Anaesthetic equipment.

p0001The invention relates to an anesthesia device with an anesthetic vaporiser, from which the anesthetic of an adjusting device is supplied, from which dosed anesthetic quantities can be emitted to an anesthesia device and which is provided with an identifier for unique assignment of the adjustment to the anesthetic used.

p0002Such anesthesia device has become known from DE-OS 35 23 947th

p0003In the known anesthetic means a reservoir for an anesthetic agent to an associated adjustment device is connected, by means of suitable coding pins of the reservoir engages the adjuster such that a dosage of anesthetic is matched to the respective, the dosage influencing physical properties of the anesthetic. The evaporator and the adjustment device are connected to an associated anesthetic machine so that the dosed anesthetic can be delivered to the anesthesia machine. For a proper use of anesthesia equipment is necessary for the respective anesthetic anesthetic must be actually connected in the corresponding evaporator and the adjustment device. During anesthesia implementing it sometimes beyond is necessary to change the anesthetic. Given the connected evaporator either must be replaced by another, or be changed in several evaporators connected to the anesthesia machine from one to the other evaporator. It is essential that the user of the anesthesia device security procures whether it has the desired evaporator actually connected and turned on. This requires the anesthetist increased attention that is given is not always evenly by stress during an example prolonged anesthesia. While it is possible to control the administered anesthetic by a meter, but have very complicated measuring the ability, even at the same time determine the type of anesthetic used in the measurement and it applied for displaying the appropriate calibration curve. Simpler instruments require to a manual change to the nature of this anesthetic, which can cause incorrect dosages in erroneous switching errors or failure to make when changing the anesthetic adaptation to incorrect measurement and administration.

p0004The present invention therefore has for its object to improve an anesthesia device of the type mentioned so that by simple means an automatic recognition of the respective used anesthetic and the related adjustment is ensured even at its connection to the anesthetic machine and that this recognition a corresponding measurement is forwarded and monitoring device for the anesthetic to avoid incorrect measurements and incorrect settings or even to create the conditions for automatic maintenance of a desired concentration.

p0005The object is achieved in that the identifier is placed in operative connection with a provided between the adjuster and the anesthesia machine pickup, which is equipped to identify the identifier with a scanning device which is connected by means of signal transmission lines with a measuring and monitoring unit.

p0006The advantage of the invention lies essentially in the fact that each of the applicable anesthetic vaporiser can pass on the information about the type of anesthetic, the possible adjustment of the dosage and more, anesthetic-specific data to the measuring and monitoring unit with the corresponding adjustment. Trying to connect an anesthetic vaporiser with unsuitable or not the desired content can be made either prevented or as incorrect operation identified.

p0007Another advantage is compatibility with similar design evaporators, but does not yet have the identifier according to the invention. The lack of identification leads to the measuring and monitoring unit to an alarm signal, which makes conscious the exceptional nature of the case of use.

p0008Due to the simple nature of the disposed on the adjustment indication means it is also possible to carry out with minimal effort to retrofit existing, these elements not owning equipment.

p0009The control and monitoring unit is switched by the coding learned either automatically on the anesthetic concerned associated calibration curve or it is controlled with manual control, the made range selection. One wrong range setting by mistake or forgotten switching and therefore display incorrect concentration data is prevented thereby.

p0010With little effort, the arrangement can be completed to a closed loop by the control and monitoring unit are assigned to a setpoint input and an actuator engages the example by means of toothing releasably in the adjustment. Again, be adapted to the respective connected or switched anesthetic and operating error is avoided by coding the values.

p0011Of the various possible embodiments of the identifier has been found to be especially effective, a coupling between the evaporator and the adjustment on the one hand and the anesthesia machine on the other hand provide, in the plurality of recesses of different design are embedded. This coupling can, for. Example, be attached to the anesthesia machine, in which the evaporator and the adjustment device are hooked. In this attack one or several mating parts into their associated recesses, wherein the outer shape of the mating parts is aligned with the exterior design of the recesses. The shape and configuration between recesses and mating parts can prevent unauthorized connecting a vaporizer to the anesthesia machine. For example, should an evaporator with four fitting parts are connected to a coupling piece with only three recesses. Since the fourth fitting portion has no equivalent in the coupling piece, an exact fitting is prevented. The scanner detects this failed attempt by the signal generator and outputs a corresponding message to the control and monitoring unit from.

p0012A simple embodiment is realized in that the recesses are formed as bores of different depths, in which respective pins engage, by depending on a depth of engagement with them coupled electrical switch or a light barrier as a signal generator can be actuated. Such pin coding allows, depending on depth of penetration of the pins into the holes, the electrical switch to actuate either or to leave it in its rest position with their corresponding signals are counted as a single or off states. In this way, a simple digital pen coding is possible. The variation of the coding options can be combined with both the number of pins as well as with their different depth of penetration.

p0013In Gegensa tz to the aforementioned mechanical identifiers an optical identification by means of an array of retro-reflective sensors is advantageous, the coding can be translated into a specific pattern of black marks, which can be optionally provided either on the anesthesia machine or at the setting. These are illuminated by a corresponding pattern in their arrangement of the filaments, and the coding is routed depending on the number of reflected light rays to a receiver. There they are decoded and passed as corresponding information to the control and monitoring unit. Such light reflex coding has the advantage that it is non-contacting, can be realized by simple means and the mechanical effort is made ​​to minimize.

p0014Another alternative is a magnetic coding on the contact plane between the bottom tool and holder. For this, a magnetic stripe reader is expediently provided as scanning via a magnetic strip is placed in position when coupling the anesthesia device to the anesthesia machine. Viewing documents saved on the magnetic stripe data, it is drawn to a designated tongue sliding through the head of the magnetic stripe reader. Details will be passed to the monitoring unit.

p0015If one wants additional code to the device coding also setting itself on the adjustment and thus make monitorable, can be provided that the identification as a digitally encoded strip applied on the outer edge of a plate-shaped hand wheel on the adjusting device. Its coding marks are read by an optical scanning unit in reflection light and is fed to an evaluation unit which in turn sends this information to the measuring and monitoring unit. The encoding can contain information about the type of anesthetic, the zero position and the operating positions of the evaporator. Alternatively, the setting can be detected by a rotary encoder on the setting. The adjustment of the hand wheel acts as an input a set value, which influences not only the evaporator itself, but is transmitted through the sample at the measuring and monitoring unit. There he can depending on the version used to control a manually executive switching the meter to the respective anesthetic or perform switching automatically. The scanning of the zero position permits control that the turning on of the vaporizer is not inadvertently left in the operation of the anesthesia device and that is closed except for the operation of the evaporator. If more than one evaporator attached to an anesthesia machine, so that is controllable, that in each case only one is turned on it, and to recognize its individuality and type of anesthetic used. During operation, the speed set on the handwheel concentration is compared with the actual values ​​of the measuring device and warned once between two an unacceptable deviation occurs. The tolerance can be adjusted according to experience on the size of the set concentration and programmed into the control and monitoring unit.

p0016In the event that a plurality of adjusting devices are connected to its associated identifier to the anesthesia machine, the vaporizer is not used are locked by a blocking and released the used evaporator. The shared evaporator is then made on a device coupled to the position of blocking retroreflex recognizable as such, the control and monitoring unit.

p0017To further facilitate the evaluation for the coding is provided that a coding memory is connected to the measuring and monitoring unit. This all allowed coding patterns are stored. When connecting a used or shared evaporator whose coding signals are compared by a comparator with the stored allowable coding pattern and checks whether the supplied coding pattern is present in the memory storage. This control and monitoring using facilitating more anesthetic.

p0018In a further embodiment, a part of the encoding memory of the monitoring device in the adjusting device of the evaporator is disposed. It is advantageous as a permanent memory, such as EEPROM executed, and contains all relevant verdun die-related data such as calibration, anesthetic identification and manufacturing and service information. If the setting of the adjuster as detected in a known manner with a rotary encoder, this signal can be together with the evaporating die-related data in a merge, likewise arranged in the adjustment microprocessor. The microprocessor is, for example via a signal line operatively connected to the monitoring unit. The advantage obtained by this embodiment is mainly that now the evaporating die early, individual calibration values ​​are included in the plausibility comparison of the preset with the adjustment concentration and the actual values ​​of the instrument.

