Anaesthetic machine

The anesthetic machine, which belongs to the anesthesia workstation, assumes during an operation, the respiratory function ( ventilation), since a general anesthetic (narcosis) 's own respiratory drive is frequently released. However, depending on the operation and anesthetic drugs used is quite a general anesthesia with spontaneous breathing possible, that is, the patient is breathing correctly even if via the breathing tube, or assisted ventilation. The latter option will "trigger " the patient's ventilator, which means he is by his inspiratory effort the timing of each breath before, the ventilator assists the patient subsequently during inhalation.

The device provides the anesthesiologist (for example, isoflurane, sevoflurane or desflurane ) a mixture of oxygen and either compressed air or nitrous oxide and an inhalation anesthetic used. This is chemically to polyhalogenated ethers, which are present at room temperature in liquid form, but slightly volatile ( volatile ) are and will be evaporated by means of a so-called Vapors and then mixed in the form of vapor the air we breathe in a precisely defined concentration. Depending on the patient, surgery and preferences of the anesthesiologist but also nitrous oxide- free anesthesia are performed in part.

Coupled to the anesthetic machine is a hemodynamic monitoring (ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation). On anesthesia machine, the output air volume, airway pressure, gas concentrations and the end-tidal ( expired ) can be measured. A built- in device monitoring unit sounds an alarm when a measured value exceeds a critical limit.

The breathing gas mixture is passed in the anesthetic machine is usually in a so-called circle part. This was invented in 1904 by Bernhard Dräger and is used unchanged and only extended by modern monitoring and precise dosing substantially up today. Here, the exhaled air from the patient is fed back to the anesthesia machine, the carbon dioxide is removed by a scrubber tank here from the air and the gas mixture enriched with a certain amount of fresh gas. Subsequently, the gas mixture is fed back to the patient.

Modern anesthesia machines are built so that they still continue to function longer time in case of power failure and a failure of the gas supply to the hospital. These batteries are installed and a system that generates from the ambient air pressure and air pressure bottles with oxygen and nitrous oxide if necessary.

• Anesthesia
• Medical