A supply arrangement (100) and a process supply a medical device (50, 90) with a supply gas mixture. The supply gas mixture includes a carrier gas and an anesthetic and is generated by an anesthetic dispenser (3). A carrier gas mixing unit (9) generates the carrier gas from at least two carrier gas components. A carrier gas switch having a regular outlet and a discharge outlet selectively directs carrier gas components to the carrier gas mixing unit or to a discharge line (35). A gas mixture switch (6), having a regular outlet (41) and a discharge outlet (42) selectively directs the supply gas mixture to the medical device or to the discharge line (35). An anesthetic concentration sensor (5.1, 5.2) measures a concentration of anesthetic in the generated gas mixture. A control unit (2) controls the gas mixture switch based on measured concentration within or outside a predefined range.

[Problems] To provide a driving method for a metering pump, a driving apparatus for a metering pump, a vaporizer and an anesthesia apparatus which are capable of suppressing a pulsation in the metering pump, and lowering the costs and reducing the sizes of the vaporizer and the anesthesia apparatus.

[Means for solving the Problems] A metering pump 16 is joined to the stepping motor 15, includes an eccentric mechanism converting a revolving motion of the stepping motor 15 into a reciprocating motion of a plunger 16A, and makes a constant liquid delivery by sucking and discharging an anesthetic agent through variations in the cubic volume of a cylinder 16D caused by the reciprocating motion of the plunger 16A. The control section 12: calculates a suction and discharge cycle T of the metering pump 16 on the basis of a set anesthetic-gas concentration and a fresh-gas flow rate; sets a discharge period T2 of the cycle T to be longer than a suction period T1 of the cycle T; and controls the revolution speed of the stepping motor 15 so that the travelling speed of the plunger 16A is kept constant during the discharge period T2.

Systems and methods are provided for anesthetic agent level sensing. In one embodiment, a system for a level sensor for an anesthetic vaporizer includes a measurement tube including a float positioned therein, a bottom portion of the measurement tube coupled to a cap having a central opening, a retaining bracket coupled to a top portion of the measurement tube, an optical sensor housed within the retaining bracket, the optical sensor including a light source positioned to emit light toward an interior of the measurement tube and a light detector positioned to receive light from the interior of the measurement tube, and an optical window housed within the retaining bracket and coupled between the optical sensor and the interior of the measurement tube.

A sedation device has a housing divided internally into a ventilator chamber and an associated evaporator chamber which overlap and are separated by a filter mounted between the chambers and forming a common gas-permeable dividing wall between the chambers. An inlet port is provided at one end of the ventilator chamber at a top of the housing for connection to a patient ventilator in use. An outlet port on the evaporator chamber can be connected via a breathing tube to a patient. An evaporator is mounted within the evaporator chamber for delivery of a volatile sedative into the evaporator chamber during use.

An absorption arrangement (100) includes a CO2 absorber (4) and a water trap (2). Such an absorption arrangement (100) is used with a process for filtering carbon dioxide from a gas mixture by absorption. The gas mixture flows from a source through the absorption arrangement (100) to a sink in the following way: through a supply fluid guide unit (3), through a lower deflecting fluid guide unit (9), through the CO2 absorber (4), through an upper deflecting fluid guide unit (6), through a connecting fluid guide unit (33), through the water trap (2) and through a discharge fluid guide unit (34). The gas mixture flows vertically or obliquely upward through the CO2 absorber (4) and vertically or obliquely downward through the connecting fluid guide unit (33) to the water trap (2).

A diagnostic device is disclosed for characterisation of particles from a patient's airways, such as a lung, when ventilated by a ventilator, and/or for control thereof, comprising a particle detecting unit configured to be connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, for obtaining data related to particles being exhaled from said patient's airways.

A connection device and process connect a patient-side coupling unit to a source/sink of a gas including oxygen. The connection device includes a valve device with a first valve (40.1) and with a second valve (40.2). A source-side fluid guide unit establishes a fluid connection between the source or the sink and the valve device. A patient-side fluid guide unit establishes a fluid connection between the patient-side coupling unit and the valve device. The valves are connected in parallel and are arranged between the two fluid guide units. A gas flows from the source through the first and/or second valve to the patient-side coupling unit or through the first and/or second valves to the sink. A control pressure is set at each valve. As a result, the time course of the volume flow downstream of the valve device follows a predefined time course.

Methods and systems are provided for delivering anesthetic agent to a patient. In one embodiment, an anesthetic vaporizer includes a sump configured to hold a liquid anesthetic agent; an ultrasonic transducer coupled to a bottom of the sump and at least partially disposed within the sump; a vaporizing chamber fluidically coupled to the sump; and a heating element coupled to the vaporizing chamber and configured to increase a temperature of a surface disposed within the vaporizing chamber.

An electronic vaporizer system includes an anesthetic sump containing anesthetic agent, a vaporizer unit that vaporizes the anesthetic agent from the sump and delivers the vaporized agent to a patient breathing circuit, and a gas sensor configured to measure end tidal concentration of the anesthetic agent and exhalation gasses from the patient. A control system is configured to receive the measured end tidal concentration of anesthetic agent and compare the measured end tidal concentration to a desired end tidal concentration to be maintained for the patient. The vaporizer unit is then automatically controlled to deliver an amount of vaporized agent to the patient based on the comparison.

A ventilator, for the automated ventilation of a patient, includes a breathing gas delivery unit, at least one volume flow sensor for detecting a volume flow of the breathing gas, at least one breathing gas sensor for detecting a carbon dioxide concentration in the breathing gas, at least one pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of the breathing gas, as well as at least one computer. The computer is configured to actuate the breathing gas delivery unit as a function of the detected pressure and of a preset desired pressure value. The computer is further configured to perform an adaptation of the desired pressure value and an adaptation of a ventilation rate as a function of the detected volume flow and as a function of the detected carbon dioxide concentration.