Anesthetic gas reclamation system and method

A method for removing and separating a plurality of gaseous components from a waste anesthetic gas mixture comprising nitrogen, oxygen, and a plurality of halocarbons, the method comprising the steps of,

• cooling said waste anesthetic gas mixture by passing said gas mixture over a cooling surface (36) contained within a single enclosure, said cooling surface characterized by a surface temperature gradient such that said gas mixture passes thereover in a direction from a warmer temperature to a colder temperature,
• solidifying a gaseous first halocarbon component of said waste anesthetic gas mixture onto a first portion (60, 62) of said cooling surface (36), said gaseous first halocarbon component characterized by a first halocarbon melting point, said first portion (60, 62) characterized by a first temperature which is colder than said first halocarbon melting point,
• condensing a gaseous second halocarbon component of said waste anesthetic gas mixture onto a second portion (63, 64) of said cooling surface (36), said second portion (63, 64) characterized by a second temperature which is colder than said first temperature,
• heating said cooling surface (36),
• collecting said second halocarbon component as a liquid into a container (24A, 24B),
• melting said solidified first halocarbon component from said first portion (60, 62) of said cooling surface (36) into a liquid phase, and
• collecting said liquid first halocarbon component.

A system for reclamation of anesthetic gas components present in waste anesthetic gas collected from an healthcare facility (10), said system comprising,

• a heat exchanger (25, 25A) having an inlet (31) fluidly coupled to a waste gas flow line (39), said waste gas flow line providing said waste anesthetic gas collected from said healthcare facility, said heat exchanger arranged and designed to separate anesthetic gas components from said waste anesthetic gas as said waste anesthetic gas flows through said heat exchanger between said inlet and an outlet (37) of said heat exchanger,
• a cooling coil (36) having an inlet and an outlet, said cooling coil positioned within said heat exchanger and having a cooling surface characterized by a surface temperature gradient such that said waste anesthetic gas passes thereover in a direction from a warmer temperature to a colder temperature,
• said cooling coil (36) having a first portion (60, 62) characterized by a first temperature which is colder than a first melting point of a first anesthetic component of said waste anesthetic gas, said first portion arranged and designed to desublimate said first anesthetic component of said waste anesthetic gas thereon,
• said cooling coil (36) also having a second portion (63, 64) characterized by a second temperature which is colder than said first temperature, said second portion arranged and designed to condense said second anesthetic component of said waste anesthetic gas thereon,
• containers (23, 24A, 24B, 24C) fluidly coupled to said heat exchanger, said containers arranged and designed to collect said first anesthetic component thawed from said first portion of said cooling coil and to collect said second anesthetic component condensed onto said second portion of said cooling coil, and
• an atmospheric discharge vent (46) fluidly coupled to said outlet of said heat exchanger, said atmospheric discharge vent discharging said waste anesthetic gas without said first and second anesthetic components to atmosphere.