Location
Utah State University
Start Date
5-11-2011 2:00 PM
Description
Introduction: This paper describes a carbon dioxide (CO2) waveform simulator designed to evaluate and test the performance of capnographs, which are clinically used respiratory gas analyzers that continuously measure CO2. Currently, capnographs are tested for minimum performance standards according to guidelines specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). However, capnographs that meet these guidelines are not guaranteed to perform to a high caliber in a dynamic clinical environment.
Methods: We designed a simulator that overcomes the limitations of current testing protocols by reproducing real-‐time capnography waveforms (called capnograms) recorded in clinical settings. At each time point in the capnogram, the desired CO2 partial pressure (mmHg) is simulated by controlling a proportional solenoid valve to mix various flow rates of CO2 into a constant flow of oxygen (O2).
Results: The simulator was tested using five different capnography waveforms. Four out of five files had mean squared errors (MSE) under 5mmHg. All five files had R2 values greater than .97.
Conclusion: After further research and optimization, this device has the potential to standardize and improve the testing methods used for capnographs.
A CO2 Waveform Simulator for Evaluating and Testing of Respiratory Gas Analyzers
Utah State University
Introduction: This paper describes a carbon dioxide (CO2) waveform simulator designed to evaluate and test the performance of capnographs, which are clinically used respiratory gas analyzers that continuously measure CO2. Currently, capnographs are tested for minimum performance standards according to guidelines specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). However, capnographs that meet these guidelines are not guaranteed to perform to a high caliber in a dynamic clinical environment.
Methods: We designed a simulator that overcomes the limitations of current testing protocols by reproducing real-‐time capnography waveforms (called capnograms) recorded in clinical settings. At each time point in the capnogram, the desired CO2 partial pressure (mmHg) is simulated by controlling a proportional solenoid valve to mix various flow rates of CO2 into a constant flow of oxygen (O2).
Results: The simulator was tested using five different capnography waveforms. Four out of five files had mean squared errors (MSE) under 5mmHg. All five files had R2 values greater than .97.
Conclusion: After further research and optimization, this device has the potential to standardize and improve the testing methods used for capnographs.