Property value estimation for inhaled therapeutic binary gas mixtures: He, Xe, N2O, and N2 with O2

BACKGROUND The property values of therapeutic gas mixtures are important in designing devices, defining delivery parameters, and in understanding the therapeutic effects. In the medical related literature the vast majority of articles related to gas mixtures report property values only for the pure substances or estimates based on concentration weighted averages. However, if the molecular size or structures of the component gases are very different a more accurate estimate should be considered. FINDINGS In this paper estimates based on kinetic theory are provided of density, viscosity, mean free path, thermal conductivity, specific heat at constant pressure, and diffusivity over a range of concentrations of He-O2, Xe-O2, N2O-O2 and N2-O2 mixtures at room (or normal) and body temperature, 20 and 37°C, respectively and at atmospheric pressure. CONCLUSIONS Property value estimations have been provided for therapeutic gas mixtures and compared to experimental values obtained from the literature where possible.