Methods and apparatus for hands-free disposal of medical waste products

Abstract

A portable medical waste disposal assembly that offers convenience and safety during use, disposal and maintenance of the disposal assembly. The portable and sanitizable medical waste disposal assembly includes a waste receptacle mounted within a unitary frame providing increased strength and stability to the disposal assembly so as to facilitate transport and sanitization. A positive closure system mounts to the unitary frame and operably interconnects to a slidable lid on the waste receptacle such that the waste receptacle is maintained in a closed disposition unless specifically opened by a user. The positive closure system can be adapted so as to adjustably retain the waste receptacle within the unitary frame while allowing for quick release of the waste receptacle at a time of disposal of the receptacle's contents.

1 . A hands-free medical waste disposal assembly comprising:
 a waste receptacle including a lid assembly portion and a container portion;   a frame adapted to receive the waste receptacle; and   a positive closure system attached to the unitary frame, the positive closure system engaging the lid assembly portion to bias the lid assembly portion towards a closed disposition from an open disposition, wherein the positive closure system include a retention assembly having a capture portion for slidably capturing the lid assembly portion.   
   
   
       2 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the container portion further comprises an access track adapted to slidably receive the lid assembly portion. 
   
   
       3 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the lid assembly portion further comprises:
 a bottom stationary member having a disposal aperture and an upwardly projecting rear retention member; and   an upper slidable member including an upwardly projecting front biasing member wherein the bottom stationary member and upper slidable member are operably mounted within the access track.   
   
   
       4 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the capture portion slidably captures the upwardly projecting front biasing member so as to selectively cover or expose the disposal aperture of the bottom stationary member. 
   
   
       5 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 1  wherein the frame is fabricated from a seamless frame member arranged to define a pair of side members for receiving the waste receptacle. 
   
   
       6 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the seamless frame member is formed from a sanitizable material selected from the group consisting of: painted carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and polymeric materials. 
   
   
       7 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each side member includes an upper mounting portion for engaging a flanged upper surface on the waste receptacle. 
   
   
       8 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the seamless frame member defines an upper handle portion on each side member. 
   
   
       9 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 1  wherein the positive closure system further includes an interface assembly, a linkage assembly and a biasing assembly operably connected to the retention assembly, wherein force applied to the interface assembly is translated to the retention assembly through the linkage assembly and the biasing assembly. 
   
   
       10 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the interface assembly includes a foot pedal rotatably attached to the mounting frame. 
   
   
       11 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the linkage assembly includes a pressurized cylinder to bias the retention assembly to a normally closed disposition. 
   
   
       12 . The hands-free medical waste disposal assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the pressurized cylinder provides an initial resistance force applied to the interface assembly to prevent non-intentional biasing of the retention assembly. 
   
   
       13 . A method for disposing of medical waste comprising:
 providing a waste receptacle mounted in a unitary frame, the waste receptacle including a lid assembly portion and a container portion;   attaching a positive closure system to the unitary frame, the positive closure system engaging the lid assembly portion; and   applying a hands-free force to the positive closure system such that the lid assembly portion is slidably directed from a closed disposition to an open disposition.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 removing the hands-free force from the positive closure system such that the lid assembly portion returns to the closed disposition.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 forming an access track on the container portion adapted to slidably receive the lid assembly portion.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein applying the hands-free force comprises stepping on a biasing assembly. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein applying the hands-free force comprises overcoming an initial resistance force in the positive closure system.