The invention relates to an apparatus for processing used medical instruments, defined in the introductory section of the independent patent claim, particularly for disinfecting, crushing and collecting such used instruments as disposable injection needles and hypodermic syringes, small surgical instruments, ampules, phials and operating knives. In hospitals, health centers and other such institutions, where disposable injection needles and syringes as well as other similar disposable opera¬ tional and surgical instruments are generally used, the disposal of the instruments after use has become a problem. The said instruments cannot be thrown away as such, along with ordinary waste, because they could fall into wrong hands and cause damages, possibly even danger of infection.

In the prior art there are known processing devices provided with crushing rollers, particularly designed for the destruction of disposable hypodermic syringes. A drawback with these devices is, that they are generally large and heavy, as well as costly to manufacture. Another drawback is that the said proces- sing devices are slow in operation and make a lot of noise. Yet another drawback is that the waste must be disinfected and/or further delivered into waste proces¬ sing as hazardous waste.

The object of the present invention is to introduce a new waste processor, where the above men¬ tioned drawbacks can be avoided.

The waste processor of the invention is cha¬ racterized by the novel features enlisted in the patent claims. An advantage of the invention is that the waste processor is fairly light in structure but effec¬ tive in crushing power and speed and safe in operation.

and also - owing to its bacteria lock - suited for the destruction of solid, disposable medical utensils.

Another advantage of the invention is that the instruments to be crushed do not have to be treated manually, but they are fed, in suitable batches, on the dosing feeder of the waste processor, wherefrom they are further conveyed to the treatment of the processing rollers.

Another advantage of the invention is that by means of the crushing rollers, the waste can be crushed into very small particles, which can be tightly packed in a compact space to be further transferred to waste treatment. The material processed in the the waste processor is advantageously condensed to 10% of the original volume. Thus for instance a thousand liters of disposable syringes and other such material can in the waste processor be condensed into a hundred liters of waste to be transported to a dumping area. The lump size of the waste is advantageously in the order of 8 mm.

Yet another advantage of the invention is that the crushed waste is disinfected, so that it does not have to be treated as hazardous waste, but can be directly transferred for instance to a dumping area. Yet another advantage of the invention is that the waste can be collected in ordinary waste con¬ tainers or boxes.

Yet another advantage of the invention is that during operation, the apparatus is tightly closed both at the inlet and outlet openings, so that, hazar¬ dous dust and/or vapours are not discharged into sur¬ rounding air.

Yet another advntage of the invention is that the machinery proper of the apparatus is easy to clean both inside and out.

In the following the invention is explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings.

where figure 1 is a front-view illustration of a waste pro¬ cessor of the invention, where the side plates of the apparatus are removed for the sake of clarity; figure 2 is a cross-sectioij A-A of the apparatus of figure 1; figure 3 illustrates the crushing rollers seen from the top; and figure 4 illustrates the cross-section B-B of the crus- hing rollers of figure 3.

The waste processor comprises a housing 1 provided with legs 2 and casing 3. Inside the casing 3, there is located the processing equipment proper. The casing 3 covers the apparatus from top to bottom, but in figures 1 and 2, the side plates 28 of the ca¬ sing, covering the waste container 20, are removed for the sake of illustrative clarity. Moreover, the legs 2 are provided with rollers 4 in order to facilitate the moving of the apparatus. The top part of the casing 3 is provided with an aperture 5 which opens to the feed chute 6. The aperture 5 is also provided with a lid 7. Most advan¬ tageously, the lid 7 is provided with hinges and there¬ by articulated to one edge of the aperture 5, as is illustrated with dotted lines in figure 2. The lid 7 closes tightly over the aperture 5 and the feed chute 6. The lid 7 is provided with a safety switch, which prevents the apparatus from starting operation while the lid 7 is open. In the feed chute 6, there is arranged a dosing feeder 8. The dosing feeder 8 is formed of a dosing plate 9 or other such member and of an actuator 10, such as an electric turning motor. By means of the turning motor 10, the dosing plate 9 is turned from position C to position D and back.

