Blog27 April 2021

Air cleaner configuration safeguards critical medical applications

In the healthcare sector, positive and negative pressure rooms play an important role in preventing the spread of infectious contaminants and maintaining sterile conditions within specific applications. Referred to as protective environments or airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIR), these zones are a fundamental part of a range of medical and research work and help to ensure their continued cleanliness.

With the Andrews name now synonymous with air quality control, our engineers were recently asked to devise a solution after a well-known Midlands hospital decommissioned their clean air systems following a need for repairs.

Although there was a requirement for temporary kit in two separate areas, the most pressing concern was that the entire contents of a sterile store operating at positive pressure would have to relocated unless a solution could be quickly found.

To avoid this, or any other complications, our technician proposed that we connected AC1600 air cleaners to their supply air plenums via ductwork inspection plates located inside the plant room directly above their sterile store. As a further precaution, our AC1600 units were also fitted with HEPA filters.

We recommended this practical arrangement after calculating the conditions needed to maintain positive air flow through weighted louvers. The client was particularly impressed with the method outlined as it meant that we could deliver filtered air into the storeroom without having to cut holes into the wall or ceiling.

This non-evasive course of action was successfully implemented out-of-hours and averted the potentially disastrous and time-consuming scenario of having to transfer resources to another part of the premises.

The estates manager was very forthcoming in expressing his delight at the effectiveness of our products and the reliability of our service. As a result of this project being completed on time, the estates manager also said the Trust will now be seeking air conditioning units from us when seasonal demand dictates that cooling equipment is required.