Patents, pivotal for the dissemination and safeguarding of technical innovations, present a tangible metric for delineating technological trajectories in specific domains. At the same time, the emergence of some combination technologies such as “high temperature steam–municipal solid waste incineration collaborative technology ” has also contributed to the diversification of medical waste disposal technologies due to the emergence of needs such as emergency disposal and local disposal. If the scale of the hospital is smaller and the investment is limited, chemical disinfection and high-temperature steam disinfection-which are easily maintained-are preferred.

Incineration technology could be adopted when the amount of waste is large and the investment is sufficient when disinfecting pathological or pharmaceutical waste. should be taken into consideration when selecting appropriate disposal technologies. Factors such as the amount of waste, costs, maintenance and types of waste, etc. Between January and June 2020, China addressed approximately 447,000 metric tons of medical waste, ameliorating their disposal strategies and capacities. Yet, the unprecedented surge in medical waste due to COVID-19 underscored the need for agility and resilience in waste management systems. A series of HMW disposal technologies, e.g., rotary kilns, pyrolysis, high-temperature hot air treatment, high-temperature steaming, chemical disinfection, microwave, and technical documents that permit joint management among relevant management agencies, formed a complete closed-loop medical waste management system in China. This patent analysis enhances our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on HMW disposal practices, guiding improved policymaking and research in the HMW sector.Ĭhina, post-SARS, has emerged as one of the focal points in pandemic response, developing an intricate HMW management system. Future directions pivot towards innovations in large-scale and distributed processing equipment, automation and unmanned systems and high-temperature steam disinfection collaborative disposal methods-including the “High temperature steam–municipal solid waste incineration collaborative technology” and the “High temperature steam–thermal magnetic gasification collaborative technology”. Incineration and waste crushing are core methodologies in medical waste disposal.

As the pandemic remains a threat, and increasing amounts of medical waste are generated, new technologies are being sought in China that will be safer for humans and the environment, and will also be in line with the zero waste technology trend. However, a large number of applications are filed only in China and are more focused on domestic rather than overseas markets. Regarding patents, China significantly advanced post-2011. Based on the bibliometric analysis of 4128 patents issued from 2002 to 2021, the development status and research trends of HMW disposal technology were revealed. Trends were identified through both the Derwent Innovation Index database and bibliometric methods. This study explores the progression of global healthcare and medical waste (HMW) disposal technologies and emerging practices in China including the COVID-19 pandemic period through patent technology innovation analysis.

Infectious and pathological waste