Patent ID: 7669438

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 ( 12 A, 12 B, 12 C) into a chamber ( 32 A, 32 B, 32 C), detecting a presence of said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber, periodically fluidly coupling said chamber to a collection manifold ( 16 ) via a selectively isolable flow path ( 34 A, 34 B, 34 C) in response to said presence of said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber when detected, transferring said waste anesthetic gas stream received in said chamber to said collection manifold via said selectively isolable flow path, whereby said chamber and said selectively isolable flow path cooperate to minimize ingress of atmospheric gas into said collection manifold when no said waste anesthetic gas stream is exiting said anesthetizing machine, compressing said waste anesthetic gas stream transferred to said collection manifold to a pressure above atmospheric pressure using a compressor ( 42 ) with at least one compression stage, cooling said waste anesthetic gas stream by passing said waste anesthetic gas stream over a cooling surface ( 136 , 236 A, 236 B) 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, condensing said gaseous anesthetics from said waste anesthetic gas stream, separating said condensed anesthetics from said waste anesthetic gas stream, and venting to atmosphere said waste anesthetic gas stream absent said condensed anesthetics.