A waste collection assembly for use during a medical or surgical procedure, the assembly comprising: a mobile chassis (100, 2100, 3100) functioning as an instrument rack (138, 3138) for removably attaching at least one instrument (140, 3140) to the rack (138, 3138) and formed with a void space (124, 3124) dimensioned to removably receive a mobile waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) that has at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202) for storing waste withdrawn from a patient; a cart retention feature (300, 3300) is attached to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) to removable hold the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) in the void space (124, 3124) so that the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) and the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) can be moved as a single unit and disconnected so as to be able to move independently for each other; a vacuum pump (210, 3210) mounted to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100); and a chassis vacuum coupling (400, 3400) mounted to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) and connected to said vacuum pump (210, 3210), the vacuum coupling (400, 3400) positioned so that, when the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) is seated in the void space (124, 3124), a connection is established between said chassis vacuum coupling (400, 3400) and a complementary cart vacuum coupling (1600, 4600) so as to establish a path (70, 72, 3070, 3072) over which a vacuum can be drawn by the vacuum pump (210, 3210) on the waste collection cart at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); characterized in that a vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224) is mounted to the mobile chassis (100, 2100, 3100) for regulating the level of suction drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); a pressure sensor (1698, 1699) is located in the path (70, 72, 3070, 3072) downstream of the vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224), said pressure sensor (1689, 1699) configured to generate a pressure signal representative of the vacuum drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); and a controller (802, 3802) receives from the pressure sensor (1689, 1699) the pressure signal and, in response to receiving the pressure signal, triggers the vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224) to regulate the vacuum drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202). a mobile chassis (100, 2100, 3100) functioning as an instrument rack (138, 3138) for removably attaching at least one instrument (140, 3140) to the rack (138, 3138) and formed with a void space (124, 3124) dimensioned to removably receive a mobile waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) that has at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202) for storing waste withdrawn from a patient; a cart retention feature (300, 3300) is attached to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) to removable hold the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) in the void space (124, 3124) so that the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) and the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) can be moved as a single unit and disconnected so as to be able to move independently for each other; a vacuum pump (210, 3210) mounted to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100); and a chassis vacuum coupling (400, 3400) mounted to the chassis (100, 2100, 3100) and connected to said vacuum pump (210, 3210), the vacuum coupling (400, 3400) positioned so that, when the waste collection cart (1000, 2500, 4000) is seated in the void space (124, 3124), a connection is established between said chassis vacuum coupling (400, 3400) and a complementary cart vacuum coupling (1600, 4600) so as to establish a path (70, 72, 3070, 3072) over which a vacuum can be drawn by the vacuum pump (210, 3210) on the waste collection cart at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); characterized in that a vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224) is mounted to the mobile chassis (100, 2100, 3100) for regulating the level of suction drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); a pressure sensor (1698, 1699) is located in the path (70, 72, 3070, 3072) downstream of the vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224), said pressure sensor (1689, 1699) configured to generate a pressure signal representative of the vacuum drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202); and a controller (802, 3802) receives from the pressure sensor (1689, 1699) the pressure signal and, in response to receiving the pressure signal, triggers the vacuum regulator (222, 224, 3222, 3224) to regulate the vacuum drawn on the at least one container (1200, 1202, 4200, 4202).