During this pandemic, hospitals are trying to provide the best care for all patients. This is why efficiency is a must. From equipment to software from companies like Gryphon Healthcare, hospitals need to do what they can to help others and themselves through this difficult time.
Even before the pandemic, it could often be difficult to book an appointment and be seen by a doctor. Now, the pandemic has placed even more pressure on healthcare services, with the majority of non-urgent treatments being cancelled entirely. However, the pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of technology, like answering services for medical offices, to help make efficiencies and speed up processes. For today though, read below to learn how medical compressor parts help significantly.
Compressor parts enable hospitals around the world to work efficiently and as such, these premises rely heavily on it.
They can be used in the hospital to improve patients’ health, operate other tools, and enhance the quality of air around the facility.
In the same vein, the high use of these machines makes them add a lot of overhead in these hospitals, which could add more charges to the patient’s bill.
Nonetheless, there are still ways to save money while using compressors in hospitals, while at the same time offering cost savings to patients.
These advancements are made solely to improve patient care systems. Though the bills may be higher in some cases, if the technology allows you to recover sooner, then why not? Hence, hospitals often incline themselves towards the use of medical-grade advanced equipment to eliminate human error during the treatments. In the case of skin treatment, hospitals often contact aesthetic equipment suppliers like Cryomed for the procurement of some technologically advanced machines. Additionally, healthcare organizations are also attempting to improve patient care quality by focusing care delivery on patient needs and preferences. Patient- and family-centred care can promote active collaboration and shared decision-making among patients, families, and providers in order to design and manage a personalized and comprehensive care plan. The primary goal and benefit of patient-centred care are to improve individual health outcomes rather than population health outcomes. If you want to learn more about patient centered care, you can look up blog posts on the internet which talk about the same.
Talking about the cost savings to patients – that can be done while still offering high-level efficiency and optimal care to patients.
Uses of Compressed Air in Hospitals
Some uses of compressed air in hospitals include:
Operating Room
Patients in the operating room need compressed air to breathe and also stay comfortable. For this reason, the operating room is one of the most important places where compressed air is used within the hospital.
This air can also aid in the proper functioning of medical tools. While compressed air has its benefits, if the air is contaminated, it could cause an infection and possibly lead to death.
Accordingly, hospitals that use compressors must set up an air filtration system to provide good air at all times.
Air Filtration Duct System
The air filtration system inside a hospital also relies on a compressor to provide the purest, driest air. The resulting air is what doctors, patients, visitors, etc. breathe within these premises.
Therefore, these compressors ensure that the air produced is clean and free from impurities.
Maintenance Department
Compressed air can be used for tools that aid in the repair, maintenance, and replacement of different equipment.
An instance is the use of nail guns, impact hammers, and so much more to maintain pieces of hospital equipment, and these tools rely on compressed air.
In line with that, this air can also be used to inflate wheelchairs, emergency mattresses and so much more.
Parts of Compressors Used in Hospitals
Some compressor parts used in hospitals include:
Intake Pipes
A compressor’s processes begin from the intake pipes and here, ambient air enters the machine from the pipes.
This process is the same in large and small hospitals, and the intake may be located around the building’s rooftop.
On the other hand, the distance of the intake from openings close to the hospital can determine the purity of the air.
Accordingly, a 10 feet distance is to be maintained between the hospital building and these openings including pipes, doors, windows, etc.
It is also important to install the intake from a height that is at least 20 feet from the ground.
Consideration also has to be given to the fact that water or rodents may enter the intake. Hence, the component is to be installed facing downward with screens covering it.
This screen could feature a non-corrosive material to ensure it does not degrade easily with time.
Multi-system Piping
A multi-piping system describes the phenomenon where the pipes from two or more compressors are joined at a single intake pipe.
This setup is often employed if a hospital has more than one compressor.
When construction of this nature is made, each pipe is given a close-off mechanism in cases where the other compressor is removed to be repaired or replaced.
If the compressor is removed, it will ensure that the air cannot pass through the pipes into each compressor from the mechanical room.
Needless to say, it has to be indicated that the rooftop intake is the medical source of air.
Multiplex Systems
Compressor systems used in hospitals have a multiplex setup where two or more compressors may be connected. This type of connection is useful depending on the hospital’s size or an increase in the number of patients.
A setup with up to three and four compressors are referred to as triplex and quadruplex setup respectively.
Valves
It is important for compressors in a multiplex system to have a capacity that can handle air supplies and at the highest levels.
Accordingly, different types of valves may be used to achieve the required capacity. Some of these valves are the isolation valve, pressure-relief valve, and discharge-line check valve.
In cases where maintenance has to be carried out on a particular machine, it has to be separated from the entire system using a discharge shutoff valve.
There is also the need to inspect the linking shaft constantly to ensure that impurities such as oil have not accumulated within it.
Receivers
Air is compressed within a big system made up of two compressors, at any given time. Compressors often come with receivers that help to store the compressed air for future uses on patients.
Likewise, the receiver can come with several features to improve its performance. Some of these features include a relief valve, water trap, auto drain, and pressure gauge.
Delivery
Compressed air within the multiplex system is sent as medical air to hospital patients. The transfer of medical air is made using several devices including flowmeters, blenders, and ventilators.
The difference in compressed air and medical air lies in the fact that the former is used for non-medical purposes within the hospital.
On the other hand, there are also pneumatic tools that can be used to deliver medical air to patients. These tools are utilized by doctors during operation.
Dryers
A drying component is also a part of a compressor to ensure that water does not enter the compressor.
For instance, ambient air may enter the system directly from the rooftop intake. This air may have dense moisture content.
It could, therefore, lead to water build-up within the compressor which can negatively impact it.
Refrigerants and Desiccants
There are refrigerant and desiccant dryers and each operates uniquely.
What the refrigerant dryer does is to separate air from the water before the water is drained out. Desiccant dryers tend to absorb moisture from water.
There are, however, advantages and disadvantages of choosing one over the other.
For starters, refrigerant dryers are cheaper to operate and maintain whereas desiccant dryers cost more to operate.
The particles from desiccant dryers could also add impurities to medical air, thereby making it needful for the air to be filtered regularly.
These advantages make refrigerant dryers a better choice for hospitals looking to save money.
Conclusion
These are only some of the compressor parts that help hospitals to treat patients efficiently while also keeping the air around them clean and fresh.
Compressed air is put to different uses in these healthcare centers and it powers a number of medical tools.
It can, therefore, be said that compressors have found use cases in different industries and health is just one among many.
