Gas heater for surgical gas delivery system with gas sealed insufflation and recirculation

1. A gas heater for a surgical gas delivery system comprising:

a) an elongated tubular body defining an interior flow passage having an inlet port for receiving insufflation gas from a gas source and an outlet port for delivering heated insufflation gas to an insufflation manifold;

b) a dielectric support positioned within the interior flow passage of the elongated tubular body, wherein the dielectric support is an elongated support tube defining a longitudinal axis and having an interior bore bounded by a tubular wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein two sets of longitudinally spaced apart and diametrically opposed arcuate slots extend through the tubular wall of the elongated support tube from the exterior surface thereof to the interior surface thereof; and

c) a resistive element operatively associated with the dielectric support for heating the insufflation gas flowing through the elongated tubular body from the inlet port to the outlet port, wherein the resistive element is partially wrapped around the exterior surface of the elongated support tube and partially woven through the arcuate slots in the tubular wall of the elongated support tube, such that the resistive element extends through the interior bore of the elongated support tube_to form two parallel sets of interconnected axially spaced apart sections within the interior bore of the elongated support tube that are oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated support tube and to a direction of net gas flow through the elongated tubular body.

2. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric support is formed at least in part from a ceramic material.

3. The gas heater of claim 2 , wherein the dielectric support is formed from a ceramic-thermoset polymer composite.

4. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein the resistive element is formed from a nickel based alloy.

5. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein the resistive element is constructed as a wire, a foil, a laminate, a printed ink, or a wire mesh.

6. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein the elongated tubular body is formed from UVC transparent quartz glass.

7. The gas heater of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensing port for accommodating a first heat sensor adjacent the inlet port to measure an inlet gas temperature and a second sensing port for accommodating a second heat sensor adjacent the outlet port to measure an outlet gas temperature.

8. The gas heater of claim 7 , wherein the first sensing port and the second sensing port are axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the elongated tubular body.

9. The gas heater of claim 7 , wherein the first sensing port and the second sensing port extend perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tubular body.

10. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the outlet port extend perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tubular body.

11. The gas heater of claim 1 , wherein electrical couplings are provided for connecting the resistive element to an electrical energy source.

12. A surgical gas delivery system comprising:

a) a source of insufflation gas;

b) a pressure regulator for receiving the insufflation gas from the source;

c) an insufflation manifold for receiving pressure regulated insufflation gas from the pressure regulator for delivery to one or more surgical access ports communicating with the surgical gas delivery system; and

d) a gas heater for heating the pressure regulated insufflation gas received by the insufflation manifold, wherein the gas heater includes:

i) an elongated tubular body defining an interior flow passage having an inlet port for receiving the pressure regulated insufflation gas from the pressure regulator and an outlet port for delivering heated pressure regulated insufflation gas into the insufflation manifold;

ii) a dielectric support positioned within the interior flow passage of the elongated tubular body, wherein the dielectric support is an elongated support tube defining a longitudinal axis and having an interior bore bounded by a tubular wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein two sets of longitudinally spaced apart and diametrically opposed arcuate slots extend through the tubular wall of the elongated support tube from the exterior surface thereof to the interior surface thereof; and

iii) a resistive element operatively associated with the dielectric support for heating the pressure regulated insufflation gas flowing through the elongated tubular body from the inlet port to the outlet port, wherein the resistive element is partially wrapped around the exterior surface of the elongated support tube and partially woven through the arcuate slots in the tubular wall of the elongated support tube, such that the resistive element extends through the interior bore of the elongated support tube to form two parallel sets of interconnected axially spaced apart sections within the interior bore of the elongated support tube that are oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated support tube and to a direction of net gas flow through the elongated tubular body.

13. The surgical gas delivery system of claim 12 , further comprising a gaseous sealing manifold for communicating with a gas sealed access port and wherein the outlet port of the gas heater communicates with the gaseous sealing manifold in parallel with the insufflation manifold.

14. The surgical gas delivery system of claim 12 , wherein the gas heater further includes a first sensing port accommodating a first heat sensor adjacent the inlet port to measure an inlet gas temperature and a second sensing port accommodating a second heat sensor adjacent the outlet port to measure an outlet gas temperature.

15. The surgical gas delivery system of claim 12 , wherein electrical couplings are provided for connecting the resistive element of the gas heater to an electrical energy source.

16. The surgical gas delivery system of claim 12 , wherein the elongated tubular body is formed from UVC transparent quartz glass, the dielectric support is formed at least in part from a ceramic material, and the resistive element is formed from a nickel based alloy.