KTM Krankenhaus - Technik & Management - Oxygen generators for hospitals

Article KTM - Krankenhaus Technik + Management, Nov. 2018

HOSPITAL GRAN CANARIA

Oxygen is used in many areas of medical care in hospitals. The availability of oxygen often makes the difference between life and death which is why securing its supply is a top priority. The ICOT Group, which operates hospitals in several locations across the Canary Islands, uses an INMATEC oxygen generator in its newly built hospital in Telde, Gran Canaria. Experience of oxygen cylinder supply shortages on the island in the Atlantic has contributed to the Group’s decision. Moreover, the company reduces costs considerably and the impact on the environment thanks to onsite production.

By constructing the new hospital in Telde, the ICOT Group was seeking to provide optimal medical care for patients with neurological diseases. Brain and nerve specialists work in interdisciplinary teams, consisting of doctors, therapists and nurses, to develop personalised therapies for patients who suffer from a stroke, traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries, for example. The modern hospital features state-of-the-art medical equipment for outpatient and inpatient treatment and is also a teaching and research centre which, in its own words, is always striving for excellence. Oxygen plays a key role in the treatment of patients in neurology. To date, the ICOT Group has secured the oxygen supply by delivering cylinders and bundles. Due to the special location of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the oxygen had to be delivered from the most outlying parts of mainland Europe. In order to provide suf cient oxygen at all times and to avoid any undersupply, the oxygen had to be ordered and stored in large quantities. This was a major challenge for purchasing and facility management. In addition, delivery over such a long distance involved high costs and transport-related Co2 emissions.

The ICOT Group was therefore looking for a solution for an uninterrupted yet affordable oxygen supply. In the end, INMATEC, a leading manufacturer of oxygen generators from Germany, was found. With regard to the selection, it was important that the manufacturer ful lled the high quality requirements vis-à-vis the manufacture of medical products. The INMATEC oxygen generators comply, inter alia, with the standards of the European Pharmacopeia for medical applications and are SQS certied. The hospital in Telde now uses an IMT PO 2150 OnTouch oxygen generator with pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology to generate the requisite medical oxygen directly onsite. Compressed air ows through two adsorption vessels ( lled with zeolites) in the generator. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide molecules from the ambient air are caught in the sieve, while the free oxygen molecules ow into the product tank. 5 m3 dry oxygen with a purity of 93% is produced every hour and can be used in a wide variety of applications in hospitals. Oxygen is used in operating theatres for anaesthesia and ventilation. The generator can also be used to ll cylinders. Such cylinders are used for ventilating patients both in the rooms and in the hospital‘s mobile emergency vehicles. This also ensures that accident victims receive initial care at all times.

published in KTM, November 2018