Download Is it safe to recirculate HEPA-filtered air back into the hospital

Mintie Technologies, Inc.
ECU Product Introduction
and Demo/Training
Virginia Presentation
Environmental Containment Unit (ECU)™
The ECU™ is the only clinically tested,
collapsible and portable containment product
that enables a range of applications with the
appropriate level of HEPA-filtered negative air
pressure required by the CDC.
Environmental Containment Unit (ECU)™
ECU Ceiling Cavity™
• Ceiling cavity projects:
cabling, repairs, re-lamping,
firewall penetration, inspections
ECU AnteRoom™
• Wall access projects, repairs
• Anteroom for construction areas
• Anteroom for airborne infection
isolation
ECU-AnteRoom™
Construction and Maintenance
• Wall access projects
• Anteroom for construction areas
Bio-Security
• Anteroom for airborne infection
isolation
ECU-AnteRoom™
Product Benefits
• ECU-AR™ is first collapsible, portable
anteroom—no more manual setups
• Innovative design features
• Multiple uses – lowers cost of ownership
• Clinically tested by Andrew Streifel
• Satisfies HRSA requirements for hospital
“surge capacity”
The HRSA Mission
• HRSA Priority Area: isolation surge capacity
 Upgrade or maintain airborne infection
disease isolation capacity to have at
least one negative pressure, HEPAfiltered isolation facility
• Any solution must safely protect:
1. Patient
2. Caregiver
3. General patient and visitor population
Short-term Airborne Infection Isolation:
4 Possible Solution Methods
• Build new isolation rooms – EXPENSIVE
• Convert existing room ventilation systems
to isolation systems – EXPENSIVE
• Maintain current isolation rooms–
AFFORDABLE
• Create short-term isolation room with
portable anteroom–AFFORDABLE
CDC on Airborne Infection Isolation
Use airborne infection isolation rooms for
persons with diagnosed or suspected
airborne infectious diseases:
1. “Create isolation room, preferably with
an anteroom, to reduce exposure to
aerosolized infectious particulates….”
2. “If anteroom is not available, use
portable, industrial-grade HEPA filters
in patient room to enhance filtration of
infectious particulates….”
Short-term Airborne Infectious Isolation
ECU-AnteRoom™ for BT or SARS
• Simultaneously protects patient, caregiver
and general patient population
• Anteroom method is preferred by CDC
• Rapid, safe conversion—typically operational
in minutes
• Can be deployed to any area within hospital
or distributed throughout region
• Visible protection reassures patients,
caregivers and visitors
Patient Particulate Dispersion
“New Research Identifies a Methodology for Minimizing Risk from
Airborne Organisms in Hospital Isolation Rooms,”
Farhad Memarzadeh, Ph.D., PE., National Institutes of Health
November 5, 1999
Short-Term Isolation: HEPA Air Scrubber
CORRIDOR
PATIENT ROOM
SUPPLY
BATHROOM
RETURN
EXHAUST
50 cfm
250 cfm
If return IS
blocked off,
contaminated air
will be forced
into corridor
HEPA Air
Scrubber
If return IS NOT
blocked off,
contaminated
air will be
recirculated
• Block off return air vent – air scrubber may not capture all IDN
• No change from equal pressure, or if return is blocked off, room goes
positive to surrounding space
• Pressure differential in room does not change (no air exhausted to
outside or other space)
• Monitoring of room required by CDC once per day when in use
Short-Term Isolation: ECU-AnteRoom™
SUPPLY
RETURN
250 cfm
0 cfm
ECU
AnteRoom
HEPAfiltered
Exhaust
X
EXHAUST
50 cfm
400 cfm
Arrows indicate air flow
• Negative pressure (greater exhaust than supply air
volume)
• Return air vent blocked off from central air handler
• Exhaust air is through ECU-AnteRoom™ HEPAfiltered negative air machine (Permitted by CDC)
Short-Term Isolation: ECU-AnteRoom™
SUPPLY
RETURN
250 cfm
0 cfm
ECU
AnteRoom
HEPAfiltered
Exhaust
X
EXHAUST
50 cfm
400 cfm
Arrows indicate air flow
• 6 air exchanges per hour for existing rooms
(between 150-250 cfm for cooling)
• Pressure differential of 0.01 in wg
• Greater than 125 cfm air-flow differential
• Sealing of room walls for air leakage not required
• Monitoring of room required by CDC once per day
when in use
ECU-Ceiling Cavity™
Product Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No more manual setups!
Operational in 15 minutes one person
Portable and collapsible
Compact: stores easily
Design ensures integrity of containment
Clinically tested by Andrew Streifel
Negative air capabilities
Preferred method
Key ECU Drivers
• HRSA mandate has motivated states
• CDC has motivated Infection Control
– ECU™ creates immediate compliance
– Infection Control lowers risk and drives Facilities
• ECU™ is best containment solution available
– Flexibility and reliability; long-term cost savings
• ECU-AnteRoom™ is the only portable anteroom
product on market
• Increasing demand for surge capacity
ECU-AnteRoom™
for Airborne Infectious Isolation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to recirculate
HEPA-filtered air back into the hospital?
YES!
“Direct exhaust air to the outside, away
from air-intake and populated areas. If
this is not practical, air from the room can
be recirculated after passing through a
HEPA filter.” Category 1C
“Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control”
Morbidity and Mortality weekly Report, June 6, 2003
Pg. 12, Sec. IV.A.5
Is it safe to recirculate
HEPA-filtered air back into the hospital?
YES!
• HEPA filters capture 99.97% of all airborne
particulates—including bacteria and mold spores
• HEPA filtered air is of same quality as that used in
bone marrow transplant rooms, cardiac and
orthopedic operating rooms for
immunocompromised patients
• Typical hospital corridor is filtered at 80%
efficiency; less than that being discharged from
HEPA filtered NAM
Will corridor become overly pressurized
by exhausting HEPA-filtered air into it?
NO!
• Perform an engineering evaluation before
blocking off returns and discharging air
into other spaces
• Sheer volume of corridor and associated
open spaces addition will not be affected
with addition of 400/800/1200 cfm of clean
HEPA-filtered air
Can ECU-AnteRoom™ be used to create
larger airborne infection isolation areas?
YES!
With proper engineering evaluation, ECUAnteRoom™ can be used for either single
room conversions, or conversions of larger
areas.