Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to containers, and more particularly to containers with lids.
Background Art
Medical practices, hospitals, doctors, and other health care practitioners must follow specific procedures when disposing of medical waste. Such waste is generally classified into different categories. Different containers can be provided for collecting the different classifications of medical waste. For example, soft waste such as gauze, bandages, or towels may be placed in red-colored containers. By contrast, rigid waste, such as medical devices and hardware, may be collected in different containers.
Items with sharp points or edges, including scissors, needles, scalpels, blades, shavers, catheter needles, trocars, and other puncturing or cutting items are referred to as “sharps” due to their cutting or puncturing components. Such devices are collected in rigid containers known as “sharps containers.” Sharps must be immediately disposed within a sharps container after use to prevent the cutting or puncturing components from cutting or puncturing someone, potentially cross contaminating the person with a disease from a patient. In addition to cutting and puncturing tools, sharps containers can be used to collect other items, including vials, glass, and pharmaceutical waste products. Sharps containers are available in various sizes ranging from small tabletop containers to larger floor-standing containers. Some sharps containers are difficult to use. It would be advantageous to have an improved sharps container.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.