Dr Ajay Sood

IGMC
shimla
What is a vapour ?
Vapour refers to a gas phase at a temperature
where the same substance can also exist in
liquid or solid
A vaporizer is an instrument designed to facilitate the
change of a liquid anaesthetic agent into a vapor
and
Add a controlled amount of this vapor to the FGF over a
wide range of temp, pressure and carrier gas flow rates
Most volatile agents exist as liquid at room temperature and
atm. Pressure

To convert this liquid form to vapor phase

The SVP of most inhalation agents is much more that is

required to produce anesthesia i.e. 32% vs 0.75 or 243
mm Hg vs 5.7 mm Hg for halothane
Need to dilute this vapor with the carrier gas and
deliver a controlled amount of this vapor to the patient
Vapor pressure
The molecules from the liquid which exists in gaseous
phase are known collectively as ‘vapor’

This vapor exerts a pressure on its surroundings which

is known as ‘vapor pressure’

 The pressure exerted by the vapor when in equilibrium

with the liquid phase at constant temperature is called
“saturated vapor pressure”.
 On applying heat, more molecules enter vapor
phase-> raises vapor pressure

 Passing a carrier gas over the liquid causes shift

to vapor phase

 Vapor pressure depends only on the liquid and

TEMPERATURE, not affected by ambient pressure
Boiling point

Temperature at which the saturated vapor pressure is equal to the

atmospheric pressure and at which all the liquid agent changes
to the vapor phase

The lower the atm. pressure, lower the boiling point e.g, High
altitudes

Most volatile agents have high SVPs.

High SVP -> Low B.P. (Means very volatile)
For any substance there is a max. temp. at which it can be
compressed so as to convert it from a gas to a liquid. This
is known as the critical temp. and above this temp. no
amount of compression will liquefy it
Under this condition the substance is a gas
Below that critical temp it is a vapor
Agent SVP Boiling point Density

Halothane 243 50.2 1.86

Enflurane 175 56.5 1.517

Isoflurane 238 48.5 1.496

Sevoflurane 157 58.6 1.51

Desflurane 669 22.8 1.45

Ether 425 34.5

Methoxyflurane 20.3 104 1.41

May be expressed as
VOLUME %
OR
PARTIAL PRESSURE
No of units of volume of a gas to a total of 100 units of
volume for the total gas mixture
 A mixture of gases in a closed container will exert a pressure on
the walls of the container. The part of the pressure exerted by
any one gas in the mixture is called its partial pressure

 Depends only on the temperature and nature of liquid

 The highest partial pressure that can be exerted by a gas at a

given temperature is its vapor pressure . It is an absolute value
 The volume percent expresses the relative ratio of gas
molecules(%) in a mixture where as partial pressure (mm Hg)
expresses an absolute value
 Anesthetic uptake and potency are related directly to partial
percent

PARTIAL PRESSURE/TOTAL PRESSURE = VOLUMES

PERCENT/100
 The number of calories required to convert 1gm of liquid
or 1 ml of liquid into a vapor.

 In a vaporizer as the liquid agent vaporizes -> heat is lost

-> temp. drops -> V.P. drops -> less volume of agent is
available for the carrier gas to take away -> decreases
output

 Latent heat of vaporization at 200 C for Halothane,

Enflurane and Isoflurane are 35, 42 and 41 cal/g
respectively.
Specific heat:-
 Is the number of calories required to increase the
temperature of 1g or 1ml of a substance by 10 C.

 The concept of specific heat is important when

a) considering the amount of heat that must be supplied to
a liquid anesthetic to maintain a stable temperature
when heat is lost during vaporization.
b) choosing the material to construct a vaporizer.
Significance
 LIQUID ANAESTHETIC AGENT – Should have a low specific
heat so as to facilitate vaporization
 VAPORISER CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL- Should have high
specific heat; acts as a heat sink; provides a more stable
temp.
Thermal capacity
◦ Product of specific heat and mass, represents the amount of
heat stored in the vaporizer body

◦ Vaporizer construction from a substance with high thermal

capacity will change temperature more slowly than one with
low thermal capacity
Thermal conductivity
 Measure of the speed with which heat flows through a substance. The
higher the value, the better the substance conducts heat.

