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Safe, Low-Cost Anesthesia Using Recycled Xenon Gas
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Email: WRB@CREARE.COM
DESCRIPTION (Verbatim from the Applicant's Abstract): Xenon gas is a very
attractive anesthetic agent because of its minimal effects on the
cardiovascular system and rapid induction and emergence. However, xenon is used
only rarely because of its high cost compared to common inhaled anesthetic
agents. Even if it were not so costly, the limited supply of xenon would
greatly restrict its use as an anesthetic. The long-term objective of this
application is to make xenon anesthesia available for widespread use at low
cost. The specific aim is to develop processes and devices to recycle xenon gas
by collecting waste gases from anesthesia procedures, then separating and
purifying the xenon for re-use. Phase I proves feasibility by (1) demonstrating
the key process steps required to separate xenon from typical anesthetic waste
gas, (2) producing conceptual designs for all devices needed to accomplish
xenon recovery, and (3) showing by analysis that the cost of recycled xenon
will be competitive with common inhaled anesthetic agents.
PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION:
Low-cost xenon anesthetic gas will be attractive for two broad applications: (1) xenon gas
will be the anesthetic agent of choice for a large fraction of the millions of surgical procedures
that are performed each year in the United States on patients with cardiovascular conditions;
and (2) because of fewer complications and rapid induction and emergence, xenon anesthesia
can reduce patient time in the hospital, with large benefits to health care costs. The proposed
research will lead directly to processes and devices that will provide a low-cost source of
xenon for these widespread applications.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *