A safe and reliable medical gas system engineering should have three major points:
1. The quality (cleanliness) of medical gases should meet the requirements of the medical pharmacopeia;
2. The safety and reliability of the operation of medical gas system equipment;
3. There must be third-party medical gas system testing. This article will introduce what third-party testing companies will test.
1. Main problem: contaminated medical gas pipes
After the installation of all medical gas system projects in the hospital, the third-party testing company is necessary for acceptance testing. According to the data published by several testing companies in the US, about 5% to 6% of medical gas engineering systems are problematic each year.
The main problem is that the pipeline is polluted, one is impurity pollution and the other is odor pollution.
Impurity pollution: Usually caused by improper operation during the installation of medical gas pipelines and equipment. Because the builder didn’t use the correct method to fill the nitrogen, causing oxidation inside the pipe during welding. This condition causes black particles to be concentrated in the gas outlet, which is inhaled by the patient into the body and can cause harm to the body. Then, the pipe needs to be cut open to remove oxides, which also proves the importance of nitrogen-filled welded pipes. And the particles can cause damage to medical equipment.
Odor pollution: Generally, the construction workers do not weld with more than 15% silver-containing silver rods. Also, when some constructors weld, the plugs at both ends of the copper pipe are welded into the pipe. In this way, the odor will pollute the back pipe, and the odor can not be removed anyway. Because the plug is melted on the pipe at a high temperature, and the pipe needs to be cut off.
2.Check medical gas pipeline for cross-connection problems
Third-party testing can also check whether the medical gas pipeline has cross-connection problems. Because the pipeline is cross-connected, it will be life-threatening to the patient.
3.Testing the working pressure and delivery flow of medical gases
Third-party testing to detect the working pressure of the medical gas and the flow rate of the delivery, whether to meet the treatment needs of patients and the needs of medical equipment. It is necessary to carry out pressure test, flow test, exhaust emission test on the whole system, especially whether the distance between the exhaust gas discharge line and the negative pressure line meets the standard requirements. Also, check whether the vacuum pumping flow meets the requirements.
4.Check if all main pipes are monitored
The third-party testing company shall test whether the main alarm system monitors all the main pipes coming out of the medical gas equipment station and meets the safety standards. Check whether each regional alarm system meets the regional medical gas system safety standards.
5.Check the medical gas concentration and impurity content
The third-party testing company also checks whether the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas port meets the medical oxygen standard, detect whether the CO and water content in the medical air pipe exceeds the standard, detect the cleanliness of various medical ports, and check if the gaseous hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbon compounds in the pipeline exceed the standard.
6.Archiving
After the third party has completed the medical gas system testing, the “Hospital Medical Gas System Test Report” should be prepared and handed over to the hospital for archiving.