 Vaporizers are made up of metals that have relatively higher thermal

conductivity to minimize temperature changes , thus thermostabilization
achieved.

 Cu > Al> brass> Steel >> Glass.

Significance
 Vap. Constructor material should be able to conduct heat from
surroundings to contained liquid.
 Cu has a moderate sp. Heat and high thermal conductivity – use for
construction of vaporizers
Metal Specific heat Thermal
conductivity

Copper 0.1 0.92

Aluminium 0.214 0.504

Glass 0.16 0.0025

Air 0.0003 0.000057

Steel 0.107 0.115

Brass 0.0917 0.260

 Boyles law: V α 1/p (at constant temperature )

 Charle’s law: V α T (at constant pressure )

 DALTON’S LAW OF PARTIAL PRESSURES

In a mixture of gases the pressure exerted by
each gas is the same as that which it would exert
if it alone occupied the container
 Equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and
pressure contain equal number of molecules i.e 6.023 x 1023

 This much no. of particles of any gas at STP will occupy 22.4
Lts
 Typically expressed as vol. % of alveolar
gas at 1 atm

Halothane - 0.75
Enflurane - 1.68
Isoflurane - 1.2
Desflurane - 6.0
Sevoflurane- 2.0
 Minimum alveolar partial pressure ( MAPP)

 Expresses MAC in terms of PP (P mac1)

 MAC of hal is 0.75
PP of hal for 1 MAC is
0.75/100x760 = 5.7 mm Hg
 Pmac1 of des for is
6/100x760 = 45.6 mm Hg
 What amount of vapor produced by 1
gram of its liquid agent ?
 1 mole of a gas weighs 1 gram molecular weight

 The molecular weight of isoflurane is 185

 Therefore, 1 mole of isoflurane vapor weighs 185 g

 As per avogadro’s hypothesis 1 mole of a substance

= 22.4 liters of gas

 22.4 L of isoflurane vapour weighs 185 g

  Density of isoflurane vapor is 185/22.4 = 8.25 g/litre
  1 gram = 1000/8.25 ml of vapor

 Density of lsoflurane liquid is 1.5 g/ml

  1 gram = 1/1.5 ml of liquid

 1/1.5 ml of liquid = 1000/8.25 ml of vapor

 1 ml of liquid = 1000/8.25 x 1.5 = 180 ml.

For most modern agents

 1 ml of liquid volatile agent yields about 200 ml of vapor
 How much liquid agent does a vaporizer use
per hour ?

Amount of vapor used /min. = FGFxtimexConc.Setting

For e.g., to deliver 1% isoflurane at FGF of 2 litres per min

for 60 mins. One would need 1/100 x 2000 ml x 60 min =
1200 ml of isoflurane vapor
This would correspond to 1200/180 = 6.7 ml of liquid
isoflurane

Another formula which can be used with most agents is

3 x Fresh gas glow (FGF) (L/min)x volume % ml liquid used
per hour
Based on method of regulating output:

◦ Variable bypass vaporizer or concentration

calibrated

◦ Measured flow vaporizer

 Vaporizers calibrated by agent concentration expressed in
percentage of vapor output

Direct reading / Dial controlled / Automatic plenum/

Percentage type / Tec type vaporizers

 Vaporizer output is controlled by single knob / dial calibrated

in Volumes percent

 Located between flowmeters and common gas outlet. Not

calibrated for high gas flows (O2 flush) and offers high
resistance, hence not suited for use in breathing system
 Also called Variable Bypass Vaporizers because clinically
useful concentrations accomplished by SPLITTING the gas flow
that passes through the vaporizer –

a part flows through the vaporizing chamber and the

remainder flows through the bypass to the vaporizer outlet,
both gas flows join downstream of the vaporizing chamber,
where the gas exits at the desired concentration.
Splitting ratio

The ratio of bypass flow to flow to the vaporizing chamber

is referred to as the "splitting ratio" and this ratio depends
on ratio of resistances in two pathways
→ variable/adjustable orifice present at inlet/outlet

→ concentration dial setting

Desired Halotha Enflura Isoflura Sevoflur Methoxy
anaesthe ne ne ne ane flurane
tic
percenta
ge
1% 46:1 29:1 44:1 25:1 1.7:1

