Medical Gas Analysis

The medical and pharmaceutical industry encompasses a wide range of applications where gases play a critical role.

These gases are utilised in various capacities, including direct delivery to patients for therapy, storage, cryogenic freezing, incubation, and the manufacturing process of pharmaceutical products and ingredients. To ensure compliance with regulations and guarantee the safety and efficacy of these gases, thorough gas analysis is imperative.

Within the medical sector, gases are extensively employed for therapeutic purposes. Ventilators and anaesthesia machines deliver gases directly to patients, assisting with respiration and pain management. Gases such as oxygen (O₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and medical air are indispensable in these life-saving applications. Additionally, gases are utilised in storage systems for preserving biological samples, cryogenic freezing of biological materials, and creating the optimal conditions for incubating cultures or specimens.

Gases used in hospitals are piped extensively around the buildings and there is constant risk that gas bottles and connection points are mixed up or plumbed incorrectly. Gas analysis of medical delivery systems is used to check for inadvertent cross contamination of, for example oxygen and nitrous oxide.

The pharmaceutical industry heavily relies on gases throughout the manufacturing process. In pharmaceutical production, gases are utilized for various applications, including solvent evaporation, drying, sterilization, and as part of chemical reactions. These gases ensure the quality, stability, and integrity of the pharmaceutical products and ingredients.

Most medicines and tables are supplied in nitrogen (N2) flushed packaging to improve the storage life and quality of the delivered product. Effervescent tablets need to be protected in dry gas with water removed, to prevent the tablet crumbing inside the packet. Most blister packs of tablets are nitrogen flushed and all these processes are tested with both on-line gas analysers and spot test equipment both destructively and not-destructively depending on the application.

Regulations within the medical and pharmaceutical industries demand that gases conform to stringent quality standards. Gas analysis is conducted to ensure compliance with these regulations, which include the identification and quantification of impurities and contaminants. By assessing the composition and purity of gases, manufacturers can verify that they meet the required specifications, ensuring patient safety, product efficacy, and adherence to regulatory guidelines.

Gas analysis plays a vital role in the medical and pharmaceutical industry, ensuring compliance with regulations, verifying gas purity, and assessing packaging integrity. The extensive use of gases in therapeutic applications, manufacturing processes, and storage systems necessitates meticulous gas analysis to maintain patient safety, product quality, and regulatory conformance.