Title: Introductory Physics for Anesthesiologists
1Introductory Physics for Anesthesiologists
- T. Turkstra, M. Eng, P. Eng, MD, FRCPC
- April 15 2009
2Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of
CanadaObjectives of Training and Training
requirements for certification
- Specific Requirements
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic sciences as
applicable to anesthesia, including anatomy,
physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry and
physics.
3Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of
CanadaObjectives of Training and Training
requirements for certification
- Specific Requirements
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic sciences as
applicable to anesthesia, including anatomy,
physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry and
physics??
4Training Objectives (Resident Handbook)
- The Anaesthetist will possess the scientific
knowledge to provide a sound basis for good
clinical practice. This will include.. - Physics especially the physics of gases and
fluids, and the principles of electrical safety.
5Patient Scenario
- 52 yr old male, prev healthy, Ø med/allergy
- 2 week Hx of dyspepsia, 10 lb wt loss
- AXR/CT shows obstructing 5 cm mass near cecum
- Admitted to floor, no resolution of symptoms,
NPO, has NG insitu - Exam unremarkable including airway
- Anesthetic plan?
6Patient Anesthetic Concerns
- Airway?
- RSI?
- Cricoid pressure?
- How much cricoid pressure?
- Brimacombe JR et al Cricoid pressure CJA 1997
44 414-25 - Recommendations 20-44 N.
- Cricoid pressure is a force.
7Physics? Why Bother?
- Fewer and fewer physics MCQs since about 2000
- Still fair game
- Fairly important aspect of much of our daily
practice
8Today's Objectives
- To outline some of the core principles and
definitions as applicable to - Force
- Pressure
- Gases
- Fluids
- Flow
- Work and Power
- Electrical Safety
- Thermodynamics
- Light transmission/optics
9Today's Objectives
- To outline some of the core principles and
definitions as applicable to - Force
- Pressure
- Gases
- Fluids
- Flow
- Work and Power
- Electrical and Fire Safety
- Thermodynamics
- Light transmission/optics
10Sample Exam Question
- (2004) According to NIOSH, exposure to N2O
should be limited to? - a) Time-weighted 8 hours of 10 ppm.
- b) Time-weighted 8 hours of 25 ppm.
- c) Time-weighted 8 hours of 100 ppm.
- d) Max exposure 200 ppm per case.
- e) Max exposure 50 ppm per day.
11Force
- 1 Newton (N) of force applied to 1 kg of matter,
will accelerate it by 1m/s2 - How much is that?
12Pressure
- Pressure is defined as force exerted over a given
area P F/A - 1 Pascal of Pressure 1Nm-2 1N/m2
- 1kPa 1000 Pa
- 1 PSI 1 pound per square inch (lb/in2)
- 1bar 101.3 kPa 1 atmosphere 760 mmHg 14.7
psi
13Force in Context
- Consider the Pressure Reducing Valve
- High pipeline pressure has to be reduced to low
anaesthesia machine or breathing system pressure,
to prevent injury - The Pressure Reducing Valve uses a diaphragm
attached to a spring to open or close a piston
valve in a high pressure chamber.
14The Pressure Reducing Valve
- The low pressure (P2) is applied over a the large
area diaphragm, exerting sufficient force against
the spring to raise the piston and stop flow from
the High Pressure inlet. (FPA) - As the pressure falls in the low pressure system,
the spring pushes the diaphragm down, allowing
more gas into the system
15Question
- (2004) An anesthesiologist is working in
Vancouver (Patm 760 mmHg) and sets oxygen at
2L/min, nitrous oxide at 1L/min and the Halothane
vaporizer at 1 volume . Which of the following
is true? - a) The gas mixture at the common gas outlet will
be 1 MAC. - b) All of the fresh gas flow will pass through
the vaporizing chamber of the halothane
vaporizer. - c) The partial pressure of halothane at the
common gas outlet will be 7.6 mmHg. - d) 3 mL per min of halothane will enter the gas
mixture. - e) 300 mL per min of halothane will enter the gas
mixture.
16What is a Gas?
