Evaluation: Mindray Medical International A5 Advantage Anesthesia Unit for General-Purpose and Low-Acuity/Ambulatory Surgery Applications
May 7, 2021 | Evaluations & Guidance
Preview
- The A5 Advantage is used for general anesthesia during surgery for the entire range of patients (neonates through adults).
- The unit can also be used to provide supplemental oxygen (O2—typically via a nasal cannula or loose-fitting mask) and capnography during monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
- Major components and features:
- Minimum dimensions (D × W): 81 × 109 cm (32 × 43 in)
- Ventilator and breathing system
- 1,500 mL ascending bellows
- Uses fresh gas compensation to prevent changes in fresh gas flow from affecting delivered tidal volumes
- Automatically compensates for breathing circuit compliance (breathing circuit compliance must be measured at the start of each case or if the circuit is changed during a case)
- Bellows are located in the back of the breathing system assembly, on the left side of the unit.
- Volume during manual ventilation: 3.3 L (including absorber container but not breathing bag)
- Volume during automatic ventilation: 4.35 L (including absorber container and bellows)
- Fresh gas controls
- Mechanical valves that control the flows of O2 (0-15 L/min), air (0-15 L/min), and nitrous oxide (N2O) (0-12 L/min)
- Knobs located on the left side of the front of the unit
- Flow is measured by electronic flow sensors (as opposed to physical flow tubes).
- Controls will work in the absence of electrical power.
- Vaporizers
- The A5 Advantage works only with Selectatec-style vaporizers.
- The unit can have two or three active vaporizer mounts.
- In addition, one inactive mount is available on the right side of the active mounting bar.
- Absorber
- Container for either loose-fill absorbent material or absorbent Pre-Paks
- Bypass valve allows absorbent to be changed during a case without introducing a leak into the breathing system.
- Container is located under the breathing system on the left side of the unit.
- Total flow meter
- Measures the total fresh gas flow (0-10 L/min)
- Flow tube located on the front of the unit under the fresh gas control knobs
- Pressure gauge
- Pressure is measured manually, and is also measured electronically and displayed on the screen.
- If the unit loses all electrical power, the manual pressure gauge continues to function.
- The pressure gauge is circular and located on the left side of the breathing system assembly.
- Illumination
- The unit has lights on the underside of the top shelf that shine onto the work surface and illuminate the vaporizer control dials.
- Auxiliary O2 and air flow meters are also backlit.
- It offers two levels of brightness.
- The lights are controlled with a switch on the right side of the unit, above the vaporizer mount location.
- Auxiliary O2 and air
- There are two mechanical flow controls and flow tubes that deliver a metered flow of gas separate from the normal fresh gas flow: one each for O2 and air (0-15 L/min).
- O2 concentration of auxiliary gas can be controlled indirectly by the relative flows of O2 and air.