I was looking for that article on the electric library (http://www.elibrary.com -very useful) and stumbled across an older article on isolyser, it illustrates the savings associated with using orex products. By the way does anyone have info on competition? I believe incineration is the only other method, but does any other company have a product similar to orex?
Thinning the Waste; Innovation: Anaheim Memorial Hospital is using
gowns and other disposable supplies made of a material that liquefies
in hot water. It is expected to slash the amount of medical tra
( Los Angeles Times )
Thinning the Waste
Innovation: Anaheim Memorial Hospital is using gowns and other
disposable supplies made of a material that liquefies in hot water. It is
expected to slash the amount of medical trash sent to landfills.
By KAREN D'SOUZA, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Los Angeles Times Thursday October 26, 1995
Orange County Edition
Metro, Page 1
Type of Material: Infobox
ANAHEIM--When you wear one, you only think your hospital gown is shrinking.
But the organic gowns pioneered at Anaheim Memorial Hospital actually
dissolve--after use.
The innovative new technology--also used for surgical drapes and other
disposable supplies that hospitals consume voraciously--is expected to
drastically reduce the amount of medical trash dumped in landfills.
On Wednesday, hospital officials staged a demonstration to show off
the paper-thin gowns, which are similar in texture to Handi Wipes and
disintegrate when immersed in hot water.
"This technology will change the way that medical waste is disposed
of," said Rick Setian, a spokesman for Isolyser HealthCare, the company
that developed the process used at Anaheim Memorial.
When a green gown is discarded by a patient or doctor, it is thrown
into an industrial-sized washing machine, heated to 190 degrees
Fahrenheit and agitated for 45 minutes. The gown disappears, leaving only
a teal-colored fluid, which is drained and pumped to the nearest
waste-water plant, just like any other dirty water.
Although patients who have checked into the hospital since July--when
the new gowns and other supplies were introduced--may not have noticed
the difference in their skimpy attire, hospital officials say the
reduction in disposal costs has been significant.
The 250-bed facility generates about 200,000 pounds of surgical waste
a year. With the new procedure, 44% of that waste--some 88,000
pounds--will literally go down the drain instead of being buried in a
dump this year. That's a savings of about $18,000 for the hospital.
The new material, called Orex, is being used to make disposable
surgical supplies such as gowns, drapes, sponges and towels. In the
future, the manufacturer says, the material may be used to make
non-medical products such as disposable diapers and soda bottles.
"This is something that is safe for people to ingest," said Marty
Paugh, a sales representative for Isolyser. The organic polymer used in
Orex has long been found in soluble products such as the coating on many
pills.
Jack McGurk, chief of the environmental branch of the state Department
of Health Services, which approved Orex in March, said the breakthrough
puts California at the cutting edge of waste disposal. McGurk was at the
hospital for Wednesday's demonstration.
California, like many other states, he said, has mandated that
health-care facilities and other industries reduce their solid waste
volume by as much as 50% by 2000. "We want to eliminate as much solid
waste from the landfills as possible," said Chris Van Gorder, chief
executive officer of the hospital, which he said is the first in the
country to use the new product.
Dr. Robert Park, medical director of the hospital, said his staff has
been very satisfied with the new products.
"If you saw the amount of material that is thrown away everyday. For a
tonsillectomy or something major, it makes no difference," he said. "The
reduction of such mindless waste is terrific."
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Cutting-Edge Operation
Anaheim Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in the United States
to use products made from an organic polymer that dissolves in hot water.
By making the switch, the hospital anticipates a 76% reduction in
disposable surgical waste by 1997.
Fast Facts
47,000 tons of medical waste are generated in California hospitals and
clinics each year.
Anaheim Memorial produces about 200,000 pounds of surgical waste
annually.
Operating rooms generate 60% of all hospital infectious waste.
Products made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dissolve in 190-degree water.
Operating room products made of PVA include drapes, gowns, bowls and
surgical trays.
PVA is currently used in adhesives, fabric sizing and ophthalmic
products.
After water treatment, PVA products are often used as a fertilizer.
Source: Anaheim Memorial Hospital
Waste Generation
Most common waste found in operating rooms nationwide:
Non-woven drapes, gowns 30%
Suction canisters 20%
Bandages, sponges, towels 20%
Plastic bowls, basins 20%
Various tubes, containers 10%
Copyright, The Times Mirror Company; Los Angeles Times, 1995.
KAREN D'SOUZA, Thinning the Waste; Innovation: Anaheim Memorial Hospital is using gowns and other disposable
supplies made of a material that liquefies in hot water. It is expected to slash the amount of medical tra., Los Angeles Times,
10-26-1995, pp B-1. |
