Smoke Evacuation
Surgical Smoke
Surgical smoke is present in nearly every procedure, as it is the aerosolized byproduct of diathermy and similar procedures. Most theater staff are well familiar with the odor and impaired visibility created by this smoke. Not all realize however that this smoke is hazardous to their health. Daily exposure to this smoke can lead to serious health effects over extended periods of time, yet the awareness is still lacking.
What is Surgical Smoke
Surgical smoke is created when cells are vaporised by Electrosurgical, Ultrasonic, or related instruments. The smoke consists of 95% water vapor. The remaining 5% can be divided into Physics, Chemical, and Biological components:
- Physical: Ultra-fine particulates that are absorbed deep in the lung and can reach the alveoli.
- Chemical:The smoke contains various chemical compounds, 140 of which are hazardous such as Benzene and Formaldehyde. 40 of these are also listed as suspected carcinogens
- Biological:Surgical smoke has been proven to be a viable transmission route for bacteria and viruses such as HPV and HIV.
A single day of exposure has been equated to smoking 30 unfiltered cigarettes. Perioperative nurses further experience twice the amount of respiratory problems as average. Decades of research has shown the hazards of surgical smoke inhalation, now it is a matter of adressing it.
How to protect against surgical smoke
Facemasks offer close to no protection from surgical smoke. Even surgical masks do not filter out the ultra-fine particles present and offer limited protection. Airflow in the operating room also does not effectively remove the smoke, instead spreading it around and circulating it in the room. Suction devices are sometimes used, however these provide insufficient airflow and do not filter the smoke.
Effective surgical smoke removal requires:
- Removal at the source where it is created
- Multi stage filtration to remove all components including ultra-fine particulates
- Workflow that does not get in the way. Effective smoke evacuation does not need to come at the expense of ergonomics and time.
Achieving this requires a dedicated smoke evacuation system.
Cimpax C-VAC Smoke Evacuation System
The Cimpax C-Vac system offers a dedicated, ergonomic, and efficient method of effectively removing surgical smoke. The system removes all smoke at the source of the system, and passes it through a multi stage filter to remove all hazardous compounds, all while remaining unobtrusive and ergonomic. Safety for the OR staff, without any compromises.
Smoke Evacuation Handpieces
The C-VAC handpieces combine traditional Electrosurgical Handpieces with Smoke Evacuation capabilities, allowing for the effective removal of smoke at the source. The slim triangular shape provides increased comfort for the user, whilst offering superior airflow. The silicon cover and ultra soft buttons enhance use comfort while still providing tactile feedback, and the port design allows for complete exposure of the tip. The handpieces are free from latex, lead, PVC and phthalates, with patient safety and sutainability in mind. The handpieces are compatible with most smoke evacuation units available.
Two handpieces are avialable: The standard Tornado, and the telescopic Xtract. The Xtract has a unique telescopic function that allows the port and blade length to be set independently. This allows the port to double as a suction port, or for the blade to be completely exposed for enhanced visibility in deep procedures. The Auto-lock allows this to be easily done by simply resting the thumb against the handpiece to securely lock the telescopic function.
Smoke Evacuation Unit
The C-pure 750 is the perfect complement to any diathermy system. 4 layers of filtration and 35 hours of filter life make it suitable for even the busiest OR, all while creating minimal noise as a compact unit. The three port design ensures compatibility with practically any hosing, and the three power settings allow for a wide range of suctioning capabilities.
The optional C-pure sensor allows the unit to activate automatically upon handpiece activation, making smoke evacuation seamless and effortless.
The C-Vac fluid traps further allow for any fluids to be safely collected, which would otherwise damage the filter. The fluid traps can be sealed off after use for easy disposal.
Two sizes are available: The 20 ml which is optimal to prvent filter damage, and the 100 ml which even allows for fluid suctioning if paired with the C-Vac Xtract.