Smoke evacuator system for use in laser surgery
AssigneeXanar, Inc.
InventorsPhilip D. Robertson, Armando N. Solorzano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A smoke evacuator system for by-products of laser surgery including an inline construction of a motor and a filter assembly mounted on opposite sides of a mounting plate. The filter fits in a filter duct and the temperature of the flow between the filter and the vacuum chamber of the vacuum pump can be monitored to determine the clog condition of the filter. The system includes electronic circuitry to activate an alarm device to indicate to the user that the filter is clogged and further circuitry is provided to shutoff the motor after a long period of operation with a clogged filter to prevent damage to the system by overheating.
Claims15
An apparatus for removing by-products of laser surgery from the surgical site comprising:
- a housing defining a first chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
- a fitting attached to and provising fluid communication into said first chamber, said fitting having an inlet and an outlet and defining a second chamber between said inlet and said outlet;
- a filter removably disposed at said fitting inlet and having and inlet and an outlet;
- means for maintaining a negative pressure within said first chamber and thus establishing a flow of air through said filter, said fitting and said first chamber to deliver laser surgery by-products to said filter with the flow of air so that said filter may trap and remove laser surgery by-products from the flow;
- temperature sensing means disposed in said second chamber for measuring the temperature of air in said second chamber and for generating a signal indicative of a clogged condition of said filter;
- and
- a common mounting plate for said fitting and said housing said common mounting plate having a first and second opposed sides said fitting extending from said first side of said mounting plate and said housing extending from said second side of said mounting plate;
- and
- said second chamber defined by said fitting including a generally cylindrical cross section, said cross section converging from said fitting inlet to the vicinity of said temperature sensing mens and then remaining at a constant diameter from the vicinity of said temperature sensing means to said fitting outlet.
The apparatus of claim 13 further including means for cooling said electric motor including an air intake duct for delivery ambient air to said motor and means for circulating said ambient air about said motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.