Abstract: A smoke evacuator system for by-products of laser surgery including an inline construction of a motor and a filter assembly mounted on opposite sides of a mounting plate. The filter fits in a filter duct and the temperature of the flow between the filter and the vacuum chamber of the vacuum pump can be monitored to determine the clog condition of the filter. The system includes electronic circuitry to activate an alarm device to indicate to the user that the filter is clogged and further circuitry is provided to shutoff the motor after a long period of operation with a clogged filter to prevent damage to the system by overheating.

Abstract: A filter for a laser surgery smoke evacuation system including a generally cylindrical hollow housing with endcaps on either end to hold a plurality of filter elements in place within the housing. The inlet end of the housing includes a hollow cone with a cylindrical inlet projecting from the apex of the cone and a base ring projecting from the base of the cone. The endcaps are held in place by adhesive tape strips with a high friction backing. The high friction backing helps hold the filter lightly in place during use. The filter is disposable and easily removable from the system and includes no mechanical apparatus to hold the filter in the system.