ANESTHESIA VAPORIZER SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120318263A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jones, Michael Eric, Tham, Robert Q., Clark, Dave T.
• Application Number:
  US13/161,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/01 specially adapted for anaesthetising A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/104 specially adapted for anaesthetics A61M16/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1075 by influencing the temperature A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/147 the respiratory gas not passing through the liquid container
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/18 Vaporising devices for anaesthetic preparations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1035 the anaesthetic agent concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0283 Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3673 thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers

Abstract

An anesthetic vaporizer system is disclosed herein. The anesthetic vaporizer system includes a pump, and a controller operatively connected to the pump. The controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump in order to regulate the delivery of an anesthetic agent in the liquid phase. The anesthetic vaporizer system also includes a vaporization chamber in fluid communication with the pump. The vaporization chamber is adapted to vaporize the anesthetic agent delivered by the pump.

Claims

1. An anesthetic vaporizer system comprising:

a pump;

a controller operatively connected to the pump, said controller configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump in order to regulate the delivery of an anesthetic agent in the liquid phase; and

a vaporization chamber in fluid communication with the pump, said vaporization chamber adapted to vaporize the anesthetic agent delivered by the pump.

2. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump such that the flow rate of the anesthetic agent is maintainable at a constant value within a +/−

0.01 μ

l/sec margin of error.

3. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump such that the flow rate of the anesthetic agent is variable within a range of 0.02 μ

l/sec to 250 μ

l/sec.

4. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured carrier gas flow rate.

5. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured mixed gas flow rate.

6. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured anesthetic agent concentration.

7. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based a user input command.

8. The anesthetic vaporizer system of claim 1, wherein the pump comprises a solenoid driven microfluidic pump or a piezoelectric microfluidic pump.

9. A method comprising:

transferring a liquid anesthetic agent to a pump;

implementing a pump to deliver the liquid anesthetic agent to a vaporization chamber; and

implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both the frequency and the stroke of the pump in order to regulate the delivery of liquid anesthetic agent.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump such that the flow rate of the anesthetic agent is maintainable at a constant value within a +/−

0.01 μ

l/sec margin of error.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump such that the flow rate of the anesthetic agent is variable within a range of 0.02 μ

l/sec to 250 μ

l/sec.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured carrier gas flow rate.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured mixed gas flow rate.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing a controller to generally simultaneously control both a frequency and a stroke of the pump based on a measured anesthetic agent concentration.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising implementing the vaporization chamber to convert the liquid anesthetic agent into a vaporized anesthetic agent.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising delivering the vaporized anesthetic agent to a patient.