My Spine - Cervical
Figure 8.1 The anaesthetic machine
This machine has a supply of different gases including oxygen, ordinary air
and nitrous oxide and mixes anaesthetic gases into the flow of oxygen and air
mixture that is pumped into and out of your lungs by the ventilator. The
machine also removes the carbon dioxide that you exhale. The canister at the
bottom of the tray with the granules inside is responsible for removing the
carbon dioxide. There are valves that regulate the flow as well as flow meters
to indicate the flow rate. Soft tubes connect you to the machine to deliver a
clean air and gas mixture and to remove the air that is exhaled.
The machine has an extensive monitoring function to perform and it measures
the amount of the different gases that enter and exit your body, the concen-
tration of oxygen in your blood, your heart rate and rhythm and your blood
pressure. It has several alarms and fail-safe mechanisms to keep you safe and
to alert the anaesthetist of possible complications.
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