Pflügers Archiv : European journal of physiology
-
With a newly developed quadrupole mass spectrometer several blood gas partial pressures are recorded simultaneously and continuously. In the mass filter the separation of the ions to be detected takes place in a hyperbolic electric field with variable direct and alternating voltages with a constant frequency of 2.4 MHz. For blood gas analysis a fully relaxed experimental animal was artifically ventilated and provided with arterial and venous catheters. ⋯ The distance from the measuring tip to the mass spectrometer was 150 cm. Experiments with blood, in vivo equilibrated with gas mixtures, showed good reproducibility; the mean error of the helium partial pressure, for example, was less than 4%. During respiration using a gas mixture with 40% argon, the time constant t63% was found to be 55 s for the whole experimental arrangement including the experimental animal.