How Compressed Air Is Used in Hospitals

Medical air compressors play an essential role in healthcare settings. From helping control contamination to powering life-saving equipment, medical-grade compressed air in hospitals fulfills a variety of important functions reliably. Air compressors also help hospitals maintain compliance with numerous safety standards and maintenance requirements. Learn more about the role medical air compressors play in the healthcare industry and how the experts at Energy Machinery, Inc. can help.

Do Hospitals Have Compressed Air?

Emergency rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units, and dental offices are just a few examples of hospital and healthcare facilities that rely on compressed air. A component of the central gas supply system, purified and pressurized air has applications both for direct use and in powering pneumatic medical devices. It’s also applicable in surface sanitization to enhance infection control. However, medical air compressors must meet strict requirements for air purity, pressure ratings, and performance.

Key Requirements

Medical standards for air compressors are largely regulated under NFPA 99 of the Health Care Facilities Code, which requires air compressors to be dry and free of oil and particulates. NFPA 99 also outlines standards for system redundancy, continual air monitoring, and alarm notifications to ensure dependable functionality.

What Is Compressed Air Used for in Hospitals?

With many air-powered medical devices and systems necessary for daily hospital operations, choosing the right equipment depends on how hospitals use air compressors to solve various healthcare challenges. The most common medical applications for compressed air used in hospitals include:

Precision surgical instruments such as air-powered saws and drills

Diagnostic tools like imaging systems and laboratory instruments

Sterilization devices like autoclaves

Patient hospital bed controls

Pneumatic controls that operate HVAC and building automation systems

Compressed Air in Hospitals

When designing compressed air systems for hospital applications, it’s important to consider the following:

• Filtration systems rated for medical-grade levels of air purity
• Centralized industrial air compressor systems capable of handling the compressed air needs of an entire hospital
• System redundancy, integrating backup compressors to eliminate the risk of downtime
• Continuous monitoring and alarm systems, detecting changes in air purity, pressure levels, and moisture content

Recommended Equipment Types

At Energy Machinery, we recommend that you consider incorporating the following in your medical air compressor system for best results:

Oil-free compressors

Desiccant dryers

Medical air dryers and duplex compressor systems

Inline filtration systems

How Hospitals Use Air Compressors

Hospitals can meet 24/7 demand for medical-grade air using continuous-duty air compressors and interdepartmental piped delivery systems. To maintain uptime during power outages, many hospitals integrate compressed air systems directly into backup power supplies.

Maintenance and Reliability

Medical facilities must comply with stringent maintenance protocols to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff. Regular preventative maintenance service is necessary to verify that compressed air systems are sanitary, industry compliant, and performing as intended.

Why Compressed Air Quality Matters in Healthcare

Poor air quality can lead to several serious risks in the healthcare sector, including:

• Equipment malfunctions
• Contaminated air or surfaces
• Negative impact on patient health

Preventing these adverse outcomes requires regularly verifying that air compressors meet industry standards such as ISO 8573-1 Class 0. You can achieve this through routine system validation and testing with a qualified expert.

Choosing the Right Medical Air Compressor System

When selecting a medical-grade air compressor system for your healthcare application, look for the following features or capabilities:

Certified oil-free operation

Remote monitoring functionality

Built-in system redundancy

24/7 operational capabilities through good energy efficiency

Low vibration and noise

Why Work With an Expert Supplier Like Energy Machinery?

Energy Machinery leverages our decades of experience in compressed air system design and maintenance to help fulfill the needs of clients in diverse market sectors. For our healthcare clients, we can develop custom-configured systems suitable for hospitals, surgical centers, and other medical sites. Our team can also assist you with preventative maintenance plans to maximize uptime and ensure regulatory compliance.

Contact our team to discuss how Energy Machinery can support your hospital or medical organization with purified compressed air solutions, or request a quote today to get started.