As an anesthesiologist, when communicating with patients or their families, it is often mentioned that the tracheal intubation, and naturally refers to the anesthesia machine, "it is a machine that provides oxygen after falling asleep", many anesthesiologists usually introduce the anesthesia machine with a few words. Anesthesia machine, literally means to do anesthesia machine, in popular terms, anesthesia machine is used for inhalation anesthesia and respiratory management of medical equipment.
Figure 1: General view of modern anesthesia machine.
Film and television works often appear on the handkerchief to pour medicine, cover each other's mouth will be turned over the scene. It should be noted that such a plot is first exaggerated and virtual, followed by this method of medication is open, unable to control the dose of drugs, unable to control the depth of anesthesia, but also easy to numb themselves. But the anesthetic machine is different, it has a anesthetic volatilization tank, can precisely adjust the inhalation of anesthetic concentration, and a closed breathing line, to ensure that the drug does not leak.
Figure 2: Inhalation anesthetic vaporization tank.
The vaporizer (also called evaporator) is a key component of the anesthesia machine, similar to the engine in a car. It vaporizes the liquid anesthetic into a gaseous anesthetic, and controls its concentration, and then mixes with oxygen and smoothly "sucks" into the patient's lungs to achieve the purpose of anesthesia.
With the development of anesthesia, from simple instruments to complex equipment, in addition to the basic elements of gas supply system, flow control system, anesthesia evaporator and anesthesia circuit, gradually add ventilation machine, anesthesia exhaust gas removal system, as well as intelligent information processing system, life monitoring system and other advanced equipment.
However, no matter how the appearance of the anesthesia machine changes, how the internal parts are assembled, and how powerful the use of functions, its two most important functions have not been given up and constantly optimized and improved, one is the anesthesia function, and the other is the respiratory ventilation function.
Figure 3: The patient is connected to the anesthesia machine through the breathing pipe, and the green part is the breathing filter.
The anesthetic function is realized by the volatilization tank, and the ventilation function is realized by the ventilator. When the bellows are compressed, pure oxygen or air oxygen mixed with inhaled anesthetic is forced into the patient's lungs; When the bellows are dilated, the lungs are retracted by their own elasticity, returning the residual gas in the alveoli to the anesthesia machine, this process is similar to human breathing, oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged back and forth in the breathing pipe, which can ensure that patients get oxygen under anesthesia, which is the lifeline of patients.
High-end anesthesia will add some sensors in these pipes to ensure oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration and inhalation anesthetic concentration, etc., will also increase the alarm device to avoid excessive mechanical pressure leading to alveolar expansion and rupture, but also to prevent the machine does not work or failure caused by hypoxia accidents.
Figure 4: Monitoring items and displays of high-end anesthesia machines.
In addition to ensuring the above two functions, modern anesthesia machines are also equipped with various monitoring devices or sensors according to clinical needs, such as monitoring airway pressure changes, vital signs parameters, anesthetic gas inhalation and exhalation concentration, oxygen concentration, indirect reflection of anesthesia depth, muscle relaxation degree and other data. There are also safety devices to prevent hypoxia and asphyxia, necessary alarm systems, anesthesia residual gas removal systems and carbon dioxide monitoring systems. The advanced anesthesia machine is also equipped with anesthesia information management system, which can receive, analyze and store information related to anesthesia clinical and administrative management, automatically collect information of the monitor and automatically generate anesthesia records.
Figure 5: Modern anesthesia machine monitoring screen.
As the so-called "first-line life and first-line death", patients in the state of anesthesia rely on anesthesia machine oxygen, its quality determines the quality of anesthesia and the safety of the patient's life, anesthesia machine used to be a few foreign brands dominated the market, but the current anesthesia machine localization market share is getting higher and higher, to provide more security for domestic patients.
Post time: Dec-25-2023
