The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 23, 1999
Filed:
May. 05, 1997
Clint Holland, East Amherst, NY (US);
Medtek Devices, Inc., Amherst, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention includes a filter, 10, for purifying smoke plume generated from electrocautery or laser surgery. The filter includes a pre-filter, 11, for filtering gross particulate; a first filter, 12, having a structurally blended antimicrobial agent and adapted to capture and destroy minute and harmful organic particles such as viruses or bacteria at high efficiency; a second filter, 13, having a charcoal bed for removing gaseous toxins and odors from the smoke plume and a post-filter, 14, adapted to complete the general filtering process and to control the migration of any charcoal fines or other filter elements. The filter is adapted to be used in connection with various filter containers or hoods, including a rectangular hood, 16, or an industry-standard cylindrical filtering container, 20. The invention further includes the method for producing the blended antimicrobial first filter through the casting of a polymer membrane, 30, from a solution of a solvent, 25, polymer, 24, and antimicrobial, 26, cast on a substrate, 28, and made the subject of controlled evaporation of the solvent, 29. Thereafter, the resulting polymer membrane, thoroughly diffused and blended with the antimicrobial, is formed into various filter shapes, 31.