2% 22:1 14:1 21:1 12:1 0.36:1

3% 14:1 9:1 14:1 7:1 Max

Possibl
e =
2.7% at
20 C
Implication of the above data is that concentration-calibrated
vaporizers are agent specific and therefore only the particular
anesthetic agent for which the vaporizer has been designed
and calibrated may be safely used

If an enflurane (Ethrane) vaporizer was set to deliver 1% agent

but had been inadvertently filled with halothane (Fluothane)
the splitting ratio would be 46: 29, yielding an actual
halothane (Fluothane) vapor not of 1% but rather of 1.6%.
Variable bypass vaporisers

Boyle’s bottle Goldman Vaporizer

2 types:

A) A computer calculates the carrier gas flow that needs to

pass through vaporizing chamber to produce desired
concentration of anesthetic agent.

B) Withdraws a calculated amount of liquid agent and

injects into the breathing system / fresh gas flow.
VAPORIZER ABBERANCE

Most vaporizers are calibrated using Oxygen as carrier gas

The composition of the carrier gas affects vaporizer output in

many concentration calibrated vaporizers

Addition of nitrous oxide to carrier gas results in both

temporary (decrease output) and long lasting effect (increase
or decrease, depending on the construction of vaporizer)
 Kettle type / flow metered / flowmeter controlled vaporizer

 Use a measured flow of carrier gas–oxygen, to pick up

anesthetic vapor

 Operator has to set the flow to the vaporizer and bypass with
separate flowmeters
 This means that respective flows have to be calculated for
each agent for a given temp and vapour output
 To calculate the vaporizer output, one must know the
 - Vapor pressure of the agent
- The atmospheric pressure
- The total flow of gases
- The flow of the vaporizer
Copper Kettle
• Set 100 ml/min flow of carrier gas (oxygen) from dedicated
flowmeter
• SVP of hal in vap. Chamber is 243 mmHg
• Hal forms 243/760 x 100 = 32% of gas mixture
• Carrier gas will occupy the rest of the vol. i.e. 100-32=68%
• This 68% is occupied by 100ml/min carrier gas
• And 32% hal will be = 100/68x32=47 ml
• Gas exiting is 147 ml with 47 ml hal vapor
• To get a mixture containing 1% hal this 47 ml should be
diluted in 4700 ml
• Required carrier gas is 4700-147=4553 ml
• If set 100 ml measured flow to vaporiser usually set 5 l/min
flow of carrier gas to get 1% halothane
• Ratio of gas through vaporiser: main gas flow is
100:4600=1:46
• % concentration of agent = 100 x vaporizer output of
anaesthetic/total flow
Depending on method of vaporization

◦ 1. Flow over

◦ 2. Bubble through

◦ 3. Injection
Flow over
 A stream of carrier gas passes over the surface of the liquid

 Most commonly used

 Efficiency of vaporization enhanced by increasing the area

of carrier gas-liquid interface by
- using baffles or spiral tracks to lengthen the pathway of
gas over liquid.
- using wicks that have their bases in the liquid. The liquid
moves up the wick by capillary action.
Bubble through:
carrier gas is bubbled through the volatile liquid, further
increasing the gas-liquid interface.

Injection:
Vapor concentration controlled by injecting a known
amount of liquid anesthetic agent (from a reservoir in the
vaporizer or from the bottle of agent) into a known volume
of gas.
• Eg. TEC 6 desflurane vaporizer (it is more ideally classified as a gas-
vapor blender)
Gas vapour blenders
 INJECTORS

The Siemen’s vaporiser

 As a liquid is vaporized, energy in the form of heat is lost. As
the temperature of the liquid decreases, so does the vapor
pressure

Depending on type of temperature compensation to maintain

a constant vapor output with fluctuations in liquid anesthetic
temperature
 None,
 By supplied heat
 By flow interaction
Mechanical Thermocompensation
By altering the splitting ratio so that the percentage of
carrier gas that is directed through the vaporizing
chamber is increased or decreased by the thermal
element.
As the vaporizer cools → the bypass flow is restricted →
more carrier gas passes through the vaporizing chamber.
The opposite occurs if the vaporizer becomes too warm.
Supplied heat

