System and method for collecting medical waste that monitors the waste for objects that may have been inadvertently discarded
A mobile cart that holds a bag for receiving solid waste generated during a medical or surgical procedure. The cart includes a sensor that monitors whether or not an object containing metal is placed in the bag. A processor monitors the signal output by the sensor. If the sensor signal indicates that an object with a minimal amount of metal is placed in the bag, the processor momentarily asserts an audible alarm and continuously asserts a light alarm. The light alarm remains asserted until turned off. If, while the light alarm is on, the sensor signal indicates a second object with the minimal amount of waste is placed in the container, the processor again momentarily asserts the audible alarm. This provides notice that it may be necessary to investigate the contents of the bag to determine if not one but two or more objects were inadvertently discarded.
1. A portable cart for collecting medical waste in a container, the portable cart comprising:
a mobile base for holding the container;
a frame attached to and located above the base, the frame having an opening positioned such that waste disposed into the container passes through the opening;
a sensor mounted to the frame for detecting metal objects disposed in the container, the sensor asserting a sensor signal when each of the metal objects passes through the frame opening that indicates an amount of metal content in the metal object; and
a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to:
based on the sensor signals, track a number of objects discarded into the container in each of a plurality of categories, each of the categories being associated with a different one of level of metal content; and
store the tracked numbers in the portable cart for later reporting.
2. The portable cart of claim 1 , wherein the categories comprise a first category associated with a first level of metal content and a second category associated with a second level of metal content less than the first level of metal content, and further comprising an alarm coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of a metal object in the first category and to not actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of a metal object in the second category.
3. The portable cart of claim 2 , wherein the alarm is an audible alarm, and further comprising a visual alarm coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to actuate the visual alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the first category and to actuate the visual alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the second category.
4. The portable cart of claim 3 , further comprising a foot pedal coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to negate the actuation of the visual alarm responsive to actuation of the foot pedal.
5. The portable cart of claim 4 , further comprising a switch mounted to the frame, wherein the processor is further configured to negate the actuation of the visual alarm responsive to actuation of the switch.
6. The portable cart of claim 5 , wherein the foot pedal is positioned adjacent a first upright side of the cart, and the switch is positioned adjacent a second upright side of the cart opposite the first upright side.
7. The portable cart of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a user-selection of the first category and a user-selection of the second category;
responsive to receiving the user-selection of the first category, actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the first category and not actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the second category; and
responsive to receiving the user-selection of the second category, actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the first category and actuate the alarm responsive to detecting disposal of the metal object in the second category.
8. The portable cart of claim 1 , further comprising a visual alarm including a plurality of separately actuated light segments, each of the light segments corresponding to a different one of the categories, and the processor is further configured to, responsive to detecting disposal of a metal object in any one of the categories, actuate the light segment corresponding to the one category.
9. The portable cart of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to detecting disposal of a metal object in any one of the categories, actuate the light segment corresponding to the one category and the light segment corresponding to each category for which the associated level of metal content is less than the level of metal content associated with the one category.
10. The portable cart of claim 2 , further comprising an RFID reader mounted to the frame for detecting tagged objects disposed in the container, the RFID reader asserting a reader signal when each of the tagged objects passes through the frame opening that indicates whether the tagged object is of a reusable type, and an RFID detection alarm, wherein the processor is coupled to the RFID reader and the RFID detection alarm and is configured to actuate the RFID detection alarm responsive to detecting disposal of a tagged object of the reusable type based on the reader signals.