Method of treating exhaust from laser surgery
OwnerJuan N. Martin, John K. Martininventors
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Abstract
In order to render harmless the aerosol laden smoke stream which results from the operation of medical lasers in or on mammalian bodies, the stream is moved in a closed circuit maintained at negative pressure. The circuit includes a container of sterilizing fluid to retain and destroy the larger aerosol particles and downstream of that container a chamber having an oxygen enriched atmosphere which is heated to a temperature sufficient to incinerate the remaining aerosol particles which are too small to filter. The thus purified stream is then cooled and released to ambient.
Claims3
A method of treating an aerosol laden smoke stream resulting from operation of a medical laser within or adjacent to a mammalian body to render such streams sufficiently sterile for harmless release into the environment, the steps comprising:
- a. first directing the smoke stream in a closed path through a body of sterilizing liquid for retention and destruction of the larger aerosol particles;
- b. secondly, raising the temperature of the remaining finer aerosols in the presence of excess oxygen to a temperature sufficient to cause incineration thereof;
- c. thirdly, cooling the resulting purified stream to substantially room temperature;
- and
- d. finally, releasing the cooled stream to ambient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.