Mobile surgical compartment with micro filtered laminar air flow

An apparatus for conducting surgical procedures, comprising:

• an air circulation means including a micro pore filter and means for forcing air through the filter, the air circulation means having at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
• a surgical compartment defined by a top panel, a bottom panel and sidewalls, at least one of the sidewalls including a transparent panel for viewing an inside of the surgical compartment, the at least one of the sidewalls terminating at a space from the bottom panel for manual access to the inside of the surgical compartment;
• duct means coupling the outlet of the air circulation means to a top of the surgical compartment, said top having a plurality of openings for directing filtered air from the air circulation means into the surgical compartment, the air circulation means and the duct means being operable to maintain a positive pressure differential between the inside of the surgical compartment and a outside;
• and,
• a viewer disposed at least partly within the surgical compartment, the viewer being movably mounted for vertical and horizontal displacement in the surgical compartment and including a view port extending at least to said transparent panel in the sidewall.

A mobile surgical compartment, comprising:

• a wheeled cabinet having a top panel with an upper surface;
• a filter and electrically powered air circulation means in the cabinet, the air circulation means being operable to draw air from outside the cabinet and from the top panel of the cabinet, said top panel of the cabinet having a plurality of apertures in an array and defining a work surface on the upper surface of the top panel of the cabinet, and duct means in the cabinet coupling the air circulation means to said apertures;
• a partial enclosure disposed on the upper surface of the op panel of the cabinet, the partial enclosure having transparent panels on two opposite sidewalls terminating at a space above the top panel of the cabinet sufficient to allow access of arms of an attendant located outside of the partial enclosure, the partial enclosure including an outlet duct means communicating with the air circulation means via the duct means in the cabinet, and the outlet duct means leading to a plenum in a top of the partial enclosure having a plurality of apertures directed toward the apertures in the top panel of the cabinet, the sidewalls including at least one endwall including an access port dimensioned for passage of an appendage of a surgical subject into the surgical compartment, such that surgical procedures can be conducted on the appendage in a protected environment inside the partial enclosure, with the surgical subject otherwise located outside the surgical compartment;
• and,
• means for operating the air circulation means to maintain a positive pressure differential between an inside and an outside of the partial enclosure, whereby ingress of particles into the partial enclosure is minimized.

A mobile surgical compartment, comprising:

• a wheeled cabinet having a top panel with an upper surface;
• a filter and electrically powered air circulation means in the cabinet, the air circulation means being operable to draw air from outside the cabinet and from the top panel of the cabinet, said top panel of the cabinet having a plurality of apertures in an array and defining a work surface on the upper surface of the top panel of the cabinet, and duct means in the cabinet coupling in the air circulation means to said apertures;
• a partial enclosure disposed on the upper surface of the top panel of the cabinet, the partial enclosure having transparent panels on two opposite sidewalls terminating at a space above the top panel of the cabinet sufficient to allow access of arms of an attendant located outside of the partial enclosure, the partial enclosure including an outlet duct means communicating with the air circulation means via the duct means in the cabinet, and the outlet duct means leading to a plenum in a top of the partial enclosure having a plurality of apertures directed toward the apertures in the top panel of the cabinet;
• means for operating the air circulation means to maintain a positive pressure differential between an inside and an outside of the partial enclosure;
• and
• a microscope movably disposed in the partial enclosure and having a viewing means movable to a point outside the partial enclosure through said space above the top panel of the cabinet.

A method for conducting surgical procedures on a subject, comprising the steps of:

• providing an enclosure with a substantially laminar flow of micro filtered air passing vertically from a top of an enclosure to a bottom, the enclosure substantially enclosing a space and having openings below transparent panels on two opposite sides for manual access;
• moving the subject into the space;
• viewing the subject through the transparent panels and through a viewing apparatus having a view port accessible from outside the space;
• conducting the surgical procedure while the subject is disposed in the laminar flow.