Apparatus and method for producing sterile slush and heated sterile liquid

A method for producing a sterile, semi-frozen surgical slush from a sterilized liquid, comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing a surgical slush unit having a rigid basin and refrigeration means directly contacting said basin for cooling said basin to a temperature below the freezing point of said sterilized liquid;
• (2) covering the interior of said basin with a sterilized drape by directly contacting said drape with said basin and conforming said drape substantially to the interior shape of said basin;
• (3) introducing a quantity of sterilized liquid directly into said drape;
• (4) cooling said sterilized liquid within said drape by activation of said refrigeration means in said sterile slush unit so as to cause said sterilized liquid to congeal against the interior surface of said drape;
• and
• (5) scraping the congealed sterilized liquid off the interior surface of said drape as said cooling step is performed, thereby producing a quantity of semi-frozen sterile slush of desired consistency.

A surgical slush system for producing a sterile, semi-frozen slush from a sterilized liquid, comprising:

• a quantity of sterilized liquid;
• a slush generating unit including
• a cabinet including a plurality of louvres along one or more of the sides thereof sized for passage of air therethrough to facilitate heat transfer inside said cabinet,
• a basin at the top of said cabinet, and refrigeration means inside said cabinet for cooling said basin to a temperature below the freezing point of said sterilized liquid, said refrigeration means including an evaporator mounted to the underside of said basin in heat transfer relationship therewith;
• a thin sterilized drape, said drape impervious to said sterile liquid and sized to cover said basin, said drape flexibly conforming substantially to the interior shape of said basin, said drape directly abutting said basin along substantially the entire surface of said basin and removable therefrom, said sterilized liquid being directly contained by said drape within said basin;
• and
• an air filter including a thin flexible sterilized sheet fixed to and extending outwardly from the margin of said drape and sized to extend over said louvres, said sheet being pervious to air but substantially impervious to dust particles.

A surgical slush system for producing a sterile, semi-frozen slush from a sterilized liquid, comprising:

• a quantity of sterilized liquid;
• a slush generating unit including
• a cabinet,
• a basin at the top of said cabinet,
• refrigeration means inside said cabinet for cooling said basin to a temperature below the freezing point of said sterilized liquid, said refrigeration means including an evaporator mounted to the underside of said basin in heat transfer relationship therewith, and a heating means for heating said basin to a temperature above the freezing point of said sterile liquid, said heating means including an electrical heating element mounted to the underside of said basin in heat transfer relationship therewith,
• a mounting stud rigidly fixed to and extending from the underside of said basin,
• a cover plate mounted to said mounting stud on the underside of said basin beneath said electrical heating element, said cover plate serving to dissipate excess heat from said heating element within said cabinet, and
• a Teflon.RTM. lock washer extending between said mounting stud and said cover plate and serving to insulate the connection therebetween;
• and
• a thin sterilized drape, said drape being impervious to said sterile liquid and sized to cover said basin, said drape flexibly conforming substantially to the interior shape of said basin, said drape directly abutting said basin along substantially the entire surface of said basin and removable therefrom, said sterilized liquid being directly contained by said drape within said basin.