IP Library Granted Patent US 7,971,715
Granted Patent B1
US 7,971,715 · App. 10/988,992 · Granted Jul 5, 2011

Medical disposables containers

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,971,715
App. No.
10/988,992
Granted
Jul 5, 2011
Kind
B1
Abstract

A disposal system including a container having a door movable between a first position and a second position for introducing material to be disposed into the container, and a sensing system operatively associated with the container to sense the position of the door and to generate an alarm signal in response to a predetermined position of the door.

Claims (4)

1. A medical sharps disposal system for disposal of sharps, comprising a container having a mechanical full position safety door movable between a first position and a second position for introducing material to be disposed into the container, the first position being a ready to use position and the second position being a full position corresponding to the container being full of sharps, the door being obstructed from returning to the first position when the container is full of the sharps; and a sensing system operatively associated with the container to sense the position of the door and to generate an alarm signal in response to a predetermined position of the door, the sensing system including a proximity element and a sensing unit positioned to detect the presence of the proximity element based on the position of the door, wherein one of the proximity element or the sensing unit moves with the door when the door is moved and the other is at a fixed location relative to the door and does not move when the door is moved, the positions of the proximity element and the sensing unit being reversible, wherein when the proximity element does not correspond to a predetermined relationship relative to the sensing unit, the sensing system generates an alarm signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the door is in the ready to use orientation corresponding to the first position, the proximity element and the sensing unit are sufficiently proximate to one another so as to be within a predetermined distance corresponding to the predetermined relationship.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the proximity element comprises a magnet and the sensing unit comprises a magnet sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined relationship comprises the proximity element and the sensing unit being sufficiently proximate to one another so as to be within a predetermined distance.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2022
From: DEROYAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: REGIONS BANK
Reel/Frame 062079/0779 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2014
From: DEROYAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: REGIONS BANK
Reel/Frame 033624/0862 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2005
From: FERNANDES, MR. CRAIG; KEHNE, MR. TERRY B.; PETERS, MR. GARY F.; PITTMAN, MR. WILLIAM G.; WARD, MR. E. STEVEN
To: DEROYAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 015584/0262 →