 An electric heater or hot water bath jackets used to supply

heat to a vaporizer and maintain it at a constant
temperature
 Chemical heat of crystallization of Calcium chloride used
in OMV

Computerized Thermocompensation

 The amount of agent injected into the breathing system

or fresh gas flow may be altered.
 Computerized control of the amount of carrier gas that
flows through the vaporizing chamber.
Depending on the location

◦ Outside the breathing system (VOC)

◦ Inside the breathing system. (VIC)

Depending on the specificity

◦ Agent specific
◦ Multiple agents
Another classification
 Plenum vaporizers: positive pressure applied at the inlet
of the vaporizer. Eg. Boyle vaporizers, copper kettle, TEC

 Vaporizers hace high resistance hence depend on compressed gas driven

under pressure

 Inhalers or draw over vaporizers: negative pressure

applied at the outlet. Eg. EMO vaporizer, OMV,
 Carrier gas is drawn through the vaporizer either by the
patient’s own respiratory efforts, or by a self-inflating bag or
manual bellows
 Draw over systems operate at less than, or at ambient pressure
 Flow through the system is intermittent, varying with different
phases of inspiration, and ceasing in expiration
The EMO Vaporiser
 Flow through the vaporizing chamber
 Efficiency of vaporization
 Temperature
 Time
 Gas flow rate
 Carrier gas composition
 Volatility
 Area of contact with the liquid.
 Most vaporizers are calibrated at sea level (standard
atmospheric pressure). Anesthetic agents with low boiling
points are more susceptible to variations in barometric
pressure

 ASTM machine standard requires that the effects of changes

in ambient pressure on vaporizer performance be stated in
operation manuals.
 Consider a variable bypass vaporiser for halothane
is being used at an altitude of 10,000 feet above sea
level.
 Ambient pressure = 500 mmHg.

 SVP of halothane = 243 mmHg

 243 / 500 = 48.6% of atmospheric pressure at that

altitude.
 Splitting ratio for a setting of 1% halothane in a
variable bypass vaporiser is 46:1.

 Suppose a total fresh gas flow of 4,700 ml is on flow.

 100 ml of this will pass through the vaporiser where

halothane now represents 48.6% of the atmosphere
in the vaporising chamber.
 SVP = agent vapour(xml)

___________ _____________________

total pressure Carrier gas (y ml) + Agent vapour (X ml)

243 = X ml

___________ _________

500 100 + X

Solving this, X = 94.55 ml  95 ml

Thus, 95 ml of vapour + 100 ml of carrier gas

= 195 ml.

195 ml + 4,600 ml bypass flow

= total flow of 4795 ml,

Halothane concentration = 95/4795

= 1.98 %  2%.
Set concentration – 1%
Delivered concentration – 2%

Is this a worry?
2% of 500 mmHg ambient pressure (altitude of 10,000 feet) is 10 mmHg

1% of halothane at sea level is 7.6 mmHg.

10 mmHg = 1.3 times halothane at sea level.

BRAIN RECOGNISES PARTIAL PRESSURE!

The increase in the partial pressure is only 1.3 times.

Low atmospheric pressure:

A concentration calibrated vaporizer increases output

slightly under hypobaric conditions by altering the
splitting ratio. The high resistance pathway through
vaporizing chamber offers less resistance under such
conditions

 It will deliver approximately the same partial pressure

but increasing concentrations measured as volume
percent
Low Altitudes

Lower Concentration

But Only

Slightly Lower Partial Pressure

Hyperbaric Environment
 Hyperbaric Environment

Let us use the halothane vaporiser at 3 atmospheric pressures with a

fresh gas flow of 4,700 ml.
 Hyperbaric Environment

Let us use the halothane vaporizer at 3 atmospheric pressures with a

fresh gas flow of 4,700 ml.

If it is set at a dial concentration of 1%, since the splitting ratio is 46:1, 100
ml of the fresh gases will flow through the vaporiser as a carrier gas flow.
 SVP Agent vapour (x ml)

Total pressure = Carrier gas + Agent vapour

243 x ml
_________________ _________________________
2280 = 100 ml + x ml
On solving the equation, x = 11.92 ml  12 ml

A total of 112 ml from the vaporiser will join the bypass flow to make a

total of 4712 ml to give a halothane concentration of 0.25%.

