Patent ID: 7644594

Claim:
A method of removing and separating gaseous anesthetics from a waste anesthetic gas stream to prevent atmospheric venting of gaseous anesthetics from a healthcare facility, said method comprising the steps of: receiving said waste anesthetic gas stream from an anesthetizing machine ( 312 , 612 ) into a chamber ( 332 , 632 ), detecting a presence of said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber, periodically fluidly coupling said chamber to a collection intake ( 316 , 616 ) by a selectively isolable flow path ( 334 , 634 ) in response to said presence of said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber, transferring said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber to said collection intake by said selectively isolable flow path, whereby said chamber and said selectively isolable flow path cooperate to minimize ingress of atmospheric gas into said collection intake when no waste anesthetic gas stream is exiting said anesthetizing machine, cooling said waste anesthetic gas stream transferred to said collection intake by passing said waste anesthetic gas stream over a cooling surface ( 236 , 436 A, 436 B, 536 ) characterized by a surface temperature gradient such that said waste anesthetic gas stream passes thereover in a direction from a warmer to a colder temperature, said waste anesthetic gas stream exchanging heat conductively through said cooling surface with a heat transfer fluid, said heat transfer fluid being warmed by said exchange of heat with said waste anesthetic gas stream, said heat transfer fluid being cooled by a refrigeration unit ( 270 , 370 , 570 , 670 ), condensing said gaseous anesthetics from said waste anesthetic gas stream, separating said condensed anesthetics from said waste anesthetic gas stream, venting to atmosphere said waste anesthetic gas stream absent said condensed anesthetics.