In the past half year, the importance of oxygen and air gas, which are part of the medical gas systems used in hospitals, has increased more than ever with the Covid-19 virus. Oxygen and air supplies required especially for the use of respirators are provided by oxygen and air compressor systems installed in medical gas rooms of hospitals. So, how should the correct oxygen generation system be?
VIE tanks or oxygen cylinders are preferred as the first option for oxygen supply. Oxygen generator is preferred as oxygen supply in hospitals in cases where there is no possibility of oxygen cylinder supply or it is likely to delay its supply.
The oxygen generator system in HTM 02-01, which is the standard of medical gas systems, is described in section 6. The main components of the layout of the system are shown in Figure 22 below. Typical basic components of the system are compressors, dryers, oxygen generator system, vacuum pumps, oxygen and air tanks, filters and regulators.
It works by absorbing oxygen gas with zeolite under pressure after the air taken by the air compressor system is dried. Other gases in the atmosphere are separated from oxygen with the zeolite substance, which has a specific chemical property. In this way, the stored oxygen is delivered to the hospital for use. The adsorbents are known as artificial zeolites, more commonly referred to as molecular sieves. The sieve units are arranged in pairs, one adsorbing whilst the other regenerates. The waste product, essentially nitrogen, argon and co2 are discharged to atmosphere during regeneration of the adsorbents. In some systems, the use of vacuum to remove the nitrogen increases the efficiency of the regeneration/adsorption process. This process produces oxygen with a high level of technical sophistication and a purity of 95%. The highest purity is 97-98% maximum. The purity rate reaches 99.99% in VIE tank and oxygen cylinder feeds.
Generally, it is 4: 1 for compressed air requirement per liter of oxygen gas. As a result, the air compressor requirement will typically be of greater capacity than is seen in hospitals.
The plant should include a calibrated paramagnetic oxygen monitoring system comprising oxygen analyzer, oxygen concentration indicator, oxygen flow monitor and oxygen concentration/flow recorder. Connections for calibration cylinders should also be provided. In the event of the concentration falling below 94%, the monitoring system should isolate the PSA system from the pipeline distribution system so that the emergency/reserve manifold operates. Spare manifold cylinder feeds are mandatory in oxygen generator systems. Additionally, an independent monitoring system should be provided to isolate the plant when the concentration falls below 94%. The second system need not be provided with a flow indicator or recording device.
While placing the oxygen generator in the medical gas room, the compressors should be placed in consideration of factors such as air sucking, cooling of the compressed air and cooling of the compressor. Versatile access to the gas plant for maintenance purposes should be possible at accommodation.
Advantages of Oxygen Generation System:
Affordable thanks to low operating costs
Advanced and reliable technology
Pure purity for every application
No rental commitments as with cylinder and tank systems
No CO2 pollution for the environment
No dangerous goods
No risk of explosion
In-house placement and production
Return on investment in about 1 year
With the increasing demand for oxygen supply, the need for oxygen generation systems has increased more than ever. As Inspital Medical Technologies, we provide medical solutions by exporting to more than 70 countries to meet the demand of the oxygen system in the world. By producing medical gas containers, we can ship to different geographies without the need for installation. We are proud to be a world brand with our more than 50 years of experience in medical gas systems.