Research Project
2230860
DRT proposes to research, design and develop a novel, low cost, reliable, accurate, fluidic -technology-based multiple medical gas monitor (MMGM) for CO2, O2, N2O and volatile anesthetics made possible by the development of miniature fluidic integrated circuitry. Gasses are separated and identified by a unique system of scrubbers (e.g., zeolites for N2O and O2 and soda lime for CO2) and because each anesthetic will be known a priori a non-specific scrubber (activated charcoal) will be used and logic in a PC will pick the calibration. Gas concentrations are determined from the tiny pressure changes (due to changes in density and viscosity) at the junction of an orifice-capillary bridge. A fluidic laminar proportional amplifier raises these pressures to useful levels. Sensor outputs will be processed and displayed on a PC. Real-time gas monitoring with clinical accuracies (equals approximately 0.1%) and ranges (0 - 99%) will be possible. The system will have performance better than conventional full- function gas monitors at substantially reduced costs because no complex (e.g., chromatography) techniques are used. The Phase I proof-of-concept will demonstrate monitoring of three gasses, O2,CO2 and N2O and one example anesthetic. Based on this, a nine-channel system will be designed for fabrication and demonstration in the Phase Il effort. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The innovation of reliable, low cost, continuous gas monitoring would greatly improve anesthesia administration. This system could reduce medical/clinical acquisition and life-cycle costs of current gas sensors by a factor of as much as two compared with conventional full-function IR machines and as much as a factor of three over chromatography-based devices.
