BACKGROUND During general anesthesia, a heated breathing circuit (HBC) is used to replace the heat and moisture exchange function of the upper airway. One HBC uses an air dryer filter that employs silica gel (SG) as a desiccant. SG is capable of adsorbing many organic compounds. Therefore, we undertook an in vitro study of the adsorption of desflurane by SG filters. METHODS An HBC was connect...

A study has been performed to measure the resistance of Pall Ultipor BB50 filters when exposed to humidified air for 48 h during artificial ventilation by an Engstrom Erica ventilator fitted with a Bennett Cascade Mk2 humidifier. A marked increase in resistance was demonstrated. A hypothesis is presented as to the aetiology of these findings together with details of minor modifications to the s...

Filtration of cathode air is one the challenges in operating proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The poisoning with contaminants can lead to rapid performance degradation and initiate an aging process cell. Various commercially available filters are being tested a laboratory gas test bench within research project X-EMU (03B10502B 03B10502B2). A literature review harmful used for oxygen r...