Anesthetic transfer system

Details Anesthetic transfer system Anesthetic transfer system

1996-06-12

1998-09-22

Asher, Kimberly L.

Surgery

Respiratory method or device

Means for quickly connecting or disconnecting apparatus...

12820312, 12820321, A62B 904, A61M 1500, A61M 1610

Patent

active

058100016

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/US95/00203 filed Jan. 4, 1995.


TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system for use in medical facility operating rooms to safely accommodate the transfer of an anesthetic from a container to administration equipment, such as a vaporizer.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART

Inhalable anesthetics are typically volatile substances with relatively low boiling points and high vapor pressures. They can be flammable and explosive substances in both their liquid and vapor states. Further, inhalation of the vapor by health care personnel can cause drowsiness.
Therefore, such anesthetics must be safely handled in operating rooms in order to minimize the risk of inhalation by medical personnel as well as to minimize the risk of fire or explosion. Preferably, the anesthetic should be used in a way which will ensure that there is little or no release to the atmosphere at all stages of handling during normal surgical procedures.
Anesthetics are typically dispensed in liquid form to an apparatus, such as an anesthetic vaporizer, which mixes the anesthetic with oxygen and nitrous oxide. The mixture is supplied in gaseous form to the patient for inhalation.
Devices have been designed for the transfer of an anesthetic from a supply container to a vaporizer through a closed system that eliminates the escape of an anesthetic gas to the atmosphere. The devices are designed so that during set-up and disassembly procedures, a supply container of anesthetic is not open and exposed to the atmosphere in the operating room.
One system which has been developed for connecting an anesthetic container to a vaporizer is the SECURITY LOCK.TM. Vapofill vaporizer connector sold by Abbott Laboratories, Inc., One Abbott Park Road, Abbott Park, Ill. 60064-3500, U.S.A. and Abbott S.p.A., 04010 Campoverde, Latina, Italia. It may be disposable, and it employs a connector tube having special connecting or coupling members at both ends. The tube is flexible and is kink-resistant. The vaporizer end of the tube is provided with a vaporizer connector, adaptor, coupling member, or pin that engages an anesthetic vaporizer. This can be initially closed with a removable cap. The end of the tube attached to the anesthetic container is provided with a closure adaptor that engages a closure on the anesthetic container.
The closure is preferably connected to the anesthetic container prior to use in the operating room. The container closure has a frangible seal adapted to be perforated by a piercing means within the closure adaptor as the adaptor engages the closure. Following perforation of the frangible seal by the piercing means, the closure adaptor and closure remain locked together, and this permits the transport of anesthetic through the tube from the supply container to the vaporizer. The system remains closed to the atmosphere throughout the assembly or disassembly procedures.
Some types of vaporizers are intended for use with only a specific anesthetic or anesthetics. In such situations, care must be taken to insure that only the proper anesthetic is dispensed into the particular vaporizer. To this end, the above-discussed SECURITY LOCK.TM. device has been provided with a keying system to prevent the use of the device with an anesthetic for which it is not designed.
In particular, the anesthetic container closure has a specific shape, and the connector tube closure adaptor has a complementary shape for mating with the container closure. At the other end of the container tube, the pin has a special shape for mating with a complementary portion of the vaporizer anesthetic inlet port.
Vaporizer manufacturers provide standard inlet port configurations. These are standardized to I.S.O. ("International Standardization Organization") configurations specific to various types of anesthetics. Because the container for each type of anesthetic has its own special closure shape, and because the corresponding connector device fits only the type of vaporizer designed for that

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