General Electric Company
Medical vaporizer with carrier gas characterization, measurement, and/or compensation

Abstract:

A medical vaporizer is provided. In one embodiment, dual-purpose sensors are employed, such as in a configuration in which one is positioned in the mixed gas flow channel and one is positioned in the main gas flow channel. The sensors provide measurements that may be used to determine both gas flow and gas concentration in the mixed and main gas channels, even when the identity and/or properties of the gas in the main gas channel are unknown. The measurements derived from the dual-purpose sensors may be used to measure and report the total anesthetic being delivered at the vaporizer output and/or improve vaporizer accuracy.