Smoke evacuation technologies enhancing air quality

Editor's Note

Technologies continue to advance for effective, efficient, and safe surgical smoke evacuation. And healthcare organizations are reaping the rewards, including improved employee health and productivity. A surgical smoke expert recently explored the current state of regulatory, legislative, and technology developments to reduce surgical smoke exposure in Today’s Medical Developments.

One area where smoke safety is making strides is with different technology solutions for evacuation. For example, on-tip smoke evacuation devices are integrated with an ESU pencil and can include telescoping features that even capture surgical smoke as it is generated in a deeper surgical field.

Portable and console surgical smoke evacuators can support smoke evacuation when any energy-generating device is used, such as a laser or harmonic scalpel. These portable evacuators can combine filtration down to 99.999% particulate capture efficiency. Adaptable capture sleeves are another option, as well as surgical plume management options for minimally invasive procedures.

Beyond legal requirements in a given state to evacuate surgical smoke, the evidence on this occupational hazard is clear, and the technology is available to mitigate the risk, the expert stressed. Ultimately, he said “the path to smoke-free ORs is straightforward and overdue.”