N.A.D. Narkomed 3

WLMD ID: aqsv

North American Dräger (NAD) was founded in 1968 by engineer Peter J. Schreiber and two partners in rural Telford, Pennsylvania, with financial backing from the West German company, Dräger. Before immigrating to the U.S. in 1966, Schreiber worked for Dräger designing anesthesia equipment. The first products made by NAD were veterinary anesthesia machines; the company also sold equipment made by Dräger. In 1972 NAD introduced the first of its own line of anesthesia machines for human patients, the Narkomed Anesthesia System (later called the Narkomed 1.) These machines incorporated Dräger components.

The Narkomed 3 was introduced in 1986. It expanded on the alarm system of the Narkomed 2A. It also featured two cathode ray tube displays that between them could show graphic and numerical data from monitors of gas concentration, respiration, blood pressure, blood oxygenation, and temperature. The machine shown here had an electronic ventilator and could administer oxygen, nitrous oxide, or a mixture of oxygen and helium, together with either halothane, enflurane or isoflurane. Optional equipment included a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve, suction and gas scavenger systems. Production of the Narkomed 3 ended in 1992.

Catalog Record: N.A.D. Narkomed 3 Narkomed 3

Access Key: aqsv

Accession No.: 2014-02-15-1 D

Title: [Narkomed 3] / North American Dräger.

Corporate Author: North American Dräger.

Publisher: Telford, Pennsylvania : North American Dräger, [between 1986 and 1992].

Physical Description: 1 anesthesia machine ; metals, glass, plastics, rubber, 192 x 542 x 107 cm.

Subject: Anesthesia, Inhalation – instrumentation.
Subject: Anesthesia Machines.
Subject: Enflurane.
Subject: Halothane.
Subject: Helium.
Subject: Isoflurane.
Subject: Nitrous Oxide.
Subject: Oxygen.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Cicman J, Himmelwright C, Skibo V, Yoder J. Operating Principles of Narkomed Anesthesia Systems. Telford, PA: North American Dräger, 1993:1-6 and 1-7.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Davey A, Moyle JTB, Ward CS. Ward’s Aneasthetic Equipment, 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, Ltd., 1992:345.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Moyle JTB, and Davey A. Ward’s Anaesthetic Equipment, 4th ed. London: W. B. Saunders Company Ltd., 1998:99.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: North American Dräger Company File. Archives. Located at: Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, 1061 American Lane, Schaumburg, Illinois.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Thompson PW. Safer design of anaesthetic equipment. B J Anaesth. July, 1987;59(7):913-921.

Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: One anesthesia machine; Comprises dark blue cabinet with two horizontal and one vertical bank of components; The machine is mounted on four wheels, each with a locking caster; The height given in the short physical description is that with longest section of the boom (closest to the machine) positioned upright, with two farther joints folded downward; The height of the machine alone is approximately 166 centimeters; The width given in the short description is that with the boom extended fully to the left and the cord extended fully to the right; The width of the machine with the boom folded down and the absorber positioned to the left is approximately 112 centimeters; The depth of the machine given in the short description is that with the absorber positioned forward;

The upper horizontal bank holds the following components, from left to right: a bank holding two CRT displays; Two banks of membrane buttons; That bank on the left has rows of buttons labeled, from top to bottom: “O2 CAL”, “Oxygen Alarms”, “Oxygen Alarm Disable”, “Sa/O2 Pulse Alarms”, “Agent Select”, and “Hi/Lo Alarms”; That bank on the right has rows of buttons labeled, from top to bottom: “Apnea Alarm Disable”, “Breathing Pressure Alarms”, “Volume Alarms Disable”, “Minute Volume Alarms”, “Stat – Start – Stop”, and “Hi/Lo Systolic Alarms”;

Directly beneath the upper bank is a second horizontal bank of controls; From left to right, these are a toggle register marked “Frequency”, which can be set at any number between 00 and 99; A second toggle register marked “I.E. Ratio” which can be set at any number between 00 and 99; A flow gauge and knob marked “Inspiratory Flow”‘; A knob marked “Ventilator [new line] On Off”; A label reading “NARKOMED [new line] [NAD logo] [new line] North American Draeger”; Below this bank, and directly above the vaporizers, the front of the machine holds a selection knob; To the left of this knob the cabinet is marked “O2 and N2O”, and to the right it is marked “ALL GASES”;

A vertical bank of components occupies the left side of the tabletop and may support the lower horizontal bank; From left to right, this vertical bank holds the ventilator, a gauge marked “Auxiliary Oxygen”, a knob marked “System Power On Off”, a bank of flowmeters with control knobs (each witha plastic guard to prevent accidental adjustments) and associated pressure gauges, and a bar that extends to the right which holds three vaporizers; The ventilator has an ascending bellows, and is marked, from top to bottom, “TIDAL VOLUME”, with graduation marks from “1400” to 200″; Attached to the base of the ventilator is a PEEP valve; The flowmeters are labeled, from left to right: “N2O”, “N2O”, “O2/He”, and “O2”; From left to right, the vaporizers are a “Halothan Vapor 19.1”, an “Enflurane Vapor 19”, and an “Isoflurane Vapor 19.1”;

The front of the tabletop holds, from left to right, a “FRESH GAS OUTLET”, an oxygen flush button marked “O2”, and a label that reads: “DANGER, POSSIBLE HAZARD IF USED [new line] IN THE PRESENCE OF FLAMMABLE ANESTHETICS”; Below the tabletop there is a “writing tray” that can be recessed flush with the front of the machine; Below this tray the cabinet holds three drawers; [Continued]

Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: [Continued] Below the lower horizontal bank, the left side of the machine has a jointed, three-part boom that can be extended up, down, or to the left; At its far end, the boom holds a pulse oximeter sensor; Below this boom, the left side of the cabinet holds the drawer lock with the key inserted, and a gas scavenger; The scavenger is labeled: “NOTICE: ACTIVATE [new line] HOSPITAL VACUUM [new line] SYSTEM BEFORE [new line] USING THIS DEVICE”; A hose on the back of the scavenger is connected to the ventilator, and a hose on the front of the scavenger is connected to the Spiromed on top of the absorber;

A bracket on the left side of the machine holds the carbon dioxide absorber and associated parts; From left to right these are an “INSPIRATION VALVE”, a double-canister absorber, a pressure gauge marked “30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80”; and a knob marked “Open [left facing arrow] Open [left facing arrow]”; Mounted on top of the absorber is a “SPIROMED” electronic respiratory meter; Mounted on top of the Spiromed is an “EXPIRATON VALVE”;

The back of the machine holds the following components, from left to right: a power cord wrapped around an upper and a lower hook; one nitrous oxide yoke, one piped system connector each for nitrous oxide and oxygen; one yoke for combined oxygen and helium; The back of the machine has an upper and lower compartment on the right side that hold circuit boards and wires; The cover panels for these compartments were removed before the machine was donated to the WLM;

The left rear leg of the cabinet bears two label plates; The upper label reads: “NORTH AMERICAN DRAEGER [new line] 148 B QUARRY ROAD [new line] TELFORD, PA” [new line] MODEL: NARKOMED 3 [new line] SER. NO. 5091 [new line] MADE IN U.S.A.”; The lower label reads: “PROPERTY OF [new line] 02687 [NORTH AMERICAN DRAEGER]”; The right rear leg of the cabinet holds a label that reads: “ASSEMBLED BY [new line] Marie Stanel”;

Mounted just below the tabletop on the right side of the machine is handle or “push-pull bar”; A smaller handle is mounted on this side of the upper horizontal bank of components; A label on this side reads: “CAUTION: POSSIBLE TIP OVER HAZARD. REMOVE EQUIPMENT [new line] FROM SHELF BEFORE MOVING ANESTHESIA MACHINE”; This warning is repeated in the French language; A bracket is mounted close to the electrical cord; This bracket holds a red, metal cylinder wrench.

Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. Steve Donisch, January 18, 2018.

Note Type: Acquisition
Notes: Gift of Mr. James Yoder.

Note Type: Historical
Notes: North American Dräger (NAD) was founded in 1968 by engineer Peter J. Schreiber and two partners in rural Telford, Pennsylvania, with financial backing from the West German company, Dräger. Before immigrating to the U.S. in 1966, Schreiber worked for Dräger designing anesthesia equipment. The first products made by NAD were veterinary anesthesia machines; the company also sold equipment made by Dräger. In 1972 NAD introduced the first of its own line of anesthesia machines for human patients, the Narkomed Anesthesia System (later called the Narkomed 1.) These machines incorporated Dräger components.

The Narkomed 3 was introduced in 1986. It expanded on the alarm system of the Narkomed 2A, and also featured two CRT displays that between them could show graphic and numerical data from monitors of gas concentration, respiration, blood pressure, blood oxygenation, and temperature. The machines shown here could administer oxygen, nitrous oxide, halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, and a mixture of oxygen and helium. Other standard equipment included an electronic ventilator, and a gas scavenger. One year after its introduction in 1977, the Narkomed 3 was followed by the Narkomed 2B. Production of the Narkomed 3 ended in 1992.

Note Type: Exhibition
Notes: Selected for the WLM website.