The PB3300 intraarterial blood gas monitoring system

Continuous intraarterial blood gas (IABG) monitoring is in clinical use both in the operating room and intensive care unit. This technology uses miniature, optically-based sensors that can be placed into a patient's artery. The arterial blood gas values are transduced into an optical signal that is measured by a bedside monitor on which the values are displayed. In this paper, we describe the operating principles of the PB3300 Intra-Arterial Blood Gas Monitoring System (Puritan-Bennett Corporation, FOxS Division, Carlsbad, CA). Topics include the principles of fluorescent determinations of pH, PCO2, and PO2; the optical path of the PB3300; system calibration; dye layer geometry; and clinical operation. The accuracy, precision, and drift of the system measuring tonometered aqueous standards are reported. The following values were noted for eight sensors sending data to eight monitors: system bias and precisions of 0.00 +/- 0.02 pH at a pH of 7.40, -2.5 +/- 1.5 mm Hg PCO2 at a PCO2 of 40 mm Hg, and 3.3 +/- 1.3 mm Hg PO2 at a PO2 of 80 mm Hg.