plan via the network to a terminal at a base where the unmanned aerial vehicle is deployed; A management server comprising:

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