Patent ID: 7984838

Claim:
A system for use in a surgical procedure, the system comprising: a pneumatic surgical instrument having an inlet and an outlet; a tank fluidly coupled to the inlet of the pneumatic surgical instrument, wherein the tank provides pressurized helium gas to power the pneumatic surgical instrument; a compressor fluidly coupled to the outlet of the pneumatic surgical instrument, wherein the compressor receives the helium gas exhausted from the pneumatic surgical instrument and compresses the exhausted helium gas to supply the tank with pressurized helium gas; a disposable filter positioned between and fluidly coupled to the outlet of the pneumatic surgical instrument and the compressor, the filter for filtering out contaminants in the helium gas exhausted from the outlet of the pneumatic surgical instrument; and a controller for controlling an output of the compressor, the controller having a pressure feedback connection to the tank for maintaining a substantially constant pressure of the helium gas within the tank, wherein the pneumatic surgical instrument, tank, compressor, disposable filter, and controller form a closed system in a surgical setting to recycle the pressurized helium gas and to prevent the pressurized helium gas from escaping the closed system.