Sharps Bin

This is a sharps bin that was conceived to aid in developing nations around the world. Bloodborne pathogens are often spread through shared and "recycled" needles. This design would help to reduce the spread of disease by providing an inexpensive, reproducible receptacle for medical facilities to dispose of used needles.

The design utilizes a two piece construction - the main component being the bin, the second being an insert to help prevent the extraction of used needles from the bin. The reason for the insert is to allow for the "fingers" to be printed in a direction conducive to flexing. Other design features restrict the orientation in which the bin can be printed, and if printed as a single unit, the "fingers" would be printed as tiny rings. The many layers of rings would cause the "fingers" be brittle and prone to breaking from the insertion of needles.
Another design feature is a sloped bottom within the container to maximize the number of needles that could fit inside.