An anesthesia system designed to accommodate the physiological characteristics of small animals, including rats and mice, has the potential to provide great practical value to the life science research community. Small animal surgery requires an investment in equipment and time. The task of anesthetizing research subjects is complicated by the equipment itself, which is designed for use on larger species, such as humans or horses. Laboratory animal anesthesia is governed by societal concerns to minimize harmful exposure to the research subjects and to the people performing the surgery. Todays economy puts pressure on laboratories to conserve time and resources while maintaining successful research. A miniaturized anesthesia system designed to administer inhalant anesthetics to small animals can address those challenges by providing the following advantages: Improved laboratory safety by minimizing exposure to anesthetic gas Precision anesthetic dosing resulting in faster, more efficient performance of procedures, and reducing morbidity rates Reduction of expense by using less anesthetic, eliminating outside calibration services, improving laboratory space utilization, and increasing successful outcomes