# US 11,305,223 B2 · Smoke evacuation system fluid trap > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,223 B2 - Document ID: US11305223B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/937,000 - Filed: 2020-07-23 - Published: 2020-11-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-29 - Assignees: Megadyne Medical Products, Inc. - Applicants: Megadyne Medical Products, Inc. - Inventors: Shawn K. Horner; Benjamin J. Danziger; Chad S. Frampton; Mark D. Glassett; Darcy W. Greep; Jason L. Harris; Frederick Shelton; David C. Yates - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305223B2 ## CPC - B01D 46/0031: {with collecting, draining means} - A61B 18/00: Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body (eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00) - A61B 18/12: by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current - B01D 46/0043: {containing fixed gas displacement elements or cores} - F24F 8/10: by separation, e.g. by filtering - A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor - A61B 18/1402: {Probes for open surgery} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2018/00595: {Cauterization} - A61B 2018/00601: {Cutting} - A61B 2218/002: Irrigation - A61B 2218/008: for smoke evacuation - B01D 2273/26: Making use of optical waves, e.g. for measurements - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A fluid trap for minimizing the escape of contaminated fluids from the fluid trap when an orientation of the fluid trap changes during removal or transport includes a front cover, a rear cover coupled to the front cover, and an interior chamber defined by the front and rear covers. The front cover defines an inlet port extending a first distance into an interior chamber of the fluid trap. The rear cover defines an exhaust port extending a second distance away from the rear cover of the fluid trap and positioned above the inlet port when the fluid trap is in an upright position. The interior chamber has a maximum fluid volume defined as the lesser of a fluid reservoir volume, a front cover volume, and a rear cover volume. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid trap configured for use with a smoke evacuation system, the fluid trap comprising: an interior chamber defined at least partially by a front wall and a rear wall; an inlet port that leads into the interior chamber; an exhaust port that leads out of the interior chamber; and first and second splash walls disposed on opposing sides of the inlet and exhaust ports, the first and second splash walls extending between the front and rear walls and vertically from a point coplanar with a lower end of the inlet port towards an upper end of the exhaust port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid trap of claim 1, further comprising a drain associated with the interior chamber, the drain being configured to selectively allow fluid to be removed from the interior chamber therethrough. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid trap of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of baffles disposed within the interior chamber for minimizing fluid motion during handling of the fluid trap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fluid trap of claim 3, wherein the plurality of baffles are disposed below an inlet port and exhaust port that lead into and out of the interior chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fluid trap of claim 4, wherein one or more baffles of the plurality of baffles comprise angled surfaces that direct fluid away from the inlet port and the exhaust port. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fluid trap of claim 1, further comprising a sensor disposed within the interior chamber, the sensor monitoring a fluid level within the fluid trap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid trap of claim 6, further comprising a visual indicator in electrical communication with the sensor, the visual indicator representing the fluid level within the fluid trap. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fluid trap of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an optical emitter and detector pair, an ultrasonic detector, or a resistive strip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fluid trap of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator comprises one or more status lights activated by the sensor, at least one status light of the one or more status lights indicating the fluid trap has reached a maximum fill state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fluid trap of claim 9, further comprising one or more additional sensors and one or more additional visual indicators in electrical communication with the one or more additional sensors, wherein the one or more additional sensors correspond to an amount of fluid within the fluid trap, the amount of fluid being less than the maximum fill state. ### Claim 11 A fluid trap configured for use with a smoke evacuation system, the fluid trap comprising: an interior chamber defined at least partially by a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing side walls; an inlet port that leads through the front wall and into the interior chamber; an exhaust port that leads through the rear wall and out of the interior chamber; and a splash canopy positioned between the inlet port and the exhaust port, the splash canopy extending from the front wall to the rear wall and laterally across a width of the inlet port and a portion of a width between the opposing side walls. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The fluid trap of claim 11, further comprising one or more splash walls spanning opposing sidewalls of the interior chamber and extending vertically from a first point coplanar with at least a portion of the splash canopy to a second point coplanar with at least a portion of the exhaust port. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fluid trap of claim 12, wherein at least one of the splash canopy and the one or more splash walls comprise a fibrous fluid wicking material that enable removal of one or more aerosols or small droplet fluids from smoke. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The fluid trap of claim 13, wherein at least one of the splash canopy and the one or more splash walls comprise condensation promoting surfaces. ### Claim 15 A fluid trap configured for use with a smoke evacuation system, the fluid trap comprising: an interior chamber; an inlet port that leads into the interior chamber; an exhaust port that leads out of the interior chamber; and a plurality of baffles disposed within the interior chamber for minimizing fluid motion during handling of the fluid trap, the plurality of baffles being disposed and oriented within the interior chamber such that the plurality of baffles divide the interior chamber into an upper portion and a lower portion, the plurality of baffles being disposed below the inlet port and the exhaust port such that the inlet port and the exhaust port both open into the upper portion, the plurality of baffles being configured to direct fluid received through the inlet port into the lower portion and limit or prevent movement of fluid from the lower portion to the upper portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fluid trap of claim 15, wherein one or more baffles of the plurality of baffles comprise angled surfaces that direct fluid away from the inlet port and the exhaust port. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The fluid trap of claim 15, wherein one or more baffles of the plurality of baffles comprise an absorptive material that enables removal of one or more aerosols or small droplet fluids from smoke. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The fluid trap of claim 15, wherein one or more baffles of the plurality of baffles comprise a condensation promoting surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The fluid trap of claim 15, wherein the plurality of baffles are mounted on one or more baffles securing members, the one or more baffle securing members being connected to one or more surfaces of the interior chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The fluid trap of claim 15, wherein the fluid trap further comprises one or more transparent or translucent viewing windows that enable a fluid level within the interior chamber to be seen from outside of the fluid trap.