Vaporizers Flashcards
(112 cards)
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

















