A NONINVASIVE CARDIOPULMONARY ANESTHESIA MONITOR

DURING MOST SURGICAL PROCEDURES THE PATIENT IS PARALYZED AND MUST DEPEND COMPLETELY ON THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST TO MAINTAIN SUCH VITAL PHYSIOLOGIC FUNCTIONS AS BREATHING AND HEART RATE. IT IS THEREFORE NOT SUPRISING THAT, WITH RELATIVELY FEW EFFECTIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORS AVAILABLE TO THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST, THE FREQUENCY OF MISHAPS DURING SURGERY IS HIGH. OF THE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION SURGICAL PROCEDURES PERFORMED ANNUALLY IN THIS COUNTRY, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE DIE OR BECOME SERIOUSLY DISABLED AS A RESULT OF THE ANESTHETIC PROCEDURE. ANESTHESIA MONITORING CAN BE DIVIDED INTO (1) MONITORS THAT PRIMARILY CHECK THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ANESTHESIA DELIVERY SYSTEM, AND (2) MONITORS THAT MEASURE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE ANESTHETIC PROCEDURE ON THE PATIENT. THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED WORK IS TO EXTEND THE CAPABILITIES OF A MONITORING SYSTEM PRESENTLY DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCE CHECKING TO ALSO MONITOR PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WILL BE CAPABLE OF CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING CIRCULATION, VENTILATION, AND GAS EXCHANGE VARIABLES. ANESTHETIC GAS UPTAKE AND TISSUE CONCENTRATION ARE BY-PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS OF THE METHOD. THE KEY TO ECONOMICAL AND HIGH-QUALITY MEASUREMENTS OF THESECARDIOPULMONARY PARAMETERS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MINIATURIZED, HIGH-QUALITY MASS SPECTROMETER, ALREADY COMPETITIVELY PRICED FOR SERVICE AS JUST AN ANESTHETIC GAS MONITOR. HOWEVER, AS THIS ANALYZER REPRESENTS THE MAJOR COST OF A TOTAL ANESTHESIA/PHYSIOLOGIC MONITORING SYSTEM, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING CAPABILITY REPRESENTS AN ADDITIONAL, SUBSTANTIAL MONITORING BENEFIT AT A DISPROPORTIONATELY MODEST COST.