Decreasing Environmental Impact and Costs of Using Inhalational Anesthetic With a Carbon Dioxide Membrane Filter System
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Efficient inhalational anesthetic delivery requires the use of low-flow air and oxygen to
reduce drug waste and minimize workspace contamination and environmental pollution.
Currently, excess anesthetic gas is scavenged and removed from the operating room via the
hospital ventilation system, where it is released into the atmosphere. CO2 is removed from
the anesthesia circuit by the use of CO2 removal systems to prevent re-breathing and
potential hypercarbia.
Carbon dioxide is currently removed using chemical granulate absorbers (CGAs), which trap CO2
in the granules that are later disposed of when absorption capacity is reached. They require
replacement approximately every other day when used in moderate to high volume surgical
centres, placing a costly burden on the healthcare system and environment (landfill).
One of the more concerning downfalls of using CGAs is the potential for the inhalational
anesthetics to react with the granules and potentially produce toxic byproducts known as
compounds A-E that are nephrotoxic and neurotoxic and require excess amounts of anesthetic
gas to dilute.
This excess use of anesthetics gases places a financial burden on the healthcare system and
has a detrimental impact on the environment. The vast majority of the gases used are
eventually released into the environment with little to no degradation where they accumulate
in the troposphere and act as greenhouse gases.
DMF Medical has created Memsorb, a new CO2 filtration membrane. Memsorb can remove CO2 from
the anesthesia circuit without the use of CGAs, thereby eliminating the potential for toxic
byproducts and allowing for significantly lower air and oxygen flow to be used, resulting in
less use of inhalational anesthetics. Memsorb uses a polymeric membrane (similar to the ones
used in oxygenators for cardiac surgery) that selectively allows CO2 to leave the rebreathing
system, while maintaining the inhalational anesthetic in the circuit.
The lifespan of Memsorb is at least 12 months, resulting in less particulate waste and a
decreased cost to the healthcare system.
We wish to evaluate the ability and efficacy of Memsorb in removing CO2 from the anesthesia
circuit while maintaining physiologic minute volume ventilation, as compared to the
traditional CGAs in a variety of surgical procedures, patient populations, and anesthesia gas
flows.