Fluid Disposal System

The nurse-designed red>away system consists of a suction canister and disposal unit. The system's canister has a hole in the bottom, an innovation that allows reusable or single-use canisters to be flushed out in a specially engineered disposal unit. This canister is used in place of a hospital's current suction canister, so the clinical practice for blood and body fluids collection is not changed. When a surgical procedure is complete, canisters are transported to the disposal unit on an instrument or transport cart. Only one disposal unit is typically needed to serve an operating room's fluid disposal needs. This unit can be installed in a decontamination room near the operating room suites.

When an instrument cart is unloaded in the decontamination room, one or two full canisters are placed into the disposal unit. The operator then inserts a flush jet into the top of each canister's accessory port and closes the disposal unit door. When the door is completely shut, the operator starts a short flushing cycle in which body fluids and a high pressure, high temperature disinfectant flushing solution escape directly into the sanitary sewer drain without splashing or aerosolization. The tornadic action of the disinfectant jet breaks up blood clots and cleans the inside of the canister. When the cycle is complete, single-use canisters are discarded, while reusable canisters are terminally disinfected and placed back in stock for reuse.

Dornoch Medical Systems, Inc., 4032 W. Riverside St., Riverside, MO 64150. Tel: 888-466-6633