Gas Monitoring of Isoflurane for Veterinary Anesthesia

Anesthetic Gas Isoflurane in Veterinary Medicine

The gas isoflurane is commonly used as an anesthetic gas for animals, including in the PDC department of LUMC. Such setups are often mobile, which means they are frequently moved or partially rebuilt. This poses a risk of exposure to isoflurane for personnel due to potential leaks. Ravebo has provided a gas monitor to check for leakage in these setups. The goal was to achieve such a high sensitivity that even low concentrations resulting from minor leaks would be detectable. For this purpose, we developed a mobile analyzer for LUMC to detect isoflurane in the ppm range.

Development of the Mobile Analyzer

The analyzer is equipped with special optical components made of ZnSe. This is essential to avoid signal loss caused by light absorption from the optical components. In this way, the required sensitivity in the ppm range is maintained. The analyzer is also equipped with a heated measuring cell (30 °C) to eliminate variations caused by temperature fluctuations.

Practical Application and Responsiveness

In practice, the analyzer responds quickly and accurately to any (small) leaks in the setup.