 The partial pressure of halothane delivered would be 0.25% x 2280
mmHg = 5.7 mmHg.

This is 0.75 times the partial pressure achieved at sea level with a
setting of 1%.

At 3 atmospheres, concentration of halothane vapour is 0.25%.

But, actual partial pressure is 0.75% of that at sea level.
High atmospheric pressure:

This causes decrease in vaporizer output in both

partial pressure and volumes percent because
increased atmospheric pressure changes the density
of gases → more resistance to flow through
vaporizing chamber.

At 2 Atm, the concentration in volume percent is halved

But clinically, anesthetic potency output expected for

any given vaporizer setting changes little, even though
volumes percent may be altered considerably
 Effects
of
Back Pressure
Sources of back pressure
1. During assisted/controlled ventilation, the positive
pressure generated during inspiration is transmitted
from the breathing system back to machine and
vaporizer.
2. Use of O2 flush valve, the output from O2 flush
enters the circuit downstream of vaporizers and its
activation produces high pressure.
Pumping effect ( Hill and Lowe effect)

◦ When resistance is applied to the outlet of the

anesthetic machine, there is an increase in the
anesthetic gas pressure which is transmitted back to
the vaporizer

◦ This adds to the vaporizer output to increase the final

vapor output

◦ This change is most pronounced when there is less

agent in the vaporizing chamber, carrier gas flow is low,
high and frequent pressure fluctuations, low dial setting
 By pass channel

FGF

Vaporising chamber
 By pass channel

FGF

Vaporising chamber

By pass channel
By pass channel

FGF
FGF

Vaporising chamber
 Keep the vaporizing chamber small
Or
Increasing the size of the bypass chamber.
Adding long spiral or large diameter tube to lead to the
vaporizer chamber. The extra gas forced into this tube &
subsequently returned to the bypass does not reach the
vaporizing chamber
 Increase resistance to gas flow through the
vaporizer
 Check valve to prevent backward flow of gas
 Exclude wicks from the area where the inlet tube joins the
vaporizing chamber

 Outlet tube may be made longer so that further back

before picking up anesthetic vapor


 Connections of oxygen flush valve line to the common gas

outlet be designed to minimize pressure fluctuations that
may produce a pumping effect

 Limit pressure transmitted to vaporizer to <10KPa above

normal working pressure, conc not to increase > 20%
Pressurizing effect:
The output of some vaporizers decreases when there is back
pressure. This effect is greater with high flows, large pressure
fluctuations and low vaporizer settings

 The changes in vaporizer output caused by the pumping effect is

usually greater in magnitude than those associated with the
pressurizing effect.

 Pressurizing effect – with high gas flows

 Pumping effect – with low gas flows
 It should be simple, safe, satisfactory and more practical.

 It should have low resistance to gas flow.

 It should be temperature compensated for uniform

vaporization.

Should have flow stability and permit a relatively constant

concentration at different flow rates of the carrier gas

 Should permit precise, accurate, controllable and predictable

delivered concentration of the vapor to the patient.
 The performance of the vaporizer should not be affected by
changes in fresh gas flow, volume of liquid, ambient
temperature and pressure, decrease in temperature due to
vaporization and pressure fluctuation due to mode of
respiration

 It should be light weight and small liquid requirement.

 Construction should be corrosion and solvent resistant.

 It should have good quality control.

 The case of the vaporizer is usually made of copper which is a

good heat sink and it consists of bypass channel and
vaporization chamber.
1. The effects of variations in ambient temperature and
pressure, tilting, back pressure, and input flow rate and
gas mixture composition on vaporizer performance must
be stated in the accompanying documents

1. The average delivered concentration from the vaporizer

shall not deviated from the set value by more than ±
20% or ± 5% of the maximum setting whichever is
greater without back pressure.
3. The average delivered concentration from the vaporizer shall
not deviate from the set value by more that + 30% or – 20% or
by more than + 7.5% or – 5% of the max. setting whichever is
greater, with pressure fluctuations at the common gas outlet of
2 kPa with a total gas flow of 2 L/minute or 5 kPa with a total
gas flow of 8 L/minute

