Surgical access device with active smoke filtration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12303167-B2
Application number	US-202418595922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2024
Priority date	Feb 18, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A surgical access device includes a housing with an elongate tubular member extending distally from the housing. The elongate tubular member has an open distal aperture. A first electrode is disposed in a first region of the elongate tubular member and circumscribes the elongate tubular member. The first electrode is coupled to an anode of a power supply and is configured to provide airborne particulate matter with a negative electric charge. A second electrode is disposed in a second region of the elongate tubular member and circumscribes the elongate tubular member. The second electrode is coupled to a cathode of a power supply and is configured to attract the airborne particulate matter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of evacuating smoke at a surgical site using a surgical access device, the method comprising:
providing an elongate tubular member defining a lumen configured to receive a surgical instrument;
creating a negative electrical charge within the lumen near a first region of the elongate tubular member to apply a negative electrical charge within the lumen in the first region;
creating a positive electrical charge within the lumen near a second region of the elongate tubular member proximally of the first region;
creating a vacuum within the lumen of the elongate tubular member to generate an air flow having airborne particulate matter within the lumen of the elongate tubular member that moves from the first region of the elongate tubular member towards the second region of the elongate tubular member to move the airborne particulate matter towards the second region;
ionizing the airborne particulate matter as it passes in a proximal direction through the lumen in the first region; and
accumulating the ionized airborne particulate matter on an inner wall of the lumen in the second region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the vacuum within the lumen of the elongate tubular member includes coupling a source of vacuum to a housing of the surgical access device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the negative electrical charge includes creating the negative electrical charge circumferentially about an outer surface of the elongate tubular member.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein creating the positive electrical charge includes creating the positive electrical charge circumferentially about the outer surface of the elongate tubular member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the vacuum within the lumen of the elongate tubular member causes the airborne particulate matter to enter the lumen through a distal aperture thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the negative electrical charge comprises coupling a first electrode to a power source, the first electrode located in the first region of the elongate tubular member.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein creating the positive electrical charge comprises coupling a second electrode to the power source, the second electrode located in the second region of the elongate tubular member.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first electrode is disposed circumferentially about an outer surface of the elongate tubular member in the first region, and the second electrode is disposed circumferentially about an outer surface of the elongate tubular member in the second region.

9. A method of removing airborne particulate matter from a flow of air, the method comprising:
creating a flow of air within a lumen of an elongate tubular member, the flow of air comprising airborne particulate matter that enters a distal aperture of the lumen and moves from a distal region of the elongate tubular member towards a proximal region of the elongate tubular member;
creating a negative electrical field near a distal region of the elongate tubular member;
ionizing the airborne particulate matter as it moves in a proximal direction through the distal region; and
creating a positive electrical field proximally of the negative electrical field to collect the ionized airborne particulate matter on an inner wall of the lumen of the elongate tubular member.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein creating the flow of air within the lumen of the elongate tubular member includes applying a vacuum to the lumen of the elongate tubular member.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein creating the negative electrical field includes coupling a first electrode supported about the elongate tubular member to an anode of a power supply.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein creating the positive electrical field includes coupling a second electrode supported about the elongate tubular member to a cathode of a power supply.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the lumen is defined between a proximal aperture and the distal aperture and is configured to receive a surgical instrument.

14. A method of evacuating smoke in a surgical site comprising:
providing a surgical access device comprising an elongate tubular member with a lumen ending at a distal aperture;
supplying a negative electrical charge to a first electrode, the first electrode coupled to an outer surface of the elongate tubular member in a distal region thereof;
supplying a positive electrical charge to a second electrode, the second electrode coupled to the outer surface of the elongate tubular member in an intermediate region that is proximal of the distal region; and
applying a vacuum to the lumen of the elongate tubular member, the vacuum generating an air flow comprising airborne particulate from the distal region of the elongate tubular member towards a proximal region of the elongate tubular member such that the airborne particulate acquires a negative electrical charge from the first electrode as it moves proximally toward the second electrode.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the vacuum to the lumen of the elongate tubular member includes coupling a source of vacuum to a housing of the surgical access device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the vacuum to the lumen of the elongate tubular member includes causing the airborne particulate matter to move past the second electrode and collect on an inner surface of the elongate tubular member proximate the second electrode.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first electrode comprises a wire, a mesh, a flexible conductive circuit, or an electrically conductive compound.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the lumen is defined between a proximal aperture and the distal aperture and is configured to receive a surgical instrument.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Holsten Henry E

Classifications

• B03C3/49

  tubular · CPC title

• B03C3/41

  Ionising-electrodes · CPC title

• B03C3/12

  characterised by separation of ionising and collecting stations · CPC title

• B03C3/017

  Combinations of electrostatic separation with other processes, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B03C2201/26

  for use in medical or biological applications · CPC title