Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for destroying surgical instruments, particularly hypodermic needles and scalpels.

Background .Art

As is known, especially in the health- and beauty-care sectors, there is the problem of neutralizing and eliminating disposable surgical medical instruments such as blades, scalpels, needles, pointed instruments and the like which are normally used in medical, dental or beauty-care treatments or for epidermal use and which, during their use, have been in contact with the patient's blood. In order to avoid risks of contagion or cross-contamination, for medical and paramedical personnel and for anyone who may come into contact with the used instruments, it is necessary to neutralize and destroy these instruments. Devices which melt metallic surgical instruments by means of the flow of electric current of appropriate intensity have already been marketed for performing this operation.

In known devices, in practice, it is necessary to insert the instrument to be destroyed into the device while continuing to apply a slight pressure until the instrument is completely destroyed.

This operation is a source of considerable dangers, since it not possible to assuredly prevent accidental contact with the instrument during the destruction operation, producing lesions with the possibility of

contagion; furthermore, the instrument to be destroyed may inadvertently be removed from the device before it is completely destroyed, thus eliminating certainty in the neutralization of the potential dangers deriving from the instrument.

This is one of the most negative aspects of known devices, since the instrument to be destroyed, for example a needle, can be removed at the operator's discretion in any moment of the cycle, with a consequent difference in the length of the residual needle stump, which can still represent a considerable danger. Disclosure of the Invention

An aim of the present invention is indeed to eliminate the drawbacks described above by providing an apparatus for destroying surgical instruments, particularly hypodermic needles and scalpels, which allows to perform, with an automatic sequence, all the operations for destroying the instrument without requiring the operator to hold the instrument after inserting it into the apparatus.

Within the scope of the above aim, a particular object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which allows to destroy not only hypodermic needles, as occurs with known devices, but also scalpel blades and other metallic objects.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus in which, for example in the case of needles, the remaining stump has a metallic portion which, besides being extremely short, is also completely closed, thus avoiding the possibility of outward leakage of any medical products, which may always represent a potential danger.

.Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for destroying surgical instruments which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.

This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an apparatus for destroying surgical instruments, particularly for hypodermic needles and scalpels, according to the present invention, characterized in that it comprises a box-like body which forms a plate for the insertion of the surgical instruments to be destroyed, said plate being arranged at a unit for the removal and traction of said instruments in order to insert said instruments and place them against a panel made of an electrically conducting material, said panel and said removal and traction unit being respectively electrically connected to one pole and to the other pole of an electric current generator, an insertion sensor being furthermore provided for activating said removal and traction unit when the instruments to be destroyed are inserted in said insertion plate.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an apparatus for destroying surgical instruments particularly for hypodermic needles and scalpels, according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic view of the apparatus according

to the present invention; figure 2 is a schematic view of the operation of the apparatus; figure 3 is a perspective view of the removal and traction unit; figure 4 is a schematic view of the step of the removal of a needle; figure 5 is a view of an insertion sensor of the photocell type; figure 6 is a view of an electrically activated insertion sensor; figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the unit for cutting the inserted instrument; figure 8 is a sectional view of the initial step of the insertion of a needle, with the cutting means in a deactivated position; figure 9 is a view of the step of the activation of the cutting means; and figure 10 is a view of the final step of the destruction of the needle.

Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the above figures, the apparatus for destroying surgical instruments, particularly hypodermic needles and scalpels, according to the present invention, comprises a box-like body, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, which forms, for example on its front face, a plate 2 for the insertion of the surgical instruments, which may be needles, scalpels, blades and any other metallic object; the plate 2 is removable in order to allow periodic cleaning and disinfection.

A hole 3 for the insertion of needles and a slot 4 for the insertion of scalpels and the like are formed on the plate 2.

Said insertion plate is arranged at a unit for the removal and traction of the instruments to be destroyed, generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and is provided with a first roller 11 and a second roller 12 which rotate in mutually opposite directions and are supported respectively by a first frame 13 and by a second frame 14; said frames are mutually pivoted at an axis 15, so as to provide a clamp-like coupling which keeps the rollers 11 and 12 in mutual contact although it allows mutual spacing according to the thickness of the instrument to be destroyed which is interposed between them. The unit for removal and traction of the instruments to be destroyed may be substituted by other mechanical means having the same function, such as pincers or the like.

In order to keep the rollers 11, 12 in mutual contact, elastic closure means are provided, constituted by a first spring 16, which is connected between the fixed structure 18 of the framework and the first frame, and by a second spring 17, which also acts between the fixed structure and the second frame.

The connection of the elastic means is such that it applies a force which tends to close the rollers together.