- Molecular theory Substances are composed of a
lattice of molecules. - Molecules all vibrate, oscillating about a mean
position. - Molecules exert force (attraction) on surrounding
molecules - If heat is added, the vibration amplitude is
increased, and molecules exert less force on
their neighbours - With increased kinetic energy, some molecules
break free to enter atmosphere as a gas or
vapour
17Gas vs. Vapour
- Molecules may transfer from the liquid phase to
the vapour phase and back again - Once equilibrium of transfer has been reached,
the vapour is saturated - If the liquid is heated to its boiling point, all
the molecules escape to the gaseous phase - As gas molecules collide with the wall of the
container holding it, they exert a net force,
which when exerted over a certain area is defined
as pressure
18The Ideal Gas Laws
- BOYLES LAW (First perfect gas law)
-
19The Ideal Gas Laws
- BOYLES LAW (First perfect gas law)
-
- At a constant temperature, the volume of a
given mass of gas varies inversely with the
absolute pressure - V ? 1/P
- or, PV Constant (k1)
20Practical Application
- Consider a patient who needs high flow O2 being
transferred to a different Hospital. - You have a10 L O2 cylinder, with a gauge pressure
of 13,700kPa - How long do you have on that O2 cylinder?
21Boyles Law Quiz
- If a 10 litre oxygen cylinder has a gauge
pressure of 13,700 kPa, how many litres of oxygen
does it hold? - Hint from PV Constant (k1) P1V1 P2V2
22Answer
- Absolute pressure gauge pressure plus
atmospheric pressure - Using P1V1 P2V2
- (13,700 100) x 10 100 x V2
- V2 13800 ? 10 1380 litres
- (10 litres will stay behind in the cylinder, so
1370 litres are available for delivery at
atmospheric pressure - At 10 l/min ? 1370/10 137 min
- just over 2 hours
23Question
- (2004) You are transporting a patient by
ambulance. The patient requires 4l/min O2. You
are taking along a full E tank of O2. The trip
takes 2 hours. At the end of the trip, how much
O2 is left in the tank? - a) 60 L
- b) 180 L
- c) 360 L
- d) 400 L
- e) 620 L
24The Ideal Gas Laws
- CHARLES LAW (Second perfect gas law also known
as Gay Lussacs law) -
- At a constant Pressure, the volume of a given
mass of gas varies directly with the absolute
temperature - V ? T
- or V/T Constant (k2)
25The Ideal Gas Laws
- The Third Perfect Gas Law (The pressure law)
- At a constant volume, the absolute pressure of a
given mass of gas varies directly with the
absolute temperature - P ? T
- or P/T Constant (k3)
26Question
- Consider an Oxygen cylinder filled to absolute
pressure of 138 atmospheres (bar) or 13800kPa, at
17C. - Cylinders are tested to withstand 210 bar
- If this cylinder accidentally makes it into a
furnace at 100C, what happens to the cylinder?
27EXPLOSION?
- Doubling the temperature will double the
pressure. Why does the cylinder not explode at
340C.?
28EXPLOSION?
- Doubling the temperature will double the
pressure. Why does the cylinder not explode at
340C.? - Because the equation relates to absolute
temperature. 170C 290K, and 1000C 3900K. - At 1000C the pressure is only 185 atmospheres
(P1/ T1 P2 / T2)
29Standard Pressure and Temperature s.t.p.
- Because gas volumes are so greatly affected by
changes of pressure and temperature, it is
important to specify the temperature and pressure
at which volumes are measured - s.t.p. is 273.15 K and 101.325kPa or 760 mmHg
30AVAGADRO
- Avagadros Hypothesis states that equal volumes
of gases at the same temperature and pressure
contain equal numbers of molecules - Because the molecular weights of gases differ,
there will be a different mass of any gas in a
given volume at the same temperature and pressure - Therefore it is more convenient to express a
quantity of a gas in terms of the number of
molecules, rather than in terms of mass.
31AVAGADRO and the MOLE
- A MOLE is the quantity of a substance containing
the same number of particles as there are atoms
in 0.012kg of carbon12 - There are 6.022 x 1023 atoms in 12 g of carbon
12. This is called Avagadros Number - One mole of any gas at s.t.p. occupies 22.4litres
32The Mole
- THUS
- 2g of Hydrogen
- 32g of Oxygen
- 44g of Carbon Dioxide
- All occupy 22.4 litres at s.t.p
33Physics in Context
- Calibration of vaporizers is done using
Avagadros hypothesis. - Molecular weight of Sevoflurane is 200, so 200 g
Sevo is 1 mole, and would occupy 22.4 l at s.t.p. - If we put 20g of Sevo (0.1 mole) into a
vaporizer, and allow it all to vaporize, it would
occupy 2.24 litres
34Physics in context
- If we ran oxygen through the vaporizer to a
volume of 224 litres, the Sevo would make up
22.4l of the 224 litres, so would make up 1 of
the 224 litres - Similarly 40 g of Sevo would occupy 44.8l or 2
of the 224l volume.
35 20 g of Sevo in 224 litres 1
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37The Universal Gas Constant
- PV Constant (k1) Boyle
- V/T Constant (k2) Charles
- P/T Constant (k3) (3rd Law)
- By combining the perfect gas laws with Avagadros
hypothesis we arrive at the following equation - PV/T Constant (k4), for any given quantity of
gas
38The Universal Gas Equation
- For any 1 mole of any gas, this constant (k4) is
the UNIVERSAL GAS CONSTANT R - Rearranging this equation we come to the
generally applicable equation (Universal Gas Law)
of - PV nRT
- Where n is the number of moles of the gas
- R depends on the units.
- Metric Its value is 8.3144 J/K/mol
39Daltons Law
- Daltons law of Partial Pressures states that in
a mixture of gases, the pressure exerted by each
gas is the same as that which it would exert if
it alone occupied the cylinder - By Applying Boyles Law (PV Constant ) and
Daltons Law we can conclude that the the partial
pressure of a gas in a mixture is obtained by
multiplying the total pressure by the fractional
concentration of the gas
40Daltons Law in Practice
- For example, in a cylinder of entonox pressurised
to 100kPa, The Oxygen is exerting 50 kPa, and the
Nitrous Oxide is also exerting 50 kPa - In a cylinder of air at an ambient pressure of
100kPa, the oxygen exerts a pressure of 20.93kPa,
and the Nitrogen a pressure of 79.07kPa
41Daltons Law in Practice
- Consider alveolar gas
- If the end tidal CO2 is measured as 5.6 at 101.3
kPa, what is the true pressure of the alveolar
CO2 (PACO2)
42Answer
- The presence of water vapour must be taken into
account for humidified gas when calculating
partial pressures, and Water Vapour pressure in
humidified alveolar gas is 6.3kPa (x7.5 for mmHg) - CO2 is measured as a dry gas, so
- PACO2 (101.3 6.3) x 5.6 kPa 5.3 kPa
- 100
43Adiabatic Changes of State
- The three gas laws describe the behaviour of a
gas when one of the three variables (P/V/T) is
constant - If these conditions are applied, heat energy must
be added or taken from a gas if it changes
pressure or volume
44Adiabatic Changes of State
- The state of a gas can however be changed without
allowing the gas to exchange heat energy with
its surroundings the heat is retained within
the system - Example is the theoretic hazard when high
pressure pipelines are opened into a low pressure
anaesthetic machine, without regulator valves.
The rapid pressurization is associated with a
local large temperature rise, and risk of fire
and explosion
45Question
- (2004) What is the least likely cause of
decreased ETCO2? - a) endobronchial intubation
- b) hypothermia
- c) hyperventilation
- d) increased cardiac output
- e) pulmonary embolism
46Question
- (2004) All of the following are disadvantages of
a closed circuit system, EXCEPT? - a) Need to vent the circuit intermittently to
remove nitrogen build-up. - b) Cannot monitor ventilation.
- c) Cannot easily increase depth of anesthesia.
- d) There is a 200 mL/min loss through the gas
sampler.
