Improvements in and relating to the reduction or removal of particles within an enclosed corporeal atmosphere

Abstract

Apparatus (100) and method are disclosed for removing or reducing the number of particles in an enclosed atmosphere during intracorporeal procedures. The apparatus comprises a housing (180) adapted to be placed against the body on which a procedure is to be formed, a first electrode (140) external to the housing for contacting the body, an elongated electrically insulated probe (130) extending from the housing (180) and being insertable into an intracorporeal body cavity (C) in which a procedure is to be performed, a second electrode (150) at the free end of the probe, and circuit means (110) for generating voltage between said first and second electrodes. The method comprises applying a voltage between the electrodes sufficient to cause local ionisation of particles within the body cavity such that they migrate away from the second electrode, thereby removing or reducing the number of particles generated during the procedure from the enclosed atmosphere at or around the site of the procedure.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the reduction or removal of particles, such as soot particles, generated during internal procedures such as medical or plastic surgery on the human body. Background technique [0002] In this specification, the word "particulate" is intended to include fume, smoke particles, liquid droplets or other matter suspended in the local environment in which surgery is performed before, during or after surgery. [0003] It is well known that during procedures such as surgery, particles produced by cutting flesh or cauterizing wounds obscure the operator's vision and may endanger the health of the surgical staff. In general, particle removal methods, such as fume removal methods, generally involve the following means: physically removing the fume by, for example, a vacuum cleaner and then expelling it out of the surgical site, or physically removing the fume by filtering the soot particles and recirculating the air. remove. How...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, in practice, this method may not be feasible or only partially achievable, which means that there is a risk to the health of the people involved in the operation, and more directly, the operator may be injured by the presence of undesirable particles in the closed environment. hampered by poor visibility, this closed environment can often be an artificially inflated area in the patient's body, for example, during laparoscopic surgery, before the procedure begins such as a CO 2 A suitable inert gas is introduced to the patient via the access port to inflate the area of ​​the patient's body to be operated on

[0004] Even in the case of cryosurgery, condensed vapors, water droplets, or other substances may be produced that individually or collectively behave like a dust cloud suspended in the local environment, which can also obscure the vision of those involved in the procedure

Images