CRITERIA FOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

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Conceptual designs will be evaluated by a panel of judges to determine which designs best meet the 15 technical requirements listed below. Also provided are guide questions for each requirement. These criteria have been developed in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which does not, however, take part in the evaluation of the designs.

The alternative technology can be comprised of one or more devices to treat different components of the medical waste streams. This competition does not require the construction of prototypes or demonstration models.

  1. Non-burn technology
    1. Is combustion involved?
  2. Appropriate processing capacity
    1. Can the technology handle a minimum volume per batch (for batch processes) of 19 liters or 5 gallons?
    2. Can the technology handle a minimum processing rate (for batch, semi-continuous or continuous processes) of 10 kg per 8-hour day or 1.25 kg/hr (22 lbs per 8-hour day or 2.75 lbs/hr)?
    3. Is the processing rate below the maximum rate (for batch, semi-continuous or continuous processes) of 50 kg/hr (110 lbs/hr)?
    4. Other data that may be useful:
      1. Health-care waste for rural clinics: 10 kg/day plus two 4-liter containers of sharps per 30 days (WHO data, Botswana)
      2. Health-care waste from regional hospitals: 0.75 kg/bed/day plus 1.5 containers of sharps waste (4 liters each) per 100 beds per day
  3. Ability to treat a range of medical waste streams
    1. Is the technology able to treat waste with the following average composition, by waste types: sharps (metals) - 2%; sharps (glass) - 9%; plastics - 22%; pathological waste (human tissues and organs) - 3%; paper and cloth - 64%; regular trash, food waste, and other recyclable or compostable waste - 0%?
    2. Is the technology able to treat the following three extreme cases of waste composition: high moisture content (50% or more by weight), low moisture content (5% by weight or less), and high organic content (70% or more by weight)?
    3. Other data that might be useful:
      1. Density: 0.12 kg/liter
      2. Chemical composition: 50% carbon, 20% oxygen, 6% hydrogen, other elements
  4. High level disinfection
    1. Can the technology achieve a microbial inactivation efficacy of a 4 log kill of spores of Bacillus stearothermophilus or Bacillus subtilis (whichever is the more resistant for the type of treatment process used)?
  5. Ease of manufacture
    1. Can the technology be made with readily available materials? Provide an itemized list of materials needed.
    2. Can the technology be constructed within two weeks? Provide a breakdown of estimated time needed to construct the technology.
    3. Can the technology be constructed using simple skills? Describe the skills needed.
  6. Low cost of manufacture and operation
    1. Provide an estimate of cost of construction materials (in US dollars)
    2. Provide an estimate of operating costs (in US dollars)
  7. Safe operation
    1. What personnel protection equipment, if any, is needed to operate the technology?
    2. What design features, if any, protect operators from hot surfaces, chemical exposure, sharp objects, and other possible occupational hazards?
    3. What design features, if any, protect against dangerous operating conditions such as sudden overheating, chemical release, etc.?
  8. Low maintenance requirements
    1. What preventive maintenance is required and how frequently should it be done?
  9. Periodic verification or quality assurance
    1. What periodic tests can be performed to verify the technology's microbial inactivation efficacy and operational performance?
  10. Ease of use
    1. How easy is it to use the technology?
    2. How is the waste fed into the technology and how is the treated waste removed?
  11. Minimum environmental impact
    1. What pollutant air emissions will be emitted from the technology?
    2. What wastewater pollutants will be released from the technology?
    3. Will there be strong odors or loud noises emanating from the technology?
    4. What additional consumable materials such as special waste bags or boxes, if any, will be needed?
  12. Non-hazardous residues
    1. Will the technology produce hazardous residual chemicals?
    2. How will "sharps" waste (needles, syringes, glass, blades) be rendered unusable and processed to minimize the risk of injury?
    3. What is the overall reduction of volume or mass of treated waste, if any?
    4. How will treated waste residues be disposed of?
  13. Compact size
    1. Provide the dimensions of the technology if not shown in the illustration.
    2. How much space is needed around the technology for proper operation?
  14. Minimum utility requirements
    1. How much electricity, if any, does the technology need?
    2. How much water, if any, does the technology need?
    3. What other utilities does the technology need?
  15. Community acceptability
    1. Is the technology applicable for developing countries and poor rural areas?
    2. Do you anticipate any community perceptions or cultural sensitivities that could inhibit community acceptance of the technology?

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