An important component of the anesthesia machine is the vaporizer. Whether it operates manually or automatically, the functionality of this component must be properly checked. Malfunction and incorrect administration of the anesthetic agent lead to highly undesirable situations. The VAPOR module of the VT900 easily assists in checking vaporizers. All common anesthetic vapors can be measured with it, such as sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, enflurane, and halothane. In addition, the VAPOR module also offers the possibility to measure Nâ‚‚O (nitrous oxide) and COâ‚‚. We can measure this with a practical setup.
Vaporizer
The vaporizer works by directing gas flow from the anesthesia machine through the vaporizer, from where the anesthetic vapor is directed towards the patient. Here is a schematic overview of the operation of a vaporizer.
Test Setup
Connect a hose with anesthesia couplings to the Fresh Gas Outlet of the relevant anesthesia machine. Using the Fresh Gas Outlet is much clearer than running the vapor completely through the internal circuit of the machine. Connect the T-pieces for sampling and return of the VAPOR module to the supply hose. The supply hose must be connected to a gas evacuation system (AGSS) to discharge the anesthetic vapors.
Never connect the supply of anesthetic vapors to the main flow port of the VT900. The anesthetic agents have a very negative effect on the measuring sensors.
The VAPOR module automatically detects the type of anesthetic vapor and will display the measured concentration with the correct color coding on the VT900 screen. Check the maximum permissible deviation indicated by the manufacturer and compare this with the measured value on the VT900 with VAPOR. This allows you to check the operation of vaporizers.
