Evaluation of a single-room, dedicated mass spectrometer.

A single-room dedicated mass spectrometer can be used to measure carbon dioxide, halogenated anesthetic agents, nitrous oxide, nitrogen, and oxygen. This device challenges the multiplexed mass spectrometer, a current standard in measurement. This study compared the single-room dedicated mass spectrometer with a conventional mass spectrometer that is normally used in a multiplexed setting. In this study, a single-room dedicated Ohmeda 6000 Mini-Mass Spectrometer and the Perkin-Elmer MGA-1100 mass spectrometer were calibrated with the same reference gases and both devices sampled various concentrations of dry gases. Regression lines and intercepts were plotted and showed excellent correlation between the two devices. The intraclass correlation test of Lee, Koh, and Ong, showed the devices to be equivalent with regard to the ability to determine various gas concentrations. Various advantages of a single-room dedicated mass spectrometer are discussed.