4. A system that prevents gas from passing through the

vaporizing chamber or reservoir of one vaporizer and the
through that of another must be provided

5. The output of the vaporizer shall be less than 0.05% in the

“OFF” or “zero” position if the zero position is also the “OFF”
position

All vaporizer control knobs must open counterclockwise

Either the max. and min. filling levels or the actual usable
volume and capacity shall be displayed
The vaporizer must be designed so that it cannot be
overfilled when in the normal operating position

Vaporizer unsuitable for use in the breathing system must

have noninterchangeable proprietary or 23 mm fittings.
Conical fittings of 15 mm and 22 mm cannot be used.
When 23 mm fittings are used the inlet must be male and
the outlet female. The direction of gas flow must be
marked

Vaporizers suitable for use in the breathing system must

have standard 22-mm fittings or screwthreaded, weight-
bearing fittings with the inlet female and the outlet male.
The direction of gas flow must be indicated by arrows and
the vaporizer marked “for use in the breathing system
 MORTONS ETHER INHALER
1846, OCT 16
Boyle’s bottle:-
 Mainly for ether and trichloroethylene.
 Agitation of vaporizer and splashing may also increase the
concentration most probably due to a little warming of the liquid
 Parts: (1) vaporizing bottle 300 mL (2) Metal top incorporating
controls (3) Lever, plunger which is chrome plated (4) Stopper &
Retaining chain
 Concentration calibrated
 Flowover or bubble through
 Not temperature compensated
 Multiple agents
 Vaporizer outside circuit
 Single vaporizer for use as draw over or within the closed circuit
system was designed by Goldman. It has no temperature
compensation.

 Maximum concentration never exceeds 2% irrespective of total
gas flow.

 It is a low efficiency vaporizer except during splashing when over

5% of concentration of halothane can be obtained.

 By incorporating a wick made of blotting paper or by employing

two vaporizers in series output may be increased.
 It was introduced by Epstein, Macintosh and Oxford in 1952

 There is a thermocompensator small metal bellows containing a liquid at

the vaporising chamber outlet
 Water jacket 1250 ml acts as heat reservoir with antifreeze 25% glycol
Modification of Goldman vaporizer
No wicks and not temp compensated .
Capacity of 35ml
Halothane ,ether, choroform, trichloroethylene
 Oxford Miniature Vaporizer (OMV)
halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane.

 It is designed for continuous flow rates b/w 3 and 8L/min or

drawover rates b/w 4 and 10L/min and ambient temperatures
b/w 18 and 280 C. Not recommended for use within closed
system – rapid anesthetic overdose may result, their performance
will deteriorate with time because water condenses on the wick.
 There are a number of different filling systems available:
Funnel filling system, Keyed filling system, Quick –Fil
system, Easy-Fil system, and Desflurane filling system.

 ASTM machine standard recommends that a vaporizer

should be designed for a single agent fitted with a
permanently attached, agent specific device to prevent
accidental filling with the wrong agent.
 They prevent accidental filling with the wrong agent.
 Reduce air pollution.
Keyed Filling System
BOTTLE COLLAR
 Attached at the neck of the bottle.
 2 projections, one thicker than the other are there.
 This mates with the corresponding indentations on the
bottle adaptor
BOTTLE ADAPTOR
AT ONE END IS
1. The bottle connector with a screw thread to match the
thread on the bottle
2. Skirt that extends beyond the screw threads
3. Slots that match the projections on the bottle collar
AT THE OTHER END IS
1. The male adaptor that fits into the vaporizer filler
receptacle consists of a rectangular piece of plastic with
a groove on one side and two holes on another surface.
2. The groove is in different locations depending on the
agent to be used
3. A short length of plastic tubing with 2 inner tubes
connects the ends
4. The tube allows the bottle to be held higher or lower
than the vaporizer
FILLER RECEPTACLE
 Single port for filling & drainage.
 A valve attached to a knob at the top controls the opening
into the vaporizer
 A ball valve in the airline occludes the air port after the
vap is filled to prevent overfilling & flooding of airline with
the agent.
 Must permit the insertion of the intended bottle
 Must have a means of tightening the male adapter, to
from a tight seal.
 Must have a means of sealing (plug) the adaptor when
bottle adaptor not inserted.
 Vaporizer component – funnel and cap

 Filling: the filler cap is removed by turning it

counterclockwise and agent is poured into the filling port.

