Operating room smoke evacuator with integrated vacuum motor and filter

1. A service head for use in connection with a medical procedure, comprising:

a housing adapted for mounting within an enclosure such that said housing is suspended off the floor of said enclosure, said housing having a cavity adapted to receive a filter, and said cavity having a plurality of surfaces;

a timing pin extending into said cavity from a surface of said cavity;

a filter adapted to receive said timing pin, said filter having a predetermined filter life and said filter comprising a plurality of filter surfaces; and

a timer for timing said filter life,

wherein at least a portion of one of said filter surfaces is configured so as to allow said timing pin to puncture said portion of said filter surface, and wherein said timer resets to said predetermined filter life and begins to count down after said portion of said filter surface is punctured by said timing pin.

2. The service head of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum source mounted within said housing, wherein said timer operates only when said vacuum source is powered on.

3. The service head of claim 1 , further comprising memory configured to communicate with said timer, wherein said memory is configured to store a value corresponding to the remaining filter life of said filter.

4. The service head of claim 3 , further comprising a display for displaying said remaining filter life.

5. A service head for use in connection with a medical procedure in an enclosure, comprising:

a housing adapted for mounting within a medical enclosure such that said housing is suspended off the floor of said medical enclosure, said housing having a cavity adapted to receive a filter;

a filter adapted for insertion in said cavity, said filter having associated filter type and filter life information;

an RFID tag attached to said filter, said RFID tag having associated memory for storing a filter profile including filter type and filter life information, and said RFID tag having a transmission portion for transmitting said filter profile information;

an RFID reader for receiving said filter life information from said transmission portion; and

a display for displaying said filter life information.

6. The service head of claim 5 wherein said display is within said housing.

7. The service head of claim 5 wherein said display is on an outer surface of said housing.

8. A service head for use in connection with a medical procedure in an enclosure, comprising:

a housing adapted for mounting within a medical enclosure such that said housing is suspended off the floor of said medical enclosure;

a control module mounted within said housing for receiving instructions from a medical provider;

a surgical assembly outside said enclosure, said surgical assembly having an associated wireless communication receiver outside said enclosure for receiving said instructions;

wherein said surgical assembly is an ultrasonic surgical device, electrocautery device, insufflator, laser surgical instrument, camera, surgical light source or endoscopic device; and

wherein said control module comprises a wireless communication transmitter for transmission of said instructions to said wireless communication receiver.

9. The service head of claim 8 , further comprising a remote control device for communicating instructions from said medical provider to said control module.

10. The service head of claim 8 , further comprising a display associated with said surgical assembly for displaying said instructions.

11. The service head of claim 8 , further comprising a display associated with said surgical assembly for displaying information associated with said surgical assembly.

12. The service head of claim 8 wherein said control module comprises a display, keypad, switch or knob.

13. The service head of claim 8 further comprising a remote control device for communicating instructions from said medical provider to said control module.