30 PART Iâ•… Gases and Ventilation

Several considerations apply before a tank is hung in a

Valve stem
yoke. First, the plastic wrapper that surrounds the tank
Cylinder valve valve must be removed. Then the valve is opened slowly,
T-handle
or “cracked,” to allow gas to exit the tank and blow out
Gasket any particles of dirt that may be lodged in the outlet. The
tank is then hung in the yoke. The gas outlet hole is
aligned with the strainer nipple, and the two yoke pins are
To machine aligned with the corresponding holes in the tank. The
tank should never be turned through 180 degrees and
then hung in the yoke because a tightened T-handle
Hanger yoke screw might damage the tank valve-stem pressure relief
Gas outlet
check valve (inside)
mechanism (see Chapter 1). Although changing the oxy-
Pin index gen tank on an anesthesia machine may seem straightfor-
configuration ward, one study showed that a significant number of
senior residents in a simulator could not perform this task
satisfactorily, possibly because it is generally performed
by technical staff.14 Checking to see that a backup tank
FIGURE 2-9  n  Hanger yoke for an oxygen tank showing the pin- contains sufficient oxygen is an important part of the
indexed safety system. (From Bowie E, Huffman LM: The anesthe- preuse checkout and also ensures that a tank wrench is
sia machine: essentials for understanding. Madison, WI, 1985, GE
Datex-Ohmeda.)
available for opening and closing the tank valve.15
Oxygen is also available in freestanding E-size tanks
pressurized to 3000 psig (1000 L gaseous oxygen) that
incorporate a regulator that delivers oxygen at 50 psig to
a DISS connector. Thus, if the pipeline fails, the machine’s

Check valve retainer Strainer nipple

Valve seat Cylinder stem

To anesthesia
machine

Floating check valve

Pin index configuration T-handle

FIGURE 2-10  n  Cross-section of hanger yoke showing flow of oxygen from the tank through the strainer nipple into the machine. (From
Bowie E, Huffman LM: The anesthesia machine: essentials for understanding. Madison, WI, 1985, GE Datex-Ohmeda.)