Device For Smoke Evacuation During Surgical Procedures

SUMMARY

• Smoke caused during surgery (particularly during opening of the surgical wound and then during tissue resection) causes air quality problems that is a growing concern for clinicians in the operating room (OR).

• In many cases, devices called wound protectors are inserted into the surgical site to protect the edges of the wound and keep the area clean.

• The faculty inventor designed a device that can be placed on top of existing wound protectors (either clipped or set on top) or simply placed around a surgical site to mitigate smoke in the OR.

• It consists of a semi-hollow ring that has one or more voids internally, each with an air input, and several small holes facing the center of the ring.  The device can be hooked up to forced air or vacuum lines (or both) that are pre-existing in traditional OR setups. 

• Initial testing has demonstrated significantly improved air quality when using the device compared to when the device is off or unused.

FIGURE

ADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

• Allows surgeons to continue to use current electrocautery devices while complying with smoke evacuation standards

• Does not occlude the surgeons’ field of view during a procedure

• Compatible with both forced air and vacuum lines

• Easily integrated into existing surgical workflows

APPLICATIONS

• Smoke evacuation during electrocautery procedures

• Smoke evacuation for other smoke generating procedures

February 8, 2023

Prototype

Patent Pending

Licensing,Co-development

Michael Millis