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 blue 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 with a conical form like that shown in patent documents (see William and Jones 1965).
A stamped label at the front of the instrument reads: “TRILENE// SHOULD NOT BE USED// WITH SODA LIME// KEEP UPRIGHT// WHEN CHARGED”
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.15
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.// B 438”, “PAT. NO. 814427”
A white distributor’s label from Benson medical industries inc. in Markham, Ontario includes the following information: “Date Serviced: FEB 01 1988”.
A stamped label at the front of the instrument reads: “TRILENE// SHOULD NOT BE USED// WITH SODA LIME// KEEP UPRIGHT// WHEN CHARGED”
Dimensions (cm): Height = 16, Width = 13, Length = 17.
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 Trichloroethylene (marketed as Trilene in the UK and known generally as Trimar in the US). Trichloroethylene was introduced as an inhalation anaesthetic in the 1940s, replacing chloroform and ether.
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 small metal fixtures, including on 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: