MEDICAL GASES

Manufacture, Storage,
Transport + Delivery
First Year Respiratory Therapy
MJC
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Composition of the Air

We breathe earths atmosphere composed of:

Nitrogen (78%)
Oxygen (21%)
Carbon Dioxide (0.03%)
Argon and trace gases (0.93%)

Neon, Xenon, Krypton and Deon

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How Oxygen is
produced
Fractional Distillation
Physical Separation
Nitrogen Molecular sieve
Semi-Permeable membrane

Fractional Distillation

Large Manufacturing Facility

Fractional
Distillation
for liquid
O2

02_001.pdf

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Fractional Distillation

Atmospheric air is filtered of pollutants,

carbon dioxide and water
Air is compressed and cooled to a liquid
Then it is slowly heated and the nitrogen boils
off.
Liquid oxygen remains

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Physical Separation

Molecular Sieve
Semi-Permeable Plastic Membrane
(in the home)

Molecular Sieve

Composed of inorganic sodium aluminum

silicate pellets
These pellets absorb the nitrogen and water
vapor from the air
Produces up to 90% mixture

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Oxygen Concentrator

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Semipermeable Membrane

Pulls air through membrane

Oxygen passes through faster than nitrogen
Can produce 40% mixture
Good for long-term low flow oxygen

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Oxygen concentratorSemi-permeable
membrane

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Physical Separators

Will produce concentrations for nasal cannula

but only at low flows
Used in oxygen concentrators IN THE HOME

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Home Concentrator

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Medical Gases

Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Helium,

Nitrous Oxide, Nitric Oxide, Nitrogen,
Carbon Monoxide

Properties of Common Gases

Chemical symbol
Molecular weight
Color, odor, taste
Physical state

Critical temperature, boiling point

Combustion characteristics

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Oxygen

02

Molecular Weight 32
Colorless, odorless, tasteless
Slightly heavier than air

Density of 1.29 g/L

Nonflammable but supports combustion

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Compressed Air

Is the same mixture of nitrogen, oxygen,

carbon dioxide and argon.
Is piped in to all modern hospitals
Used to power pneumatically powered
equipment
Some situations (patients are C02 retainers)
when oxygen is contraindicated

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Carbon Dioxide

C02
Colorless and Odorless
Does not support combustion

More soluble in liquids than oxygen

Used in fire extinguishers

Easier transporting in blood then oxygen

Used to treat hiccups (singulation)

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Helium

He
Odorless, tasteless, non-flammable
Second lightest of gases
Combined with oxygen (heliox) to reduce
work of breathing with swollen upper airways

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Nitrous Oxide

N20

Nonflammable but supports combustion

Used as an anesthesia in OR (laughing gas)
Always mixed with oxygen (Entonox) and
other anesthesia agents

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Nitric Oxide

N0
Is nonflammable but supports combustion
Used experimentally in low concentrations
(ppm) for pulmonary vasodilation
Recently has had excellent results with
premature babies

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Nitrogen

N2

Used as lab gas (liquid) for freezing tissue

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Carbon Monoxide

CO
Used in Pulmonary Function Lab
Very diffusible used to test how easily gas
will pass through the lung membranes

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Cyclopropane

Strictly an anesthesia gas

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Ethylene Oxide

Used to gas sterilize medical equipment

Useful for equipment that cant handle high
temperatures or immersion in water

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Oxygen Storage

Tanks Liquid
Tanks - Gas

Tank Sizes and

Capacities
Large Cylinders
Small Cylinders

Oxygen Tank Sizes

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H Cylinders

2200 psi
A.S.S.S safety system
Threaded connection
Need to be safety chained and in a secured
dolly for moving

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E Cylinders

Small and lightweight (15 pounds)

PISS Pin Index
Yoke connection

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Types and colors of cylinders

Air
Oxygen
Helium
CO2

Yellow
Green Intl (White)
Brown
Grey

Nitrogen Black
Nitrous Oxide-Blue
Do NOT trust the color of the tank as sole
indicator of its contents

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Labels
The only
sure
way

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Other Oxygen Tank Markings

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Regulation of
cylinders
D.O.T
O.S.H.A.
F.D.A.
B.M.D.

Recommending Agencies

C.G.A.
N.F. P.A.
A.N.S.I.
I.S.O

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Bulk Supply Systems

Liquid Oxygen

Bulk Oxygen Systems

Large capacity

Liquid oxygen

Small system (or back up)

Nitrous Oxide
Bank of H cylinders

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Large Oxygen Supply System

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Small Bank of Cylinders

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Liquid vs Gas

Insulated Liquid
Solid metal - Gas
Large continuous demand Liquid
Small portable Liquid or tank
Tanks act differently if they contain gas or
liquid

No accurate gauge on liquid tank content

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Go figure

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Liquid Oxygen

Constantly losing oxygen despite insulation

Needs pressure and insulation for cold
temperature (-118oC)
Low pressure (200 psi)
Large system has vaporizers fins to help with
heat transfer when liquid turns to gas (frozen
year round)
Small system is great for mall shopping
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Bulk
Liquid
Oxyge
n
supply

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Bulk
Oxygen
Supply
System

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Home
Liquid
Oxygen

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Low Pressure Safety

Systems
Diameter Index Safety System
Quick Connect

Wall (low pressure)

systems

D.I.S.S.

50 P.S.I
The MJC lab has these

Quick connect

A newer better system

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DISS
(and Dat)

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DISS Wall Outlet

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Different Quick Connects

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More Quick Connects

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Flowmeters

Thorpe Tube is most common

Can use Bourdon Gauge

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Other Safety Features

Zone Valves

Zone Valve System

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Zone
Valves
for bulk O2
supply

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Cylinder Connections
(High Pressure)
American Standard Safety System
Pin Index Safety System
Key Index Safety System

Regulators

They decrease internal tank pressure down

to a working pressure (50psi)
They read and display the internal tank
pressure
They meter out the precise flow for patient
use.

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Cylinder connections

A.S.S.S. (American Standard)

H cylinders
High pressure, large tanks

P.I.S.S. (Pin Index)

E cylinders
High pressure, small tanks

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American Safety Standard

System

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Pin Index System

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Pin Index System

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Pin
Index
Numberi
ng
for small
cylinder
s

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Tank Duration

How long will they last

Cylinder Duration
Calculations

You can memorize size of tank then calculate

how long it will last

Or use:
Conversion factors

3.14 for H cylinders

0.28 for E cylinders

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Liquid Oxygen Duration

Convert pounds to liters

Multiply by 860 to get volume of gaseous
oxygen (Liters)
Divide by the liter flow (L/min)
Convert minutes to hours and minutes

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Thanks for listening

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