Surgical smoke evacuation system with replaceable filter cartridge module and accumulated filter usage display

An evacuation system for removing smoke generated during a medical procedure performed in an associated medical room, the evacuation system comprising:

• a pre-filter assembly including a pre-filter housing and an elongate flexible suction hose member having a distal free end adapted for manipulation into position adjacent the medical procedure and a proximal end connected with the pre-filter housing;
• a replaceable filter cartridge module disposed in the associated medical room to permit replacement of a used filter cartridge module with a new filter cartridge module by personnel within the medical room, the filter cartridge module holding at least one filter and having an input opening on an input end adapted for selective connection with the pre-filter assembly and an exhaust opening, the filter cartridge module defining an internal passageway for communicating an airflow from the input opening to the exhaust opening through the at least one filter;
• a vacuum generator disposed outside of the associated medical room, the vacuum generator including a vacuum source and an elongate tube for establishing fluid communication between the exhaust opening of the filter cartridge module and the vacuum source, the vacuum source selectively generating said airflow through the tube, said internal passageway and the pre-filter assembly to remove smoke from the medical procedure, the vacuum source being adapted to operate over a range of pump speeds to generate a corresponding range of flow rates of said airflow;
• and,
• a control unit having at least one manually operable mode control switch disposed in the associated medical room to permit access to the mode control switch by personnel within the medical room, the control unit being in operative control of said vacuum pump to selectively cause the vacuum pump to generate said airflow through said elongate tube, said internal passageway of the filter cartridge module, and said pre-filter assembly to remove smoke from the medical procedure based on a position of the manually operable mode control switch, said control unit further including an accumulated filter usage circuit for calculating a quantity of filter capacity available in said at least one filter based on a linear relationship between a filter usage time and said range of flow rates of said airflow.

An evacuation system for removing smoke generated during a medical procedure performed in an associated medical room, the evacuation system comprising:

• a pre-filter assembly including a pre-filter housing and an elongate flexible suction hose member having a distal free end adapted for manipulation into position adjacent the medical procedure and a proximal end connected with the pre-filter housing;
• a replaceable filter cartridge module disposed in the associated medical room to permit replacement of a used filter cartridge module with a new filter cartridge module by personnel within the medical room, the filter cartridge module holding at least one filter and having an input opening on an input end adapted for selective connection with the pre-filter assembly and an exhaust opening, the filter cartridge module defining an internal passageway for communicating an airflow from the input opening to the exhaust opening through the at least one filter;
• and,
• a vacuum generator disposed outside of the associated medical room, the vacuum generator including a vacuum source and an elongate tube for establishing fluid communication between the exhaust opening of the filter cartridge module and the vacuum source, the vacuum source selectively generating said airflow through the tube, said internal passageway and the pre-filter assembly to remove smoke from the medical procedure, said input end of the filter cartridge module including a first mechanical connection surface adapted for selective connection with the pre-filter assembly and the pre-filter assembly including a second mechanical connection surface formed on the pre-filter housing and shaped oppositely from the first mechanical connection surface to permit the filter cartridge module and the pre-filter assembly to be selectively intermatably engaged at the first and second connection surfaces.

A surgical smoke evacuation system for removing smoke generated during a medical procedure in an associated medical room using a vacuum generator including an elongate tube and a vacuum source selectively generating a selectively variable airflow rate through the tube, the surgical smoke evacuation system comprising:

• a pre-filter assembly including a pre-filter housing and an elongate flexible suction hose member having a distal end adapted for manipulation into position adjacent the medical procedure and a proximal end connected with the pre-filter housing, pre-filter housing including a first mechanical connection area;
• and,
• a replaceable filter cartridge module to permit replacement of a used filter cartridge module with a new filter cartridge module, the filter cartridge module holding at least one filter and having an input opening on an input end adapted for selective connection with the pre-filter assembly and an exhaust opening connected to said elongate tube, the filter cartridge module defining an internal passageway for communicating an airflow from the input opening to the exhaust opening through the at least one filter, the input end of the filter cartridge module including a second mechanical connection area shaped oppositely from the first mechanical connection area to permit the filter cartridge module and the pre-filter assembly to be selectively intermatably engaged at the first and second connection areas, the second mechanical connection area of the filter cartridge module including a shutter-type pivot door member selectively movable between a first position to block said input opening and a second position to permit substantially unrestricted access to said input opening and the first mechanical connection area of the pre-filter assembly including an annular grooved nose portion with a retaining groove adapted to receive a lead edge portion of the shutter-type pivot door member to permit said selective intermatable engagement between the filter cartridge and the pre-filter assembly.