Health Sciences · Hospital for Sick Children
A reflective metal instrument, generally cylindrical in form, with a circular dial on the upper front surface. The dial has a black disk or button at its centre. Inlet and outlet valves are 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.
A plastic calibration tag is attached to the top of the instrument by a metal chain.
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.14
Alternative Name:
Brass (coated with copper and nickel, and chromium-plated)
A maker’s tag screwed to the top surface includes the following information: “Serial No. 708 A”, “PAT. NO. 814427”
A white distributor’s label from Ohio Medical// Medishield, Toronto, includes space for a service date, but this was either not recorded or has faded.
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 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. The clear surface coating over much of the instrument appears to be slightly deteriorated. Certain metal fixtures, including one of the screws retaining the metallic maker’s label, are noticeably rusted.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Cyprane Ltd. Keighley, England.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1960 – 1980.
Provenance:
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: