Vaporizers Flashcards
What is the purpose of a vaporizer
Add anesthetic gas (vapor) into the path of fresh gas flow that is directed to the common gas outlet
What is a vaporizer composed of?
molecules (in the gaseous phase) of a substance that is a liquid at room temperature & 1 atm of pressure
What are volatile liquids?
- Volatile liquids: all liquids that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature
- Volatile liquids evaporate readily at normal temperature
What is the calibration of vaporizers?
at 1 atm (760 mmHg)/20 degrees C
What is the overall concept of the vaporizer?
The AGM vaporizer is where liquid anesthetic is evaporated - fresh gas flow from flowmeters enter vaporizer where volatile anesthetic liquid is present and flows over the liquid resulting in evaporation from the surface of the volatile anesthetic liquid within the vaporizer
What happens to the volatile liquid anesthetic?
Molecules on the surface of the volatile liquid anesthetic (iso, sevo, des) evaporate (escape into the gas phase): producing anesthetic vapor
What does rate of vaporization depend on?
- Temperature
- Vapor pressure of the liquid
- Partial pressure of the vapor above the evaporating fluid
What effect does increased temperature have on rate of evaporation?
Increased temp increases rate of evaporation of a liquid and vice versa
How does the evaporation process effect the anesthetic liquid?
Evaporation process causes cooling of anesthetic liquid due to heat energy being used as the molecules convert from liquid to vapor state
What is the relationship of the evaporation process effect the anesthetic liquid? What prevents this?
Cooling slows vaporization = reduced volatile anesthetic delivery
- To prevent this in AGM vaporizers: Use of substances such as copper that have high thermal conductivity and high thermal capacity
What are the vaporizer classifications?
- Variable bypass
- Measured flow
- Tec 6 Injector
What are examples of variable bypass vaporizers? (4)
- Tec 4, 5, 7
- Aladin (Aisys, Avance)
What are the two FGF streams for a variable bypass vaporizer?
Two FGF streams: vaporizing stream & bypass stream
What is the control dial of variable bypass vaporizer?
Control dial: controls what portion of fresh gas flow to come into contact with the volatile anesthetic liquid and pick up anesthetic vapor
What is the splitting ratio?
Amount of gas entering the vaporizing chamber divided by total fresh gas flow
What does setting the control dial of the variable bypass vaporizer determine?
Setting the control dial to the desired concentration determines the resistance to flow in the internal channels
What does a higher precentrage of the variable bypass vaporizer allows for?
- Administering a higher percentage allows more fresh gas flow through the vaporizing chamber
- The gas that flows through the vaporizing chamber known as carrier gas or chamber flow
- Fresh gas flows over the liquid within vaporizing chamber to pick up anesthetic vapor known as carrier gas or chamber flow
How is the carrier gas fully saturated?
To ensure the carrier gas is fully saturated it flows thru wicks and baffles (imagine a maze)
What is a fully saturated carrier gas combined with?
Fully saturated carrier gas is then combined with remaining fresh gas flow that was diverted away from the vaporizer chamber (also known as the bypass flow)
Why are temperature safety devices built in to the variable bypass vaporizer?
Temperature compensation devices are built in to ensure more gas is directed into vaporizing chamber if the vaporizer cools
What is true about specific agents in the variable bypass vaporizer?
Agent specific and inhalational agents must be used in the specific, agent-calibrated vaporizer
Where is the Variable Bypass Vaporizer positioned?
Positioned outside of the breathing circuit
What is the Variable Bypass Vaporizer classified as?
Often classified as variable bypass, flow-over, temperature compensated, agent- specific, out-of-circuit vaporizers
What does A refer to?
The liquid and vapor are in equilibrium
What does B refer to?
The application of heat causes the equilibrium to shift so that more molecules enter the vapor phase, as illustrated by the increased density of dots above the liquid
What does the letter C represent?
Lowering the temperature causes a shift toward the liquid phase and a decrease in vapor pressure
What does the letter D?
Passing a carrier gas over the liquid shifts the equilibrium toward the vapor phase. The heat of vaporization is supplied from the remaining liquid. This causes a drop in temperature
How does Variable Bypass Vaporizer Temperature Compensate?
Bimetalic Strip
Review the components of the Variable Bypass Vaporizer.
- Splitting ratio = Variable bypass
- Vaporizing stream vs Bypass stream
- Flow over vaporization
- Baffles and wicks to increase contact
- Automatic temperature compensation mechanism
- Calibrated and agent specific
- Positioned out of circuit
When is the Measured-Flow (Vernitrol) vaporizer used?
Used in the military or missionary work
What does the operator calculate Measured-Flow (Vernitrol) vaporizer?
Operator calculates how much gas to bubble through anesthetic liquid
What happens if a Measured-Flow (Vernitrol) vaporizer cools?
- If vaporizer cools operator recalculates and sets a new chamber gas flow
- Manual temperature compensation
Measured-Flow (Vernitrol) vaporizer is _________ circuit
Out of breathing circuit
What is the property of the Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
- Heated, dual circuit vaporizer
- Fresh gas flow passes through the vaporizer in one circuit
What is true about the fresh gas flow and Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
Fresh gas flow never contacts the liquid agent, rather the appropriate amount of vapor is added to the fresh gas as it flows through the vaporizer
What are the two points of control for the Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
- Setting on concentration control dial
- Transducer that responds to the amount of fresh gas flow
Define transducer that responds to the amount of fresh gas flow.
Increased fresh gas flows = increasing amounts of vapor added to circuit
Define setting on concentration control dial.
Increasing concentration = increasing amounts of vapor added to circuit
What is the temperature components of the Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
- To maintain a known vapor pressure the Tec 6 is heated to 39◦C
What is the vapor pressure produced by the Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
Produces a vapor pressure of ~1500mmHg
Review Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer schematic.
What voalite anesthetics use Tec 6 Injector Vaporizer?
Des
What is the interlocking system of the vaporizers?
- Prevents turning on more than agent simultaneously
- Locks vaporizers in place to decrease leaks
What does the interlocking system of the vaporizer ensure?
- Ensures only gas from the vaporizer that is on is entering the system
- Ensures trace vapor output is minimal when vaporizer is off