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A surgical waste collection unit with a receiver for removably holding a manifold to which suction lines are connected. The receiver is mounted to the waste collection unit to be at an acute angle relative to the horizontal. The receiver is further configured to allow the manifold to be rotated in t

A surgical waste collection unit with a receiver for removably holding a manifold to which suction lines are connected. The receiver is mounted to the waste collection unit to be at an acute angle relative to the horizontal. The receiver is further configured to allow the manifold to be rotated in the receiver. This means the manifold can be rotated from a first position in which the manifold outlet opening is aligned with the conduit through which waste is flowed from the receiver and a second position in which the manifold outlet opening is elevated relative to the first position.

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1. A medical/surgical waste collection assembly, said assembly including: a manifold, said manifold including: a housing with proximal and distal ends, a longitudinal axis that extends between the proximal and distal ends and an outlet opening at the proximal end, the outlet opening being off center

1. A medical/surgical waste collection assembly, said assembly including: a manifold, said manifold including: a housing with proximal and distal ends, a longitudinal axis that extends between the proximal and distal ends and an outlet opening at the proximal end, the outlet opening being off center from the longitudinal axis of the manifold housing; anda fitting that extends from the distal end of said manifold housing, said fitting shaped to receive a suction line and being in fluid communication with the outlet opening of said manifold housing; anda waste collection unit including: a first canister for holding medical/surgical waste;a suction pump in fluid communication with said first canister, said suction pump configured to draw a suction on said first canister; anda first receiver adjacent said first canister, said first receiver shaped to have: a bore dimensioned to receive said manifold housing, the bore having an open distal end into which said manifold housing is inserted and having a proximal end in fluid communication with said first canister; and an axis that extends through the bore,wherein:said manifold housing and said first receiver are collectively configured so that said manifold housing is able to rotate in the bore of said first receiver;said manifold and said first receiver are formed with complementary alignment features that engage when the manifold is inserted into the bore of said first receiver so as to cause the outlet opening of said manifold housing to be, upon insertion into the bore, in a specific rotational alignment in the bore; andsaid first receiver is attached to said first canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is angled from the horizontal and said alignment features of said manifold and said first receiver are arranged so that, when said manifold is initially inserted into the bore of said first receiver, the outlet opening of said manifold housing is in a first rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore and, when said manifold housing is rotated in the bore, the outlet opening is in a second rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore so that the outlet opening is located below the position of the outlet opening when the outlet opening is in the first rotational position. 2. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein said complementary alignment features of said manifold and said first receiver comprise: one of said manifold or said first receiver being formed with at least one outwardly extending member; and the other of said first receiver or said manifold being formed with at least one slot dimensioned to receive the at least one outwardly extending member. 3. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 2, wherein: said at least one outwardly extending member extends outwardly from said manifold housing; andsaid first receiver is formed with at least one slot that extends outwardly from the bore of said first receiver and that is dimensioned to receive the said outwardly extending member of said manifold housing so that the at least one slot is the alignment feature of said first receiver. 4. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 2, wherein: said at least one outwardly extending member of said alignment features comprises two arcuately spaced apart tabs that extend outwardly from said manifold housing, wherein said tabs have different arcuate lengths;the at least one slot of said alignment features comprises two slots formed in said first receiver that extend outwardly from the bore of said first receiver, said receiver being formed so the slots have different arcuate lengths, the slots being dimensioned to receive the tabs of said manifold housing; andsaid first receiver is formed with two grooves, each said groove extending arcuately away from a separate one of said slots and each said groove is dimensioned to allow the tab seated in the associated slot to rotate in said groove. 5. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein said suction pump is connected to said first canister by a conduit that is connected to said first canister. 6. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein said manifold is formed with plural said fittings that extend distally from said manifold housing. 7. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein said manifold includes: plural said fittings that extend distally from said manifold housing; a void space internal to said manifold housing for receiving fluid flow from the plural said fittings; and said manifold housing is formed with a single outlet opening from which fluid in the void space flows into said first canister. 8. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, further including a valve disposed in said first receiver that opens and closes a fluid communications path from the bore of said first receiver into said first canister. 9. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, further including: a valve disposed in said first receiver that opens and closes a fluid communications path from the bore of said first receiver into said first canister, wherein said valve includes an actuating member that selectively opens and closes said valve; andwherein, said manifold includes a drive member that is configured to, upon the initial insertion of said manifold in the bore of said first receiver, engage said actuating member of said valve and, upon rotation of said manifold housing, displace said actuating member so as to open or close said valve. 10. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein: said waste collection unit includes a mobile cart;said first canister and said first receiver are mounted to said cart;said manifold disposed in the bore of said first receiver is a first said manifold;a second canister is mounted to said cart;a second receiver is mounted to said cart and is fluid communication with said second canister and said second receiver has a bore dimensioned to receive a second manifold that is separate from the first said manifold; andsaid suction pump is mounted to said cart and is connected to both said first canister and said second canister for drawing a suction on both said first canister and said second canister. 11. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, further including a drip stop mounted to the manifold housing over the outlet opening of said manifold housing. 12. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein said first receiver is attached to said first waste canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is at an angle that, relative to the horizontal, is less than 45°. 13. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 1, wherein: said first canister includes a cap; andsaid first receiver is mounted to said cap of said first canister. 14. A medical/surgical waste collection assembly, said assembly including: a manifold, said manifold including: a housing with proximal and distal ends, a longitudinal axis that extends between the proximal and distal ends and an outlet opening at the proximal end, the outlet opening being off center from the longitudinal axis of the manifold housing;a fitting that extends from the distal end of said manifold housing, said fitting shaped to receive a suction line and being in fluid communication with the outlet opening of said manifold housing; andtwo tabs that extend outwardly from said manifold housing, wherein said tabs subtend arcs of different arcuate lengths around said manifold housing; anda waste collection unit including: a first canister for holding medical/surgical waste;a suction pump in fluid communication with said first canister, said suction pump configured to draw a suction on said first canister; anda first receiver adjacent said first canister, said first receiver shaped to have: a bore dimensioned to receive said manifold housing, the bore having an open distal end into which said manifold housing is inserted and having a proximal end in fluid communication with said first canister wherein an axis extends through the bore; two slots that extend outwardly from the bore, the slots subtending arcs of different arcuate lengths so that each slot can receive a separate one of said manifold tabs; and two grooves, each groove extending arcuately away from a separate one of said slots and being dimensioned to receive a separate one of said manifold tabs,wherein:said manifold housing and said first receiver are collectively configured so that said manifold housing is rotatable in the bore of said first receiver; andsaid first receiver is attached to said first canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is angled from the horizontal and said tabs of said manifold and the slots and said grooves of said first receiver are arranged so that, when said tabs of said manifold are initially inserted into the slots of said receiver, the outlet opening of said manifold housing is in a first rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore and, when said manifold housing is rotated in the bore, the outlet opening is in a second rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore so that the outlet opening is located below the position of the outlet opening when the outlet opening is in the first rotational position. 15. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, wherein said suction pump is connected to said first canister by a conduit that is connected to said first canister. 16. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, wherein said manifold is formed with plural said fittings that extend distally from said manifold housing. 17. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, wherein said manifold includes: plural said fittings that extend distally from said manifold housing; a void space internal to said manifold housing for receiving fluid flow from the plural said fittings; and said manifold housing is formed with a single outlet opening from which fluid in the void space flows into said first canister. 18. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, further including a valve disposed in said first receiver that opens and closes a fluid communications path from the bore of said first receiver into said first canister. 19. