Clean air as an engineering responsibility
AIR MEDIC air-handling units are designed for hospitals and other medical facilities where a continuous supply of fresh air and complete separation of supply and extract air are essential. The units are engineered to deliver cleanliness, airtightness and reliability.
A wide range of air-handling units described as hygienic was available on the Polish market. However, some of those products, despite holding hygiene approvals, did not satisfy the fundamental hygienic requirements defined by the PN-EN 13053 standard.
The problem concerned primarily the construction of critical unit components — the elements that determine whether clean air can be supplied continuously to occupied rooms. In practice, certificates alone did not guarantee the required quality. In some products, the manufacturing standard and, in particular, the selected structural and material solutions were inconsistent with basic hygiene principles and made it difficult to maintain cleanliness throughout operation.
A hygienic air-handling unit must never itself become a source of contamination or bacteria. Put simply, not every unit marketed as hygienic delivers the same level of hygienic performance.
A cubic metre of air can carry a serious risk
One cubic metre of the air around us may contain anything from several hundred to several thousand microorganisms invisible to the naked eye. They are not normally dangerous to healthy people, but they can pose a serious threat to the health — and even the lives — of people whose immune systems are weakened.
Hospitals represent a particularly demanding environment because the concentration of potentially dangerous airborne microorganisms can be high. In the nineteenth century, mortality among patients undergoing surgery reached as much as 75%. Fortunately, that belongs to history. In modern operating theatres designed to the highest microbiological standards, the risk of infection has fallen dramatically. Nevertheless, even with continuing scientific and technical progress, infection risk can never be eliminated completely.
Cleanliness guaranteed by DOSPEL
DOSPEL Professional Technologies was one of the largest manufacturers of ventilation and air-conditioning equipment and systems. Its portfolio also included AIR MEDIC air-handling units in a dedicated hygienic configuration.
AIR MEDIC units were intended for hospitals and medical environments requiring a constant flow of fresh air with complete separation between supply and extract air streams. Their design was developed to ensure cleanliness, airtightness and dependable operation.
The company’s leading market position supported exports to more than 50 countries. At the same time, it confirmed the credibility of a manufacturer able to offer technologically advanced products at an attractive price. The quality of DOSPEL Professional Technologies solutions had repeatedly been recognised through numerous certificates.
Built for long service life
The AIR MEDIC frame was manufactured from enclosed aluminium profiles resistant to corrosion. This produced a compact, stable structure designed for many years of service.
Long life and full hygienic performance were also supported by stainless-steel corners, guides, brackets, fan plates and drain pans. The unit’s high airtightness resulted from the design of its walls and inspection panels, whose hermetic closure used a double locking system with a gasket.
Inspection windows with internal lighting were incorporated into the panels, making it possible to monitor the unit’s operation without unnecessarily opening its casing.
Hygiene made easy to maintain
The construction of AIR MEDIC hygienic units allowed frequent cleaning and made it straightforward to maintain the required level of hygiene. A perfectly smooth floor surface supported thorough cleaning and periodic disinfection inside the unit.
Design solutions included epoxy-coated heat exchangers and fan assemblies with abrasion-resistant and antistatic properties. Inspection panels installed on both sides of the casing provided access to every component fitted inside the unit, allowing complete cleaning and disinfection.
An integrated moisture drainage system enabled water to be removed efficiently after intensive washing and protected the equipment against secondary contamination. AIR MEDIC also provided effective thermal and acoustic insulation through special sandwich panels with either a polyurethane or mineral-wool core.
References from demanding healthcare facilities
DOSPEL Professional Technologies air-handling units had been installed at the Medical University Centre in Gdańsk, where approximately 200 ventilation units were used in one of Europe’s most modern hospitals. Further installations included the Children’s Health Centre in Warsaw and the University Clinical Hospital in Białystok.
This long and impressive reference list reflected the confidence placed in the technology by major healthcare institutions. In closing, I wished every reader good health — and hoped they would encounter hygienic air-handling units only from the safe side of the system.
Michał Sitek
General Manager, DOSPEL Sp. z o.o.
He had previously served at DOSPEL as Chief Information Officer and as Director of Marketing and Business Development. A graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at Częstochowa University of Technology, he had more than eight years of experience with the company in information technology, business development, strategic marketing and visual communication.
Source: promotional supplement to Builder magazine, February 2014.
