Utilising Air Sentry To Provide Positive Pressure In A Room Environment

Positive Pressure Protects the Patient

The 4 ‘P’s mnemonic to help remember how and why it is utilised.

Positive pressure is often associated with operating rooms, where it is used universally to protect patients being operated upon from airborne pathogens entering the room via the airborne route. It is also now being used in minor operating environments and some outpatient type areas for the same reason, particularly around particularly vulnerable patients, who may be significantly immune compromised.

Air Sentry’s system has been successfully used to provide positive pressure differential within a wide range of health care facilities, both within the NHS and also the private sector.

Our positive pressure module supply air that is filtered through a two stage filter comprising a replaceable G4 pre filter and then an H14 final grade.

As a module the unit can be used on its own but normally would form part of a complete AirSentry in-room solution.

This provides two air accelerators, placed vertically in-line with each other, which create a healthy whole room air air current.

Resulting in excellent levels of air dilution and mixing, areas protected in this manner test as extremely clean, often reaching similar air quality levels as those found in expensive lamina flow theatre areas.

Air Sentry’s approach provides either (through fan selection) a 50/50 or 80/20 mix of recirculating air and fresh air, which complies with the higher standards required by HTM03.01.A. The intake can be set up to connect to an external plenum chamber or to direct duct connection to HVAC temperature managed air.

So in simple terms how does this work and what benefits can it offer?

Firstly it is important to understand that there is a point where a large, well designed operating room comes into its own, both in terms of performance and also cost effectiveness.

Air Sentry is not designed to replace large operating room systems within a new build.

The system is designed to help maintain existing, older areas, where the plant may be not meeting modern standards, and where additional air changes or air cleaning will allow the professional end user to have time to plan and fund a new development.

Air Sentry comes into its own for those areas seeking to achieve lower carbon emissions within their design as it can interface with modern natural ventilation approaches to provide exceptional air quality at a much lower cost without the energy overhead. Most air sentry solutions have similar energy implications to an old fashioned filament light bulb.

By using HEPA filtering on the infusing supply this assures that no external pathogens, such as Aspergillus, can enter the room via the air. At the same time the recirculating system safely and passively removes all known airborne pathogens and most reactive chemicals, such as anaesthetic agents, laser plumes, diathermy smoke etc. This means that the air leaving both modules is extremely clean air, deemed ultra clean and it normally costs many times more to provide this level of air purity within a clinical area. The system supplies better air at a much lower cost.

Thoughts & Conclusions

Bespoke Air Filtration Systems for Healthcare.

Because the system is providing positive pressure with fresh air, this creates a flow out of the room which helps prevent the spread of disease into it. This doesn’t just have to be an OR area, the system can be implemented easily and cheaply for any area. Most systems can be easily fitted within a working day. This makes implementation easy and simple to budget for when compared to older approaches.

The system is designed to be in-room, which means that servicing is straight forward. Not only that, our mobile unit was designed initially as a floor supported OR system meaning that even for areas with poor structural capability a solution can be easily supplied. Using a floor supported approach makes servicing even easier.

All Air Sentry systems have a design life in excess of 25 years.

We are a unique UK company and we have examples of positive pressure units in use that has been implemented well over a decade ago.

Being made of steel and focused on clinical use, our systems are also simple to use, deploy and are extremely robust. If you have an area where you are concerned regarding air entering carrying airborne infection then our positive pressure module can help supply a solution.

All our systems are able to be verified on clients’ sites as part of our service.

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Call us on 01666 818 087 or DM via LinkedIn.