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, further including: a valve disposed in said first receiver that opens and closes a fluid communications path from the bore of said first receiver into said first canister, wherein said valve includes an actuating member that selectively opens and closes said valve; andwherein, said manifold includes a drive member that is configured to, upon the initial insertion of said manifold in the bore of said first receiver, engage said actuating member of said valve and, upon rotation of said manifold housing, displace said actuating member so as to open or close said valve. 20. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, wherein: said waste collection unit includes a mobile cart;said first canister and said first receiver are mounted to said cart;said manifold disposed in the bore of said first receiver is a first said manifold;a second canister is mounted to said cart;a second receiver is mounted to said cart and is fluid communication with said second canister and said second receiver has a bore dimensioned to receive a second manifold that is separate from the first said manifold; andsaid suction pump is mounted to said cart and is connected to both said first canister and said second canister for drawing a suction on both said first canister and said second canister. 21. The medical/surgical waste collection assembly of claim 14, wherein: said first canister includes a cap; andsaid first receiver is mounted to said cap of said first canister. 22. The medical/surgical waste collection system of claim 14, wherein said first receiver is attached to said first canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is at an angle that, relative to the horizontal, is less than 45°. 23. A medical waste collection mobile unit for use with a manifold having an inlet fitting, an outlet opening that is off center relative to a longitudinal axis through the manifold and at least one outwardly extending tab, said system including: a mobile cart;a first canister mounted to said cart;a suction pump mounted to said cart in fluid communication with the first canister for drawing a suction on the first canister;a first receiver mounted to said cart adjacent said first canister, said first receiver having: a bore, the bore having an open distal end, a proximal end in fluid communication with said first canister, an axis between the ends and the bore being dimensioned to receive the manifold and allow the manifold to rotate in the bore; a fluid communications path from the receiver bore into said first canister; and at least one slot that extends outwardly from the bore, the slot dimensioned to receive the manifold tab; a groove that extends from a proximal end of the at least one slot, the groove dimensioned to receive the manifold tab and so that the tab can rotate in the groove wherein, said first receiver is attached to said first canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is angled from the horizontal so that, when the tab of the manifold is initially inserted into the slot of said first receiver, the outlet opening of the manifold is in a first rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore and, when the manifold is rotated in the bore, the outlet opening is in a second rotational position about the axis through the receiver bore so that the outlet opening is located below the position of the outlet opening when the outlet opening is in the first rotational position. 24. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein said first receiver is formed so as to have: plural slots that extend outwardly from the receiver bore, each said slot being dimensioned to receive a separate tab that extends from the manifold; andplural grooves, each groove extending from a proximal end of a separate said slot and being dimensioned to allow the manifold tab seated in the associate slot to rotate in the groove. 25. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein said first receiver is formed so as to have: two slots that extend outwardly from the receiver bore, each said slot being dimensioned to receive a separate tab that extends from the manifold and wherein the slots subtend arcs of different lengths; andtwo grooves, each groove extending from a proximal end of a separate said slot and being dimensioned to allow the manifold tab seated in the associate slot to rotate in the groove. 26. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein: said first canister includes a cap; andsaid first receiver is mounted to said cap of said first canister. 27. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, further including a valve disposed in said first receiver that opens and closes a fluid communications path from the bore of said first receiver into said first canister, wherein said valve includes an actuating member that selectively opens and closes said valve, wherein said valve is configured to engage a complementary drive member integral with the manifold so that the rotation of the manifold in the bore of the receiver displaces said actuating member so as to open or close said valve. 28. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein said suction pump is connected to said first canister by a conduit that is connected to said first canister. 29. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein: a second canister is mounted to said cart;a second receiver is mounted to said cart and is in fluid communication with said second canister and said second receiver has a bore dimensioned to receive a second manifold that is separate from the manifold in said first receiver; andsaid suction pump is connected to both said first canister and said second canister for drawing a suction on both said first canister and said second canister. 30. The medical/surgical waste collection mobile unit of claim 23, wherein said first receiver is attached to said first canister so that the axis through the receiver bore is at an angle that, relative to the horizontal, is less than 45°.