In order to rotationally actuate the rollers, which turn in mutually opposite directions so as to pull or entrain the instrument to be destroyed, which is designated by the reference numeral 20 both in the case of a needle and in the case of a blade, there are motor means 30 which mesh,

by means of an associated reduction unit and a bevel gear 31, with bevel pinions 32 and 33 respectively keyed on the half-shafts 15a and 15b, which are arranged along the same line and also constitute the oscillation axis of the frames 13 and 14.

Kinematically, there is a first gear 35 keyed on the shaft 15a; a first belt 36 winds around said gear 35 and meshes with a first toothed pinion 37 keyed on the first shaft 11a for supporting the roller 12; in a similar manner, a second toothed gear 40 is keyed on the half-shaft lib, and a second toothed belt 41 meshes with said gear 40 and winds around a second toothed pinion 42 keyed on the shaft 12a for supporting the roller 12.

With this arrangement, the rollers 11 and 12 assume mutually opposite rotation directions.

It is naturally possible to use other kinematic systems which allow to obtain the same function.

The apparatus furthermore comprises an insertion sensor which activates the motor 30 when the instrument 20 is inserted by means of the insertion plate.

Said insertion sensor, as shown in figure 5, can be constituted by an optical emitter 50 which emits a beam arranged at the insertion region 3 and 4 of the insertion plate 2; this beam is received by the receiving photocell 51 which, when the beam is interrupted due to the insertion of an instrument 20, closes the activation contact 55 for actuating the motor 30.

According to another embodiment, the activation sensor may be of the electrical type, exploiting the fact that when the needle is inserted, an electrical circuit on the plate 2

is closed; in this case, said plate is connected to one polarity and one of the rollers 11 or 12 is connected to the other polarity, so that there is a flow of current which actuates a toggle contact 57, which in turn actuates the motor 30 provided with a conventional reduction unit.

In order to melt the needle downstream of the removal and traction unit, there is a panel 60 made of electrically conducting material which is connected to a pole of a generator, which can be constituted by a transformer or possibly by a battery; the rollers 11 and 12 are instead connected to the other pole of the same generator, for example by means of a sliding contact 61, thus closing the electric circuit through the instrument 20, which is melted at high temperature, thus causing the complete destruction of the needle; the related waste falls, by means of a hopper 65, into a container 66 which is advantageously of the safety type, i.e. is closed when it is removed from the apparatus to take it away.

The apparatus furthermore comprises a cutting unit which allows to minimize the needle stump connected to the plastic cone and furthermore seals said stump tight.

Said cutting unit, as more clearly shown in figures 7 to 10, has a cutting frame 70 which is oscillatably mounted and actuated by eccentric elements 71 keyed on the half- shafts 15a and 15b.

The frame supports, in a front region, a striker block

75 arranged above an anvil 76 arranged inside the body at the insertion plate 2, so that the striker moves substantially flush to said plate. The striker is electrically connected to the same

electrical connection pole as the panel, so that when the striker makes contact with the instrument 20, for example constituted by a needle, current flows inside the needle and melts it, and its stump is compressed due to the shears-like coupling between the striker 75 and the anvil 76.

In this manner, cutting by melting is performed on the needle stump, furthermore obtaining a compression which seals the needle tightly.

In practical operation, the apparatus according to the present invention allows to automatically destroy disposable surgical instruments, such as for example needles, scalpel blades and the like; it is in fact sufficient for the user to insert the instrument 20, by means of the insertion plate 2, by simply moving it into contact with the rollers, which are actuated automatically by the insertion of the instrument 20.

At this point the operator can release the instrument to be destroyed, since the rollers automatically grip it and pull it until it comes into contact with the panel, thus closing the contact and starting the melting of the needle.

The cycle generated by the coupling of the eccentric elements 71 produces, after a preset period, the activation of the cutting unit, with the descent of the striker 75 onto the anvil 76 and the consequent cutting of the needle stump by melting and compression.

In this manner, any possible danger of contact by the operator is eliminated and maximum safety is ensured.

Furthermore, the mounting of the rollers so that they can oscillate allows to easily adapt to all needle thicknesses and allows to adapt to any accidental

inclinations of the instrument during insertion, since the roller adapts automatically, pulling the needle inwards.

From what has been described above it can thus be seen that the apparatus according to the present invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular the fact is stressed that the automation of the needle insertion step, directly by means of an actuation system which is activated by the insertion of the needle, allows to eliminate operator contact with the instrument to be destroyed after the insertion step.

The needles are furthermore completely destroyed, and a very short stump with a sealed end is extracted.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements; thus for example, the cutting unit may be constituted by a laser beam unit with emitting blocks located at opposite sides of the article to be cut.

In practice, the materials employed, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.