47Flow
- Flow can be defined as the amount of a substance
(gas or liquid) passing over a given point per
unit time - F Q
- t
- Flow may be Laminar or Turbulent
- Many clinical measurements assume laminar flow
48Laminar Flow
- Smooth tubes at low flow rates
- There is a linear relationship between pressure
difference across the tube, and the rate of flow - i.e resistance to flow is constant
49- (2005) According to the Hagen-Poisseuille
equation which parameter will be inversely
proportional to laminar flow? - A. Radius of the tube to the power of 4
- B. Pressure gradient across the tube
- C. Velocity of fluid
- D. Viscosity of fluid
50Laminar Flow
- Laminar flow is governed by
- Pressure gradient across the tube P
- Radius of the tube r
- Length of the tube l
- Viscosity of the fluid ?
- The Hagen-Poiseuille equation describes the
relationship between these factors
51The Hagen-Poiseuille Equation
52Turbulent Flow
- A constriction results in an increase of the
velocity of the fluid - Flow eddies, with resulting higher resistance
- Flow is no longer directly proportional to
pressure
53Turbulent Flow
- The analysis of turbulent flow is highly complex
- With Turbulent Flow, in a rough tube, the
following approximations apply - Q ? ? P or P ? Q2
- Q ? ? l-1 thus P ? l
- Q ? ? ? -1 thus P ? ?
- Where Q is Flow, P is pressure across the tube, l
is length of the tube and ? is the density of the
fluid
54Turbulent Flow
- For turbulent flow in a smooth tube, the
resistance shows behaviour intermediate between
turbulent flow in rough tubes, and laminar flow. - Thus there is some dependence on viscosity as
well as density
55Onset of Turbulent Flow
- The following factors influence the type of flow
- ? Linear Velocity of fluid
- ? Density of fluid
- d Diameter of tube
- ? Viscosity of fluid
56Reynolds Number
- If Reynolds number exceeds 2000, in a cylindrical
tube, turbulent flow is likely to be present - The Reynolds number is calculated as follows
- Reynolds number ??d
- ?
57Clinical Applications
- Turbulent flow often occurs where there is an
orifice, a sharp bend or other irregularity
causing an increase in velocity - Helium reduces the density of inhaled gas,
reducing Reynolds number, and converting
turbulent flow to laminar flow with resultant
reduction in resistance - Warming and humidification of inhaled gases
reduces their density, and also reduces
resistance to flow
58Work
- One Joule of work is done when one Newton of
force moves an object one metre - W F x D
- Remember that P F/A, or F P x A and Volume
D x A, or D V/A. Substituting - W PA x V/A PV or
- Work Pressure x Volume
59Power
- Power is the rate of work, and is expressed in
watts - 1 watt is 1 joule / second
60Question
- (2004) Regarding the line isolation monitor, all
of the following are true, EXCEPT? - a) Faulty equipment plugged into the wall
converts the system to a standard grounded
system. - b) It will alarm when a 2-5 mA leak is detected.
- c) The number displayed on the gauge is the total
current running on the system at that time. - d) It continuously monitors the integrity of an
isolated power system.
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63Question
- (2004) Line isolation monitor may be triggered
when - a) microshock may occur
- b) if ungrounded material is used in the OR
- c) If the leakage current exceeds preset value
- d) if the patient becomes grounded
- e) if the electrocautery unit is used without a
grounding pad
64Question
- (2005) Regarding power isolation
- A. prevents macroshock
- B. prevents explosion of flammable gases
- C. prevents interruption of power in the case of
short circuit - D. prevents burns from high frequency electrical
cautery
65Electrical Safety
- Electrical safety in the OR is often regarded as
being of historical interest only - Reality is that the OR environment is becoming
more electrically complex by the year - More complications arise with the networking of
electronic equipment which may not conform to the
rigid safety standards of conventional medical
equipment - 10 000 device related injuries in USA every year
- Electrocution 5th leading cause of accidental
death in US
66Historical Perspective
- As the paranoia of the era of flammable
anaesthetics recedes, so does the concern re
electrical safety - Dr.W Stanley Sykes Essays on the First Hundred
Years of Anaesthesia has a chapter entitled
Thirty seven little things that have all caused
death - One thing is certainall of them have happened.
All have killed, and they are waiting to do the
same thing again unless you know about
them.Therein lies the value of history - That chapter effectively opens and closes with
events related to electrical risks.
67Definitions
- When electrons move from one atom to another in a
consistent direction, current is said to flow - The applied force to do this is described as
potential difference, and energy is used up by
the process (volts) - This energy can both fulfill its function or
injure our patients if care is not taken - Materials that permit easy transfer of their
electrons from one atom to another are termed
conductors - Those that do so reluctantly are termed resistors
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69Definitions
- Materials that will not transfer electrons under
normal circumstances are termed insulators - An excess of charge may be carried by some
materials as a result of friction (static
electricity) - This may later be discharged by contact with a
conductor, or if the potential is sufficiently
high by jumping a gap as a spark.
70The Effects of Current On The Human Body -
(Source -Hand)
71Protecting the Operator
- Adequate earthing of casing
- Dont let operator touch casing
- Dont assume all equipment is always in good
shape - regular checks - Extension cables are frowned upon - frayed from
over use, on floor, exposed to saline etc.
72Protecting the Patient
- In modern ORs patients are rarely grounded
- We use Floating Circuitry to ensure this
- OR table may be source of grounding, so make sure
no contact to metal e.g. Ether screen etc - Diathermy safety
- Use bipolar diathermy if pt has cardiac device
- Remember that leakage can occur and is source for
microshock
73Microshock
- Of the current passing through a human hand, less
than 0.1 passes through the heart - Therefore any cardiac effects result from tiny
currents - The implication is that if you passed a current
directly through the heart, much smaller currents
can cause injury - 5 seconds of sustained 50 ?A AC current produces
sustained VF - This phenomenon is known as microshock.
74Microshock
- Anaesthetist can be earthing point for patient,
and source for microshock - - IF you touch a faulty apparatus and SG catheter
at the same time, small leakage current from
poorly grounded device can be sufficient to cause
VF, even though you dont feel a thing
75Capacitative Linkage
- If a material carries a negative charge, other
nearby electrons will tend to move away - If the potential at that point varies from
positive to negative, such as happens with all
alternating current sources (most obviously with
mains electricity) then the surrounding electrons
will be attracted and repelled alternately - In other words, an alternating current can be
induced in a material without an electrical
source being directly connected to it. This is
termed capacitative linkage.
76Inductive Linkage
- Moving electrons generate a magnetic field
- A moving magnetic field causes movement of
electrons - AC current source will produces a moving magnetic
field and therefore induces secondary current in
any nearby wires without the need for direct
contact - Inductive linkage is intentionally utilized in
some devices e.g. transformers
77Inductive Linkage
- When two transformers are placed in series in a
power supply it allows the power source for a
medical device to be separated from any other
parts of the circuitry - Consequent reduction in the risk of direct
transmission of mains energy to the patient - This is known as a floating circuitindicated by
the surrounding box in the symbols and the letter
F in the description of equipment
78Electrical Safety Standards for Medical Equipment
- Complex description, detailed in a series of
International Standards - IEC 60601 - Risk to Operator usually occurs when a wire
within the device breaks, and contact is made
with the metal casing - Operator can ground the circuit from metal casing
if he / she touches it, getting a shock
79Safety Standards
- As monitoring devices proliferated in ORs,
awareness of leakage currents grew - Because of capacitative and inductive linkage
within medical devices, there will virtually
always be some tiny current floating down wires
to patients - Moderate currents are not a big issue, and the
maximum permitted level is below that which can
be sensed, or cause harm
80Classification by maximum tolerated leakage
currents
Single fault condition condition in which one
means for protection against hazard is defective.
If a single fault condition results unavoidably
in another single fault condition, the two
failures are considered as one single fault
condition.
81Symbols indicating Class B Equipment
Class B Earthed Class BF, Floating Earth Class
BF, Floating Earth, defibrillators may be
used while equipment is connected
82Symbols indicating Class C Equipment
Class C Earthed Class CF, Floating
Earth Class CF, Floating Earth,
defibrillators may be used
while equipment is connected
83Question
- (1998, 1999, 2002, 2004) What reduces the
incidence of intra-operative fires with CO2
lasers? - Using a red rubber ETT
- Wrapping a PVC ETT with lead foil
- Using FiO2 gt 0.40
- Using N2O/O2 mixture
- Using the CO2 laser in noncontiguous mode
84Question
- (2004) Which of the following is True about laser
surgery? - a) CO2 laser is absorbed by water and has deep
penetration - b) ND-YAG laser penetrates tissue to 200 um
- c) Nitrous oxide supports combustion
- d) PVC tubes are safe in laser surgery
- e) Rubber tubes are safe for CO2 laser
85Fire Risk
- Flammable anaesthetics largely abandoned No
change in OR Fire incidence - Diethyl Ether still widely used in dev countries
- Perceived need to prevent build up of static
electricity has been progressively abandoned - Risk of flammable skin prep is real, particularly
with electrical OR beds - Most equipment not marked any more
86Pause
- Show of hands
- Who can tell me the location of the fire
extinguisher in the OR they were working in this
morning? - At a recent meeting of NA hospital CEOs
- More than 20 percent were aware of a recent OR
fire - Annual incidence 100/year in USA
- Top priority for JCAHO in 2008
- Im on Fire! OR Blazes on the Rise, Roane KR. US
News World Report, Aug 2003.
87OR Fire
- Staring a fire needs three factors
- Oxidizer
- O2, N2O
- Ignition source
- (electric) spark in 100 of closed claims
- Combustible substances
- ETT, circuit, drape, clothe etc
- Surgical Prep vapour
88Case 1
- A 25-year-old man was admitted for laparoscopic
appendectomy and general anesthesia was induced.
The fiberoptic scope was assembled with the
proximal end attached to the fiberoptic light
source, and the scope was turned on with the
distal end laid on the surgical drapes. Within 1
min, the anesthesiologist smelled smoke.
89Case 2
- A 62-year-old man with copious body hair
underwent tracheostomy in the operating room. The
neck was prepared with DuraPrep surgical
solution, and after drying for at least 3 min,
the operative field was draped. Activation of
electrocautery ignited a fire, and the patient
was burned on his neck and shoulders.
90Fuel Sources
91Case 3
- A 45-year-old man needed emergency tracheostomy.
He was intubated with a cuffed oral
polyvinylchloride endotracheal tube and
ventilated with 100 oxygen prior to tracheal
incision. During opening of the trachea using
diathermy, a popping sound was heard and flames
originating from the tracheal incision were
observed.
92Case 4
- A 73-year-old man was scheduled for bilateral
parietal burr-holes to evacuate a subdural
hematoma under monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
The patient was brought to the OR and a clear
plastic mask was loosely strapped to his face,
and oxygen introduced at 6 L/min. The head was
shaved, and the skin was prepared with a surgical
solution of iodine in 74 isopropyl alcohol.
After allowing at least 2min drying time as
recommended in the manufacturers instructions,
the surgical field was draped. The
electrosurgical unit (ESU) was used to incise the
pericranium. During the first activation of the
ESU, a muffled pop was heard, which was
followed almost immediately by the appearance of
smoke from under the paper drapes. The entire
drape was removed, the head was fully engulfed in
a ball of flame, and the oxygen mask was also
observed to be in flames. The paper drapes
themselves were not on fire, and the surgeon used
these to smother the flames while the
anesthesiologist turned off the oxygen flow to
the mask.
93Symbols of equipment safety in presence of
flammable vapours
AP - Anaesthetic Proof
Unsafe to use in zone of risk where vapor is
mixed with an oxidising gas mixture (N2O is
better oxidiser than O2
Safe to use in zone of risk where vapor is mixed
with air
94Classification by electrocution risk from contact
with chassis
95Question
- (2005) Regarding Pulse oximeter all true EXCEPT
- A. Pulse oximeter function is not altered by low
cardiac output state - B. Normal saturation may be associated with
carbon monoxide - C. Function may be affected by ambient light
- D. Function may be affected by vasoactive drugs
96Additional Reading
- GD Parbrook Basic Physics and Measurement in
Anaesthesia - PG Barash Clinical Anesthesia
- Miller Anesthesia
- Dorsch and Dorsch - Understanding Anesthesia
equipment - Current Anaes Crit Care 200415 350-354,
Electrical Safety in the operating theatre,
Graham S - Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 21790-795, Fire safety in
the operating room, Rinder CS - BJA 1994 Jun72(6)710-22, A short history of
fires and explosions caused by anaesthetic
agents, MacDonald AG
97Thank you
- Questions and Comments Welcome