What formula is used to calculate the duration of flow for a medical gas tank?

The formula that is used to calculate the duration of flow for a medical gas tank is derived from the relationship between the pressure in the tank, the flow rate, and the tank's specific capacity. When using the tank factor, which represents the volume of gas contained in the tank at a specific pressure, it's essential to arrange the equation so that the pressure (PSI) inversely affects the duration.

By using the formula where PSI is in the numerator and the flow rate is in the denominator, you can determine how long the gas will last at a given flow rate. The tank factor effectively converts the pressure value into a usable volume of gas available for patient care. This highlights the importance of ensuring your units are consistent and that you're applying the right parameters to calculate how long the medical gas will be available based on the patient's demand.

The other formulas do not accurately reflect this relationship, either misplacing variables or incorrectly factoring the required parameters, leading to an incorrect assessment of how long the gas will last under specific conditions.