Nitronox cylinders
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Nitronox Cylinders: Features and Components
1. Cylinder Appearance
Distinctive Colour:
- The shoulder of Nitronox cylinders is quartered, featuring blue and white sections.
- White signifies the 50% medical oxygen content, while blue represents the nitrous oxide content.
- The cylinder body itself is predominantly white, resembling an oxygen cylinder.
2. Cylinder Labeling
Essential Information:
- Nitronox cylinders are equipped with barcode labels containing vital data, including expiry dates, batch numbers, and fill dates.
- Shoulder markings may include the cylinder's serial number, manufacture dates, or test dates.
- These cylinders have a 10-year lifespan and can be retested for another 10 years if they pass examination, indicated by a stamp.
- Product labels display the manufacturer's details, contact numbers, and safety instructions for handling the gas.
3. Cylinder Regulators
Integral Regulators:
- Nitronox cylinders commonly feature integral regulators that cannot be detached.
- The regulator is equipped with a contents gauge, providing real-time gas quantity information.
- A quick-connect or Schrader-type connector is present for attaching ancillary equipment like demand valves.
- An on-off switch on the cylinder allows gas flow into the regulator from the cylinder itself.
4. Cylinder Charge Port
Filling Point:
- A charge port on the cylinder, sealed with a dust cap, is where the cylinders are filled at the production facility.
5. Demand Valves
Key Components:
- Demand valves used with Nitronox cylinders consist of a quick-connect Schrader-type probe for attachment to the cylinder's regulator.
- A hose, typically 1.5 meters or 3 meters long, extends from the probe to the demand valve.
- The demand valve features a test button for system testing and purging.
- Gas release from the demand valve occurs when it senses a patient's inhalation, allowing for self-administration of the gas.