An evaluation of the Brüel and Kjaer monitor 1304

A laboratory evaluation was performed on the Brüel and Kjaer multigas monitor 1304, incorporating a pulse oximeter. The instrument was tested for accuracy, stability, response and delay times, frequency response and the effects of water vapour, alcohol, cyclopropane and sevoflurane. The instrument's performance was found to be within or very close to the manufacturer's specifications for accuracy, stability and response and delay times. It was unaffected by water vapour and alcohol and the effect of cyclopropane on the vapour channel was lower than has been reported for other analysers. The response to sevoflurane was of the same order as that of the other vapours. A 90% response to square wave changes of gas composition was maintained up to 60 breaths.min-1 for CO2, O2, and N2O and up to 40 breaths.min-1 for the vapours when the nafion sampling tube was used.