Pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly
View Patent ↗A pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly ( 10 ) includes a receiver body ( 19 ), a receiver guide ( 62 ), a fluid absorber ( 70 ) and a fluid distributor ( 64 ). The receiver body ( 19 ) receives fluid pharmaceutical waste. The receiver guide ( 62 ) guides the fluid pharmaceutical waste into the receiver body ( 19 ). The fluid absorber ( 70 ) is positioned within the receiver body ( 19 ), and is adapted to absorb at least a portion of the fluid pharmaceutical waste that is received by the receiver body ( 19 ). The fluid distributor ( 64 ) is coupled to the receiver guide ( 62 ), and extends at least partially into the fluid absorber ( 70 ) so that the fluid distributor ( 64 ) distributes the fluid pharmaceutical waste within the fluid absorber ( 70 ). The fluid distributor ( 64 ) includes a plurality of distributor apertures ( 278 ) that allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the receiver guide ( 62 ) to the fluid absorber ( 70 ).
1. A pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly for disposing of fluid pharmaceutical waste, the pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly comprising:
a receiver body that receives fluid pharmaceutical waste;
a receiver guide that guides the fluid pharmaceutical waste into the receiver body;
a fluid absorber positioned within the receiver body, the fluid absorber being adapted to absorb at least a portion of the fluid pharmaceutical waste that is received by the receiver body; and
a fluid distributor that is coupled to the receiver guide, the fluid distributor extending at least partially into the fluid absorber so that the fluid distributor distributes the fluid pharmaceutical waste within the fluid absorber.
2. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid distributor includes a plurality of distributor apertures that allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the receiver guide to the fluid absorber.
3. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 2 wherein the fluid distributor has a distributor interior, and wherein the distributor apertures allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the distributor interior to the fluid absorber.
4. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 2 wherein at two of the distributor apertures are sized differently from one another.
5. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 2 wherein a spacing of the distributor apertures is non-uniform.
6. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 2 wherein the fluid distributor includes a screen that forms the plurality of distributor apertures.
7. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 2 wherein a density of distributor apertures is non-uniform along a length of the fluid distributor.
8. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid distributor has a substantially tubular configuration.
9. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein a cross-sectional area of the fluid distributor varies along a length of the fluid distributor.
10. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the receiver body includes a receiver bottom that supports the fluid absorber, and wherein the fluid distributor extends from the receiver guide to the receiver bottom.
11. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the receiver body includes a receiver bottom that supports the fluid absorber, and wherein the fluid distributor does not extend to the receiver bottom.
12. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the receiver guide is funnel-shaped.
13. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 further comprising an antimicrobial layer that covers at least a portion of the fluid distributor.
14. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid distributor includes a distributor interior and a distributor sleeve, the distributor sleeve at least partially covering the fluid distributor to inhibit portions of the fluid absorber from migrating to the distributor interior.
15. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid distributor includes a plurality of distributor legs that each extends at least partially into the fluid absorber.
16. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the distributor legs includes a plurality of distributor apertures that allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the receiver guide to the fluid absorber.
17. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid absorber includes a plurality of absorber levels, and wherein the fluid distributor directly distributes fluid substantially evenly among the absorber levels.
18. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 further comprising a receiver retainer that selectively retains the fluid waste receiver in a removable manner.
19. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 18 wherein the receiver retainer substantially encloses the fluid waste receiver.
20. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid pharmaceutical waste is raw waste.
21. A pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly for disposing of fluid pharmaceutical waste, the pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly comprising:
a receiver body that receives fluid pharmaceutical waste;
a fluid absorber positioned within the receiver body, the fluid absorber being adapted to absorb at least a portion of the fluid pharmaceutical waste that is received by the receiver body, the fluid absorber having a plurality of absorber levels; and
a fluid distributor that guides the flow of the fluid pharmaceutical waste to the fluid absorber, the fluid distributor extending at least partially into the fluid absorber so that the fluid distributor directly distributes the fluid pharmaceutical waste among the plurality of absorber levels.
22. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein the fluid distributor includes a plurality of distributor apertures that allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the receiver guide to the fluid absorber.
23. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 22 wherein the fluid distributor has a distributor interior, and wherein the distributor apertures allow the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the distributor interior to the fluid absorber.
24. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 22 wherein at least two of the distributor apertures are sized differently from one another.
25. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 22 wherein a spacing of the distributor apertures is non-uniform.
26. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 22 wherein the fluid distributor includes a screen that forms the plurality of distributor apertures.
27. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 22 wherein a density of distributor apertures is non-uniform along a length of the fluid distributor.
28. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein the fluid distributor has a substantially tubular configuration.
29. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein a cross-sectional area of the fluid distributor varies along a length of the fluid distributor.
30. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 further comprising a receiver guide that guides the fluid pharmaceutical waste into the receiver body.
31. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 30 wherein the receiver body includes a receiver bottom that supports the fluid absorber, and wherein the fluid distributor extends from the receiver guide to the receiver bottom.
32. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein the receiver body includes a receiver bottom that supports the fluid absorber, and wherein the fluid distributor does not extend to the receiver bottom.
33. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein the fluid distributor includes a distributor interior and a distributor sleeve, the distributor sleeve at least partially covering the fluid distributor to inhibit portions of the fluid absorber from migrating to the distributor interior.
34. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 further comprising a receiver retainer that selectively retains the fluid waste receiver in a removable manner.
35. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 34 wherein the receiver retainer substantially encloses the fluid waste receiver.
36. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 21 wherein the fluid pharmaceutical waste is raw waste.
37. A pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly for disposing of raw fluid pharmaceutical waste, the pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly comprising:
a receiver body that receives fluid pharmaceutical waste, the receiver body including a receiver bottom;
a receiver guide that guides the fluid pharmaceutical waste into the receiver body;
a fluid absorber that is supported by the receiver bottom, the fluid absorber being adapted to absorb at least a portion of the fluid pharmaceutical waste that is received by the receiver body, the fluid absorber having a plurality of absorber levels; and
a substantially tubular-shaped fluid distributor that guides the flow of the fluid pharmaceutical waste to the fluid absorber, the fluid distributor extending at least partially into the fluid absorber so that the fluid distributor directly distributes the fluid pharmaceutical waste among the plurality of absorber levels, the fluid distributor including a distributor interior and a plurality of distributor apertures, the distributor apertures allowing the fluid pharmaceutical waste to flow from the distributor interior to the fluid absorber.
38. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 37 further comprising a receiver retainer that selectively retains the fluid waste receiver in a removable manner.
39. The pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly of claim 38 wherein the receiver retainer substantially encloses the fluid waste receiver.