Health Sciences · Hospital for Sick Children
A reflective metal instrument, generally cylindrical in form, with a large circular valve-control knob at the top. Behind this is a knob that can be set to “Lock” or “Unlock”. A large black label on the upper front of the instrument reads, in part, “USE// PENTHRANE// ONLY).” Unlike similar vaporizers in this collection, there are no ports at the upper rear of the instrument.
On the lower front-left of the instrument is a feature with a small window for monitoring the quantity of liquid anesthetic remaining. On the lower front-right is a filling assembly.
Note that this item has several differences from 2025.sk.13, also a Pentec 2 vaporizer, including the colour of the lettering on the circular control valve and the format of the inlet/ outlet assembly.
Note: Only representative examples of the Cyprane Vaporizers in the Hospital for Sick Children collection have been catalogued. For a full list, including serial numbers and other details, see this inventory document.
Accession Number: 2025.sk.12
Alternative Name: Methoxyflurane Vapouriser
Brass (coated with copper and nickel, and chromium-plated)
A maker’s tag screwed to the top surface includes the following information: “Serial No. 200832”, “DISTRIBUTED BY FRASER SWEATMAN INC., HATFIELD P.A.// U.S.A.”
A white distributor’s label from Benson medical industries inc. in Markham, Ontario includes the following information: “Date Serviced: JUL 31 1997”; “SERVICE DUE: JUL 31 1998”
A white instruction label on the side of the instrument from Ohmeda in Rexdale, Ontario is faded but still legible.
Dimensions (cm): Height = 21, Width = 14, Length = 21.
A vaporizer is a device for administering calibrated doses of anesthetic vapor by controlling the flow of a carrier gas (primarily oxygen). This device is used to administer the general anesthetic Methoxyflurane (identified on this instrument by the brand name Penthrane). Methoxyflurane is an inhalation anesthetic that was introduced in the 1960s. It fell out of use beginning in the 1970s due to an association with nephrotoxicity at higher doses (see Porter et al. 2018).
The device is first charged with liquid anesthetic. The gas flow is divided into two streams using a valve set by the operator. One stream enters the vaporizing chamber where it contacts vapor from the liquid anesthetic. The other is a bypass stream.
This vaporizer has an additional mechanism that accounts for temperature using a bimetallic strip to adjust the flow through the bypass chamber
The instrument is in generally good cosmetic condition but needs cleaning. The clear surface coating over much of the instrument appears to be slightly deteriorated.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Cyprane Ltd. Keighley, England.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1960 – 1980.
Provenance:
Keith M. Porter, Anthony D Dayan, Sara Dickerson, and Paul M Middleton. (2018) “The Role of Inhaled Methoxyflurane in Acute Pain Management.” Open Access Emergency Medicine 10 (2018): 149–64.
William Edmondson and Wilfred Jones (Cyprane Ltd.). Improvements in volatile anaesthetic vaporising apparatus. GB Patent GB814427A. Issued June 3, 1959.
William Edmondson and Wilfred Jones (Cyprane Ltd.). Volatile anaesthetic vaporizing apparatus. US Patent US2915061A. Issued Dec 1, 1959.
William Edmondson and Wilfred Jones (Cyprane Ltd.). Volatile anaesthetic vaporizing apparatus. US Patent US3192924A. Issued July 6, 1965.
Historical Notes: