Anaesthesia Machine Parts & Their Functions

Anaesthesia machines are essential to modern medicine. They provide a controlled and safe environment for monitoring and administering anaesthesia during surgeries and other medical procedures.

Today's anaesthesia machines serve several functions and come with various features. Several types of anaesthesia machines are available for specific use and provide convenience to medical practitioners and patients.

This blog offers more information about anaesthesia machines, their work, the types available in the market, and more.

What Is An Anaesthesia Machine?

To answer what an Anaesthesia machine is, they are pneumatic devices that carefully regulate the supply of a mixture of gas, oxygen, and an anaesthetic agent to the patient for surgical or other medical procedures. The anaesthetic gas or agent promotes unconsciousness and inhibits skeletal functions.

The machine contains several components: vaporizers, gas supply and flow metres, breathing apparatus, monitors, and scanning systems. All these components are necessary to answer our question about what an anaesthesia machine is and to administer, manage, and regulate anaesthesia dosage to ensure patient safety.

How An Anaesthesia Machine Works?

In a broader sense, an anaesthesia machine allows doctors or medical patients to supply anaesthesia through a mixture of gas, oxygen and anaesthetic agents under control while accurately measuring and controlling the flow of each gas into the patient's body. This helps patients stay unconscious and breathe during painful surgeries and medical procedures such as teeth removal while ensuring they do not breathe harmful CO2 that they exhaled previously.            

Understanding how an anaesthesia machine works requires understanding its essential components. All types of anaesthesia machines have these components, and a skilled anesthesiologist knows the uses and their functions, regardless of the model. Standard components include:

Gas Supply System

In our deep dive into how an anaesthesia machine works with the help of different parts and components, it is the working of a gas supply system. This system includes cylinders or pipes responsible for delivering essential gases such as oxygen and nitrous oxygen along with anaesthetic gases to the patient. This supply system typically also consists of a flow metre for each gas to control and regulate the quantity supplied.

Vaporizers

Vaporizers are specialised components of the anaesthetic machine that are vital in converting liquid anaesthetic agents into gaseous components, mixing them with carrier gases such as oxygen or air. Their distinctive design allows the anaesthesia machine to deliver precise concentrations of gases to the patients, making vaporizers vital for maintaining the desired oxygen level. 

Breathing Circuit

Every standard anaesthesia machine comes with a breathing circuit. This crucial part connects the machine to its patient. The breathing circuit's function is to safely deliver the gases with the anaesthetic agent and remove the life-threatening carbon dioxide.

Ventilator

This component of the anaesthesia machine assists in controlling the patient's breathing while they are under sedation. This is another standard component that helps understand what an anaesthesia machine is. This ventilator comes with various modes, such as pressure control and volume control, that allow for tailored respiratory support based on the patient's necessity.

Monitors & Alarms

Standard anaesthesia machines are equipped with monitors and alarm systems for efficient tracking of patients' physiological parameters and the machine's performance. Some key monitored parameters include oxygen concentration, anaesthetic gas concentration, heart rate, blood pressure, capnography or concentration of Co2 and respiratory rate and volume.

Anaesthesia Machine Uses & Functions

Now that we know how an anaesthesia machine works with the help of its several parts, it is also essential to understand its uses and functions. The anaesthesia machine is a specialised medical machine offering versatile uses and functions. Some common anaesthesia machine uses and functions include:

Surgical Procedures

Anaesthesia machines are essential parts of general and specialised surgeries. During general surgery, anaesthesia machines provide pain-free and unconscious care. These machines also support specialised fields such as gynaecology, orthopaedic, neurological, etc.

Emergency Medicine

Anaesthesia machine uses also include providing necessary support to patients in emergencies. The function of the machine is to provide rapid sedation and pain relief to patients with severe trauma, severe pain or emergency surgery.

Pain Management

Another use of Anesthesia machines is to aid patients in pain management. Here, anaesthesia machines provide sedation for procedures that may cause discomfort but do not need complete anaesthesia. Common fields of medicine that use anaesthesia machines for pain management are dental, colonoscopies, and dermatology surgeries

Diagnostic Procedures

Diagnostic procedures such as MRIs, CTs, and other imaging procedures require anaesthesia machines. In these procedures, the patient must stay completely still, and medical professionals use anaesthesia machines to help the patient stay still. Other diagnostic procedures that use anaesthesia machines are endoscopy procedures and their types.

Anaesthesia Machine Types

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an anaesthesia machine for your medical institution, such as a hospital or clinic, is the type of anaesthesia. These machines are categorised based on their features, technology usage and intention.

In modern medicine, different anaesthesia machines serve various purposes and bear designs suitable for specific clinical needs and settings. Significant anaesthesia machine types are:

Basic Anaesthesia Machine Type

Basic types of anaesthesia machines include standard components such as gas supply systems, ventilators, and the components mentioned earlier. Medical institutions use this type of anaesthesia machine for straightforward surgeries and procedures. These machines are smaller and suitable for medical settings with limited resources and smaller surgical units.

Advanced Anaesthesia Machine Type

As the name suggests, advanced machine models have additional or specialised features necessary for complex surgical and other procedures. These anaesthesia machines also offer monitoring capabilities, integrated ventilators, and electronic data recording and interfacing capabilities.

Portable Anaesthesia Machine Type

Portable anaesthesia machines are lightweight, compact, and easy to transport from one location to another. They are vital for use in emergencies, remote locations, and field hospitals. Some of the features you may find in portable machines are battery power, essential gas delivery functions, and monitoring systems. You can commonly see them in ambulances and military settings.

Pediatric Anaesthesia Machine Type

This type of anaesthesia machine comes with a specific design for paediatric patients and their anatomical and physiological needs and differences. Additional features include breathing, other components, and safety features that prevent excessive dosage.

FAQs

What are the main components of an anaesthesia machine?

Some of the standard components of an anaesthesia machine include ventilators, breathing circuit, gas supply system, vaporizers and monitors and alarms for smooth supply of gas and anaesthesia.

What is the role of the vaporizer in an anaesthesia machine?

The role of the vaporizer machine is to provide optimal concentration of anaesthetic gas, adjust and provide the right amount to the patients. Its primary functions include conversion of liquid into vapours, temperature compensation, flow rate and more.

What safety features are built into modern anaesthesia machines?

Some of the safety features built into modern anaesthesia machines include alarms systems, gas supply safety, patient monitoring integrations, backup systems, oxygen failure safety device and hypoxia prevention devices.

How often should anaesthesia machine parts be checked and maintained?

When considering anaesthesia machine maintenance, be sure to get it inspected by an authorised anaesthetic service provider. You need to service its various components at least annually.