Sharps container

Abstract

A sharps container for safe reception and storage of used pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof comprises a substantially non-porous housing which includes a means for receiving said pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof in an internal storage compartment sized to facilitate the safe storage of a plurality of used pen needles or syringe needles and optional needle covers. The internal storage compartment may include a material capable of absorbing and storing fluids which may incidentally be associated with the used pen needles or syringe needles. The means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is visually distinguished from the surrounding portions of the housing and conveys the pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof from the exterior of the container to the internal storage compartment.

1 . An a container for sharp medical waste comprising:
 a housing having substantially non-porous walls;   an internal storage space sized to facilitate the safe storage of a plurality of used pen needles, pen needle assemblies, and combinations thereof;   a material capable of absorbing and storing fluid;   means for receiving at least one of pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof, wherein the means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is visually distinguished from the surrounding portions of the housing; and   further wherein the means for receiving at least one of pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof may be moved from a first position in communication with the exterior of the container to a second position in communication with the interior of the container to effect a transfer of the at least one of pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof from the exterior of the container to the interior of the container.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the material capable of absorbing and storing fluid is selected from inorganic desiccants or hydrophilic organic materials. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the material within the container is capable of absorbing and storing fluid has a fluid capacity of at least 0.75 ml for each pen needle and syringe needle to be stored therein. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the material within the container is capable of absorbing and storing fluid has a fluid capacity of at least 0.25 ml for each pen needle and syringe needle to be stored therein. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is generally frustoconical in presentation to the exterior of the container. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the frustoconical means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, and combinations thereof has a height sufficient to contain a pen needle assembly within the frustoconical means. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the frustoconical means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is colored, at least in part, red. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the frustoconical means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof has a visually distinctive pattern with respect to the surrounding housing. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the housing has a frustoconical portion which provides an extension of frustoconical means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof in at least one position of the frustoconical means. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof includes a means for rotating said receiving means relative to the housing. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the means for rotating said receiving means relative to the housing is a manual means. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof includes an ejector assembly having an ejector axis and wherein the means for receiving pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is operatively coupled to the means for rotating said receiving means relative to the housing. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein rotation of the means for rotating said receiving means relative to the housing causes a pen needle, pen needle cover, syringe needle, syringe needle cover, or combinations thereof within the ejector assembly to be ejected from the ejector assembly into the internal storage space. 
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container includes one or more guards which prevent pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, or combinations thereof within the internal storage space from re-entering the means for receiving and ejecting pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container includes storage for unused pen needles or needles. 
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15  wherein the storage for unused pen needles or needles may be accessed by a door having a first position and a second position, wherein the structure of the door renders it stable in either the first position and a second position. 
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the container includes dispensing means for unused pen needles or syringe needles. 
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein a partition separating the internal storage space from the storage for unused pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof is moveable from a first position to a second position. 
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the partition separating the internal storage space from the storage for unused pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof moves from a first position to a second position as the ratio of the volume of used pen needles, pen needle assemblies, syringe needles, syringe needle covers, and combinations thereof to the volume of unused pen needles or syringe needles changes. 
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving pen needles includes a combination of protrusions and recesses which engage the pen needle to prevent rotation thereof as a pen is rotated relative to the pen needle within the said means. 
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving syringe needles includes a combination of protrusions and recesses which engage the syringe needle to prevent rotation thereof as a syringe is rotated relative to the syringe needle within the said means. 
   
   
       22 . The container of  claim 1 , comprising a means for indicating the fraction of the available internal storage space which is occupied.