p0019An embodiment of the invention is illustrated with reference to a schematic drawing and explained in more detail below.

p0020Show it<ul><li>1 shows a view of a coupled to an anesthetic machine evaporator,</li><li>Figure 2 is a partial view of a retroreflex coding,</li><li>Figure 3 shows a top view of a transducer for a pin code,</li><li>Figure 4 shows the view of an identifier in the form of a pin code,</li><li>Figure 5 shows a plan view connected to two on a anesthetic machine evaporator.</li></ul>

p00211 shows an anesthetic vaporiser (1) with an associated adjusting device (2) and a Narkosemitteleinfüllung (3) is shown, the pickup A, B, C with their opposite, completely recognizable in Figure 2 retroreflex A ', B', C ' are brought as an identifier in operative connection. For mechanical coupling and support of the illustrated only in a wall portion anesthesia device (4) is a support (5) with a receiving block (6) on the anesthesia device (4), and a bracket (7) to the evaporator (1). The emitted from the reflective sensors A ', B', C 'light signals are reflected upon incidence on their corresponding reflex marks A, B, C and passed through signal lines (8) to a measuring and monitoring unit (9). Here, the photocells A ', B', C 'by a mounting plate (10) held on the housing of the anesthesia device (4).

p0022To further recognition of the set concentration of the anesthetic, a further pick-up in the form of three superimposed strips (11) is provided on a hand wheel (2) formed on adjusting device on each of which a highlighted by white and black fields coding is applied. The strips (11) are read in their coding of a scanning device (12) in that the strip (11) of them opposite light barriers (13) are irradiated. The light beams (14) are reflected upon incidence on a white surface, absorbs at impingement on a black surface. The resulting signals are supplied via a signal line (81) of the same measuring and monitoring unit (9).

p00232 shows a portion of the outer surface of the anesthesia device (4) is shown in the region in which emerge the retroreflex A ', B', C 'in a triangular arrangement. Since the anesthetic vaporiser (1) is not placed with its adjusting device (2), the recording block (6) with its holding pins (19) are visible.

p00243 shows a further embodiment for an identifier is shown, where in the support surface of the support (7) comprises three recesses (15, 16, 17) of different design and depth are embedded. Laterally in the edge region of the holder (7) are provided bores (18) which are provided for receiving two retaining pins (19) of the receiving block (6).

p0025In the in Figure (4) shown receiving block (6) between the retaining pin (19), the pins (20, 21, 22) attached, which in its shape and length of the recesses (15, 16, 17) correspond.

p0026In Figure 5 are shown in a top view two anesthetic vaporiser (1, 100) shown with their respective supports (7) on the corresponding pin (19) of the anesthesia device (4) attached to the receiving blocks (6) are held. The back to the evaporators (1, 100) are on the inner surface of the mounting wall of the anesthesia device (4), the respective mounting plates (10) fastened, in which the retro-reflective sensors, not shown, are embedded in one of the respective evaporator (1, 100) associated with the pattern. The radiation of retroreflex A ', B', C 'meet through the apertures (23) to the non-illustrated reflex marks A, B, C, on the the photocells A', B ', C' facing backs of the supports (7) are attached. Between the two evaporators (1, 100) has a lock (24), has the operable on its end face a by a slide (25) locking lever (26). By engagement of the locking lever (26) in the adjusting device (2) of the evaporator (100) that can not be actuated. A light barrier (27) on the closure (24) indicates the locked state of the evaporator (100) and at the same time the released state of the actuatable evaporator (1) via the associated signal line (28) to the measuring and monitoring unit (9). If the locking lever (26) moved to the other end position, thus ending the end of the locking lever (26) from the range of the light barrier (27) and this does not receive reflected light. Your resulting therefrom zero signal on the signal line (28) indicates the blocking of the evaporator (1) and release of the evaporator (100).