SHARPS CONTAINMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE STORING AND AUTOMATED TRACKING OF SHARP MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS

摘要

A sharps containment system includes a container, a sensor, and a counter. The container defines an interior cavity that stores and retains sharp medical instruments (sharps) therein. The container defines an aperture that opens to the interior cavity. The sensor senses the insertion of each of the sharps into the interior cavity, as each of the sharps passes through the aperture, and transmits a signal to the counter. In turn, the counter receives the signal and indexes a counted quantity of the sharps stored in the interior cavity by an integer of one to provide an updated quantity of sharps. Information pertaining to the updated quantity of sharps stored in the container is displayed on a display, so that the container never has to be opened when determining if all sharps have been accounted for.