 This can be converted to an agent specific keyed filling

system by addition of an adaptor that screws into the
vaporizer filler.

 Bottle component – colour coded adaptor with screw

thread and skirt with slots that matches the projections
on Bottle collar.
Quick-fil system
 Used for only Sevoflurane
 The vaporizer filler has a screw-on cap. Filler neck has 3
grooves that can accept only a special filler device, which
comes attached to the bottle.
 The bottle has a permanently attached agent specific filler
device that has 3 ridges that fits into the slots in the filler.
A valve prevents liquid from draining when the bottle is
inverted but not inserted into the vaporizer.
 Filling : the bottle is pushed into the vaporizer component
as far as it will go and held firmly in place. This will open
the valve and allow liquid agent to flow into the vaporizer.
 Draining : the drain attachment is fitted to the bottom to
which the bottle is inserted.
Easy-fil system

Used in all Tec-7 vaporizers. The vaporizer has a cap with a

tool that is used to open and close the drain on the filler. The
filler channel has 2 keys (ridges) that fit into grooves on the
bottle adapter.

 The bottle nozzle is inserted into the filler block, aligning the
adaptor grooves with projections in the filler block.

 Adv: they are used for filling, draining and storage of

anesthetic agent. They also reduce air pollution and prevent
water and other contaminants entering the vaporizing
chamber.
Desflurane filling system :
 The bottle has a crimped-on adaptor that has a spring
loaded valve that opens when the bottle is pushed into the
filling port on the vaporizer.

 To fill the Tec 6 vaporizer, the bottle is fitted to the filler

port and pushed up against the spring, then rotated upward
and held in this position while filling. Once filled, the bottle
is rotated downward and removed from the vaporizer.

 If the “O” ring on the bottle is damaged or missing, agent

may leak during filling.
 Applied to control dial of vaporizer so that only
one vaporizer can be turned on at a time
 Ensures that
- Only 1 vap. is turned on at a time
- Gas only enters that which is ON at that time

- Trace vapor output is minimized when OFF

- Vap.s are locked onto gas circuit hence correctly
seated
 Selector valve
 Selectatec system
 Back bar devices
 Ohio switch
 Drager lock
 In modern anesthesia machines an interlocking system called
the SELECTATEC system incorporated so that only one
vaporizer is in use at a time

 If selectatec system is not installed the sequence of vaporizer

should be such that least potent agent must be placed
upstream and most potent agent last in the sequence
 Less potent - upstream
 More potent - downstream

If equipotent
Low VP - upstream
High VP - downstream

Also
If explosive - downstream
Trilene - downstream
Easy to clean - downstream
UP STREAM → → → DOWNSTREAM

SEVOFLURANE ENFLURANE ISOFLURANE HALOTHANE DESFLURANE

VP- 157 175 238 243 669

 Permanent mounting and Detachable
mounting

 Permanent means it requires tools to remove

or install a vaporizer.

 Advantages are: vaporizers will not be

dropped or abused, leaks will be less
 Disadvantages are that machines must
have enough mounting locations to
accommodate all the vaporizers

 Any location that does not have an

attached vaporizer will need to be
protected to prevent gas leaks
 Detachable mounting system allow the vaporizer to
be moved by the user without any tools.

The Selectatec system is the most widely used

 Vapourisers 'stand' on a pair of vertical pins, one for the gas
inlet and one for the outlet.
 Each pin has an O-ring at the base that makes the seal with the
vapouriser. If the O-ring fails, or the vapouriser fails to sit
properly on it, there will be a backbar leak.
 Each pin also has a central self-sealing hole, and when the
vapouriser control knob is turned, a pair of pins on the
vapouriser pushes down, opening the seal below.
 Advantages - anesthesia machine can have fewer mounting
locations allowing a more compact machine, vaporizers can be
easily removed and replaced even during a case (malignant
hyperthermia).
 Disadvantages - leaks, partial or complete obstruction to gas
flow and failure to deliver anesthetic vapor may occur.
 Keyed filling system

 Low filling port

 Secured vaporizers (less ability to move them minimizes

tipping)

 Interlock devices or vaporizer exclusion systems –

prevent more than one vaporizer from being turned ON
at a time.
 Incorrect agent – if an agent of high potency or volatility is
used in a vaporizer intended for an agent of low potency
or volatility, a dangerously high concentration may be
delivered. The vaporizer must be completely drained and
all liquid discarded. Gas should be allowed to flow through
it until no agent can be detected in the outflow.
 Tipping – liquid from the vaporizing chamber may get into
the bypass or outlet → high concentration will be delivered
when the vaporizer is first used. Prevented by keeping the
vaporizer in off/travel position while movement.

