The Role of Physics in Anesthesia Equipment Design: A Systematic Review of Principles, Challenges, and Innovations

Abstract

This systematic review synthesizes the integral application of physics principles in the design, operation, and advancement of anesthesia equipment, drawing from 15 high-quality studies published between 2001 and 2025 to elucidate how foundational concepts such as gas laws, fluid mechanics, pressure dynamics, and thermodynamics facilitate precise gas delivery, vaporization, and patient monitoring while addressing persistent safety concerns in perioperative care. Key findings demonstrate that gas laws—including Boyle’s (PV = constant), Charles’s (V ∝ T), Dalton’s (P_total = ΣP_i), and the ideal gas law (PV = nRT)—are pivotal in regulating cylinder pressures, gas mixtures, and vaporizer outputs, enabling consistent oxygen and anesthetic administration with reported reductions in hypoxic incidents from 0.23% in general anesthesia cases to near zero through safety systems like the Pin Index Safety System (PISS) and proportioning devices, though challenges like leaks and misconnections persist in up to 33% of equipment-related problems, often exacerbated by human error in 25% of instances and turbulent flow resistances per the Hagen-Poiseuille equation (Q = πr⁴ΔP/8ηl). Innovations, such as closed-loop automated systems leveraging artificial neural networks (inspired by 2024 Nobel Prize-winning Hopfield and Hinton models for energy minimization in pattern recognition) for real-time EEG-based depth monitoring and drug infusion adjustments, have achieved up to 98% accuracy in maintaining bispectral index (BIS) values between 40-60, reducing propofol consumption by 25% and recovery times by 15 minutes, while low-flow circle systems incorporating CO2 absorbents minimize environmental waste by 50-75% via rebreathing efficiencies grounded in Avogadro’s and Graham’s laws. Furthermore, fluid mechanics advancements like heliox mixtures (density-reduced for turbulent flow mitigation) and Bernoulli’s principle in Venturi masks have lowered airway resistance by 40% in obstructive cases, but gaps remain in MRI-compatible designs where magnetic fields induce ECG artifacts in 16-79% of scans, necessitating interdisciplinary physics-informed solutions to enhance reliability, reduce occupational exposures (e.g., volatiles below 50 ppm), and promote sustainable practices amid rising procedural demands, ultimately highlighting a 30-40% decline in adverse events over two decades yet underscoring the need for robust training and regulatory frameworks to integrate emerging AI-driven technologies without compromising patient autonomy or clinical oversight.