Patent ID: 7596965

Claim:
A method for removing and separating a plurality of gaseous components from a waste anesthetic gas mixture comprising nitrogen, oxygen, and a plurality of halocarbons, the method comprising the steps of, cooling said waste anesthetic gas mixture by passing said gas mixture over a cooling surface ( 36 ) contained within a single enclosure, said cooling surface characterized by a surface temperature gradient such that said gas mixture passes thereover in a direction from a warmer temperature to a colder temperature, depositing by desublimation a gaseous first halocarbon component from said waste anesthetic gas mixture as a solid onto a first portion ( 60 , 62 ) of said cooling surface ( 36 ), said gaseous first halocarbon component characterized by a first halocarbon melting point, said first portion ( 60 , 62 ) characterized by a first temperature which is colder than said first halocarbon melting point, depositing by desublimation a gaseous second halocarbon component from said waste anesthetic gas mixture as a solid onto a second portion ( 63 , 64 ) of said cooling surface ( 36 ), said gaseous second halocarbon component characterized by a second halocarbon melting point, said second portion ( 63 , 64 ) characterized by a second temperature which is colder than said second halocarbon melting point and colder than said first temperature, then heating said cooling surface ( 36 ), melting said deposited second halocarbon component from said second portion ( 63 , 64 ) of said cooling surface ( 36 ) into a liquid phase, then collecting said liquid second halocarbon component into a container ( 24 A, 24 B), then melting said deposited first halocarbon component from said first portion ( 60 , 62 ) of said cooling surface ( 36 ) into a liquid phase, and then collecting said liquid first halocarbon component.