 Overfilling – liquid agent may enter the fresh gas line, and
lethal concentrations may be delivered, or no output due
to complete vaporizer failure. Agent specific filling devices
prevent overfilling.
 Reversed flow – increases output.

 Leaks – affect fresh gas composition and flow, pollutes OR

environment.
- common causes of leak: failure to replace or adequately
tighten the filler cap, vent not closed or the plug not
replaced/ tightened in keyed filling system, vaporizer not
mounted properly, inlet / outlet connection is
loose/broken.
- with a leak in the vaporizer, the machine will often
function normally until the vaporizer is turned on. At that
point, FGF is lost through the leak.
 Physical damage

 Vapor leak into the fresh gas line – can cause a sensitised
individual to react to halogenated agent or trigger malignant
hyperthermia.

 Contaminants in the vaporizing chamber

 Obstruction to fresh gas flow due to problems in mounting

system

 Interlock malfunction

 Concentration dial in wrong position

 Inhalational anesthetic agent is an integral
part of “balanced anesthesia”. Hence its
important to know functioning and the
working principle of “vaporizer”, the device
intended to deliver vapors of inhalational
agent.
THANK YOU
 Which of the following combinations of
anesthetic and incorrect vaporizer results in
the smallest error in delivered concentration?

 (A) Sevoflurane in a halothane vaporizer

 (B) Sevoflurane in an isoflurane vaporizer
 (C) Halothane in a desflurane vaporizer
 (D) Isoflurane in a halothane vaporizer
 (E) Sevoflurane in a desflurane vaporizer
 A sevoflurane vaporizer is filled with
isoflurane and the vaporizer dial is set at 1%.
Which of the following will occur?

 (A) Less than 1% isoflurane will be delivered

 (B) More than 1% isoflurane will be delivered
 (C) Thymol precipitation will prevent vaporization
 (D) The vaporizer bypass will not open
 (E) The vaporizer will be damaged
 An isoflurane-specific vaporizer that is 25% full is
mistakenly refilled with halothane, and the dial is
set at 1.5%. Which of the following statements
concerning this situation is true?

 (A) The gas mixture will contain equal partial pressures of halothane
and isoflurane
 (B) The gas mixture will produce a greater depth of anesthesia than
1.5% isoflurane alone
 (C) The gas mixture will produce a greater depth of anesthesia than
1.5% halothane alone
 (D) The liquid mixture will have a higher vapor pressure than 1.5%
halothane alone
 (E) The liquid mixture will have a higher vapor pressure if it is placed
in a halothane-specific vaporizer

 Oxygen 100 ml/min is bubbled through a
vaporizer containing an anesthetic with a vapor
pressure of 150 mmHg, and this mixture is added
to a fresh gas flow of 5 L/min. The delivered
anesthetic concentration is

 (A) 0.25%
 (B) 0.5%
 (C) 1%
 (D) 2.5%
 (E) 5%
 What is the MOST likely reason that
desflurane is delivered using a vaporizer that
contains internal heaters?

 A. Heat decreases the drug's viscosity

 B. Desflurane does not vaporize adequately at room
temperature
 C. Heat increases the drug's oil: gas partition coefficient
 D. Heat prevents fluctuations of vapor pressure
 A 1% halothane concentration from the vaporizer is desired
and the output flow rate is 5000 mls. Also, the atmospheric
pressure is 760 mm Hg and the SVP for halothane under
these conditions is 243 mm Hg. How many mls of gas must
be directed into the vaporizing chamber to allow such that
this outcome would occur

◦ about 50 mls
◦ about 100 mls
◦ about 200 mls
◦ 0 mls