DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANESTHESIA WORKSTATION

PRESENT ANESTHESIA MACHINES HAVE A NUMBER OF DISPLAYS AND ALARMS BUT DO LITTLE TO SUPPORT THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST'S DECISION-MAKING. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP AN ANESTHESIA WORKSTATION THAT INCLUDES AN EXPERT ALARM SYSTEM AND CENTRAL DISPLAY IN AN EFFORT TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST'S REACTION TIME TO CRITICAL EVENTS. THIS SYSTEM WOULD AID IN GATHERING AND RECORDING DATA, INTERPRETING THE DATA TO DETECT CRITICAL EVENTS, AND CONTROLLING THE PATIENT TO MAINTAIN A DESIRED STATE OF ANESTHESIA. TO DO SO, AN ANESTHESIA MACHINE WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH 15 SENSORS AND THREE ELECTRONIC FLOW CONTROLLERS. SIGNALS FROM THE SENSORS WILL BE PREPROCESSED FOR ARTIFACT REJECTION AND DISPLAYED JUDICIOUSLY ON A LARGE SCREEN TO VIEW TRENDS, TABULAR DATA, MOVING AVERAGES, AND ANESTHESIA MACHINE DIAGNOSTICS. ALARM CONDITIONS GENERATED BY AN EXPERT SYSTEM WILL BE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED WITH TEXTUAL AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS. ALARMS WILL SOUND FOR: ESOPHAGEAL INTUBATION, EXTUBATION, EMPTY OXYGEN TANK, FRESH GAS HOSE DISCONNECT, AND INSPIRATORY TUBING BLOCKAGE. THE EXPERT SYSTEM WILL BE TESTED BY SIMULATING 26 CRITICAL EVENTS USING AN IN VITRO OIL/WATER LUNG MODEL.