In connection with the feed chute 6, there is provided a disinfecting unit 11, which is most advanta-

geously located above the dosing plate 9 of the dosing feeder 8. The disinfecting unit 11 comprises a liquid container 27 provided with pump, and nozzles 12, which are directed to the feed chute 6. Underneath the feed chute 6, there are arran¬ ged the crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b. The crushing rollers are provided with exactly matching transversal grooves 14; 14a, 14b. The protruding rings 15; 15a, 15b in between the grooves are respectively provided with dents 16. Moreover, at the sides of both crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b, there are arranged counterblades 17; 17a, 17b, and the protrusions provided therein are arranged to match the grooves 14 of the crushing rol¬ lers 13; 13a, 13b. The crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b and the counterblades 17; 17a, 17b, are replaceable. The crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b are operated by means of the actuating motor 25, advantageously an electric motor, which is most advantageously provided with sui¬ table gear transmission. Below the crushing rollers 13, there is a waste discharge outlet 19 connected to a replaceable waste container 20.

In addition to this, the waste processor advantageously comprises a supporting shelf 21 for the waste container 20 as well as a lifting and locking device 22 for lifting the shelf 21 and the waste con¬ tainer 20 tightly against the discharge outlet 19 and for locking it into place. The lifting and locking device 22 is realized by means of a lever 23 and a hoist plate 24.

The waste container 20 is located inside the casing 3, in the protection of the side plates 28 (il¬ lustrated by dotted lines in figures 1 and 2), as was maintained above. In the casing 3, there is arranged a hatch (not illustrated in the drawings) for inserting and removing the waste container 20, which hatch is provided with a safety switch in similar fashion as the

lid 7. When the hatch is open, the safety switch pre¬ vents the starting of the apparatus.

The waste processor of the invention is ope¬ rated as follows. An empty waste container 20 is loca- ted on the supporting shelf 21, on top of the hoist plate 24. By turning the lever 23, the hoist plate 24 complete with the waste container 20 are lifted and pressed against the outlet 19, in which position it is locked. Now the waste container 20 is tightly pressed against that part of the housing which is located around the outlet 19. This creates an effective lock for the bacteria. The crushing device is now ready for use. Respectively, when the waste container 20 should be removed from the shelf 21, the lever 23 is turned to the opposite position, so that the hoist plate 24 is lowered together with the waste container, whereafter the waste container 20 is easily removed.

The medical instruments and similar products to be crushed are first fed into the waste processor by opening the lid 7 of the feed chute 6 and by placing a suitable amount of the instruments to be crushed on the dosing plate 9 of the dosing feeder 8. Thereafter the lid 7 is closed. Now the lid 7 tightly closes the aperture of the feed chute 6, and a bacteria lock is created in the aperture 5 of the feed chute. The waste processor is started by pressing the control key 26, which is advantageously arranged on the side of the apparatus, in the casing 3. As a result of the star¬ ting, the turning motor 10 of the dosing feeder 8 is started, together with the actuating motor 25 of the crushing rollers 13. By means of the motor 10 of the dosing feeder 8, the dosing plate 9 is turned from horizontal position C to vertical position D, so that the instruments to be crushed which are placed thereon fall into the feed chute 6 and further onto the crus¬ hing rollers 13; 13a, 13b located below the feed chute. The actuating motor 25 of the crushing rol-

lers 13 rotates the crushing rollers 13a, 13b into opposite directions by means of suitable axes and gea¬ rings. The crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b grind the hypodermic syringes and needles and other such instru- ments in between the teeth 16 protruding from the rings 15; 15a, 15b and the grooves 14; 14a, 14b into crushed waste with a fairly small particle size, which waste is then dropped to below the rollers 13; 13a, _. 13b and further to the waste container 20 through the outlet 19.

The counterblades 17; 17a, 17b provided in connection with the crushing rollers 13; 13a, 13b _r clean the grooves 14; 14a, 14b of the crushing rollers of possible crushing waste, and thus the crushing rol- lers remain clean.

The disinfecting unit 11 sprays a suitable disinfectant through the nozzles 12 onto the instru¬ ments to be crushed on the dosing plate 9 of the dosing feeder 8. When the said instruments fall on the crus- hing rollers 13 and are then crushed in between them, the disinfectant is spread among the crushed waste, thus disinfecting it simultaneously. Consequently, the waste falling in the waste container 20 from the rol¬ lers 13 is fairly evenly treated with disinfectant and is turned into non-hazardous waste which can be trans¬ ferred to a normal dumping area.

When the first batch of instruments to be crushed, fed in the dosing feeder 8, is processed, the dosing plate 9 is automatically returned to regular position B, and the actuating motor 10 of the dosing feeder as well as the actuating motor 25 of the crus¬ hing rollers 13 are stopped. Now the apparatus is ready for a new working cycle.