Needle Disposal System

thingiverse

WARNING: THIS 3D PRINTED NEEDLE DISPOSAL SYSTEM IS DESIGNED FOR USE BY HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS ONLY AFTER THOROUGH EVALUATION AND TESTING. USERS ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SYSTEM'S USE. **DESCRIPTION** This innovative needle disposal system is designed to fit repurposed HDPE plastic containers with 35mm outside diameter, 5mm spaced threading. The design requires a tether that can be custom-made or easily created using a simple twist tie. Over 50 of these systems are currently in use at a local children's hospital after several months of rigorous evaluation, testing, and design iterations. Some images showcase older versions with a single notch for detaching needles from syringes. The STL file features two notches for improved functionality. **USE** The inner cap fits snugly onto the bottle's threading. It has two notches on either side to catch and assist in removing a needle from a syringe. Once the needle is safely inside the bottle, the outer cap is fitted on top using two more securing notches to keep the bottle closed until its next use. A tether is used to keep the outer cap nearby the inner cap when in use. Repurposed HDPE bottles with their original caps can be sealed and disposed of according to a healthcare institution's guidelines, while the 3D printed system can be reused with another repurposed bottle. The SketchUp file is included, containing incremental models showing how the threading was created. Also provided are labels that can be printed out and used on repurposed HDPE plastic containers to clearly designate them as sharps disposal containers. **LEARN MORE** This project is part of our medical maker initiative, empowering healthcare professionals with innovative solutions. Read more here: http://www.progressth.org/2017/01/medical-maker-project-continues.html Or watch our video overview: https://youtu.be/g5bXY1ezCk8