TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a gas product, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing medical inhalation gas.

BACKGROUND ART

It has been reported that inhalation of a gas composition containing nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen can effectively reduce organ and tissue damage during ischemia-reperfusion (Patent Literature 1).

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-184398

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

In medical practice using a gas composition containing a combination of a plurality of kinds of gases as described in Patent Literature 1, it is necessary to strictly control the supply amount of each gas to administer the plurality of kinds of gases to a patient at the same time by inhalation. For that purpose, large-scale and expensive equipment and complicated operations are required. In order to further improve safety and accuracy of a medical treatment, it is desired that a plurality of kinds of gases can be administered by inhalation at the same time by a simpler method.

Therefore, an object of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a gas product that makes it possible to more simply perform a medical practice of simultaneously administering nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen by inhalation.

Solution to Problem

An aspect of the present invention relates to a gas product including: a gas container; and a gas composition filled in the gas container. The gas composition includes nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and an inert gas, and the concentration of the nitrogen monoxide is 20% by volume or less based on a volume of the gas composition.

Since the combination of the nitrogen monoxide and the hydrogen is a combination of a combustion-supporting gas and a flammable gas, it is generally considered difficult to stably store a mixed gas containing both for a long period of time. In particular, in the case of a medical gas, extremely high storage stability is required, such as a fluctuation range of the concentration of each gas within ±5% in one year. However, it is usually difficult to expect the mixed gas in which nitrogen monoxide and hydrogen coexist is such high to have such high storage stability. However, according to the findings of the present inventors, it has been found that when a concentration of nitrogen monoxide is 20% by volume or less, the gas composition containing nitrogen monoxide and hydrogen can be stably stored as a gas product, and the present invention has been completed. According to the gas product, the gas composition can be stably stored in the gas container of the gas product for a long period of time. Further, by using the gas composition in the gas product according to the present invention, a medical practice of administering three kinds of gas, nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen to a patient at the same time by inhalation can be carried out only by controlling a supply of two kinds of gas, that is, the gas composition and a gas containing oxygen.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing the gas product. The method includes in the following order: filling a gas container with a first raw material gas including nitrogen monoxide and an inert gas; further filling the gas container with a second raw material gas containing hydrogen and an inert gas; and further filling the gas container with an inert gas to form a gas composition containing the nitrogen monoxide, the hydrogen, and the inert gas, in which a concentration of the nitrogen monoxide is 20% by volume or less based on a volume of the gas composition. According to the method, the gas product can be produced efficiently and with high accuracy.

Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a medical inhalation gas including nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen and oxygen. The method includes mixing the gas composition in the gas product with a gas containing oxygen. According to the method, it is possible to simply and efficiently produce a medical inhalation gas for performing a medical practice of administering three kinds of gases, that is, nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen to a patient at the same time by inhalation.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas product that makes it possible to more simply perform a medical practice of administering nitrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and oxygen at the same time by inhalation. The gas product according to one aspect of the present invention can also have excellent storage stability for a long period of time without showing explosiveness in the gas composition to be filled.

