SBIR/STTR Research Award
SILENT PUMP FOR LASER SMOKE REMOVAL AND STERILIZATION
Award amount
$50,000Program and phase
SBIR · Phase IAward year
1992Award details
- Awarding agency
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Branch
- Not reported
- Recipient company
- Ballena Systems Corp
- Proposal award date
- Not reported
- Contract end date
- Not reported
- UEI
- Not reported
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- Not reported
Research abstract
A SMOKE EVACUATION SYSTEM IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF LASER SURGERY, BOTH IN RESEARCH AS WELL AS IN HUMAN SURGERY. CURRENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE REMOVAL OF SMOKE AND DEBRIS GENERATED DURING LASER SURGERY ARE INEFFICIENT, NOISY, AND EXPOSE THE SURGEONS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL TO THE HAZARDS OF PATHOLOGICAL AIRBORNE AEROSOLS. THE AIRBORNE AEROSOLS ARE CURRENTLY REMOVED THROUGH VACUUM ACTION (AIR PUMPS) AND CAPTURED IN FILTERS WHICH THEN MUST BE DISPOSED OF AS HAZARDOUS WASTE. WE WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT SMOKE EVACUATION DEVICES WITH A REVOLUTIONARY COMPACT, NOISELESS DEVICE WHICH REMOVES DEBRIS AND AEROSOLS, AND STERILIZES THE PATHOLOGICAL AIRBORNE CONSTITUENTS IN THE LASER SMOKE PLUME (BOTH IN THE AEROSOLS AND GASEOUS FORMS). THIS DEVICE DOES NOT USE A FILTER TO ELIMINATE THE PARTICULATES AND AEROSOLS, AND HENCE MINIMIZES HAZARDOUS WASTE PRODUCTION WHICH REQUIRES SPECIAL DISPOSAL. THE EFFLUENT AIR FROM THIS DEVICE CAN BE RECYCLED DIRECTLY INTO THE OPERATING ROOM.
Technology keywords
Not reported