Technology
This Needle Grinder Can Mash Up Medical Waste in an Hour
Sterilis’s box is already at work in hospitals, HIV treatment centers, and elsewhere.
This article is for subscribers only.
This photocopier-size device can sterilize and grind up medical waste, including syringes and sharps containers, to produce nontoxic garbage that doesn’t require incineration or other special treatment.
Dump in as much as 15 pounds of waste, containers and all, and turn on the machine. It filters out the air, leaving the contaminants behind. Superheated steam released into the main chamber brings its temperature above 280F and creates 38 pounds per square inch of pressure, killing all pathogens within 30 minutes.