The Peaceful Pill eHandbook Determining the Optimal Gas Flow Rate
A peaceful, hypoxic death with an inert gas and an Exit bag, depends upon an ‘optimal gas flow’. The optimal flow is a flow rate high enough to flush away the exhaled carbon dioxide so that this does not accumulate within the bag, but low enough so it is not uncomfortable or noisy, and still provides >15 minutes flow from a full cylinder.
Exit has determined the optimal flow rate. In tests, different flow rates of air were admitted to a bag over a test subject’s head. The level of carbon dioxide within the bag was monitored using a RKI sampling gas detector.
The results for an 80 kg male, taken over a 5-minute period for two gas flow rates (5 & 15 liters/ min), are shown in the graph.
For 15 liters/ min gas flow, the level of carbon dioxide in the bag did not rise appreciably over the trialed 5-minute period. With this low flow rate, the level of carbon dioxide approached 5%. This was enough to make the subject uncomfortable. A flow rate of ~15 liters/ min was concluded to be optimal.