title: Gas leakage in eight anaesthesia circle systems.
abstract: Eight currently used factory-new anaesthesia circle systems (Dräger Cicero, Dräger Sulla, Dräger AV1, Gambro Engström Elsa, Megamed 700A, Ohmeda Modulus II Plus, Siemens Ventilator 710 and Siemens Servo Ventilator 900 D with circle system) and a Megamed 077 which had been clinically used for 11 years were tested for gas leaks according to the Draft European Standard Anaesthetic Workstations and Their Modules. All measurements were performed using the Cicero ventilator developed by Dräger with its integrated test program for the detection of system leakage. All the factory-new systems showed leakage rates of less than 50 ml min-1 at a test pressure of 3 kPa (30 cmH2O). In the 'manual' position and with the soda-lime canister and the volumeter (or flow-sensor) included, the following leak rates were determined: Dräger Cicero, 5.0 ml min-1; Dräger Sulla, 22.8 ml min-1; Dräger AV1, 7.7 ml min-1; Gambro Engström Elsa, 33.4 ml min-1; Megamed 700A, 11.5 ml min-1; Ohmeda Modulus II Plus, less than 0.1 ml min-1; Siemens Ventilator 710, 0.3 ml min-1; Siemens Servo Ventilator 900D with circle system 985, 9.6 ml min-1; Megamed 077, 47.5 ml min-1. All anaesthesia breathing circle systems tested performed below the leakage limit of 100 ml min-1 proposed by the draft standard.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anästhesiologie und Intensivbehandlung, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feigenwinter
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zbinden
mesh_terms: D000764:Anesthesia, Closed-Circuit / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans