Super-efficient, high performing, ultra-reliable and safe equipment is fundamental for the medical sector to remain compliant with exceptionally stringent and ever-tightening regulations. Atlas Copco’s comprehensive range of medical air solutions is backed by more than 130 years of experience and know-how to offer optimal functionality and across-the-board compliancy. 

“Our full range of state-of-the-art solutions which range from complete air plants, breathing and surgical air units and vacuum pumps to advanced control systems and terminal units are designed and engineered to meet a variety of clinical applications within hospitals, clinics, dental practices, veterinary laboratories, etc.,” states Charl Ackerman, Business Line Manager of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s industrial air division.

Atlas Copco’s medical production facilities in Belgium, the UK and the USA positions the company not only meet but surpass the requirements of the most demanding as well as differing standards and regulations such as the Medical Devices Directive MDD 93/42/EEC, European pharmacopoeia, EN ISO 7396-1, ISO 14971, Health Technical Memorandums HTM 02-01 and HTM 2022.

Ackerman explains that he HTM standard for example requires medical air and vacuum plants to have built-in redundancy as well as monitoring and alarm functions. Atlas Copco’s ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 13485:2003 quality management systems for the design, manufacture, installation and testing of medical air and medical vacuum devices ensure the production of ultra-clean, certified pure medical, breathing and surgical air as well as vacuum.

Medial air must be ultra-pure and is considered as a drug and therefore is highly regulated in terms of purity. Atlas Copco's medical air systems which include the GA MED compressors, dryers and receivers as well as the mVAC vacuum products are ISO 7396-1 certified which ensures that the medical equipment meets the minimum requirements in safety and operating criteria.

Ackerman affirms that Atlas Copco’s medical air systems are pre-certified. “This greatly simplifies the customer’s certification process because when the pharmacist signs off the equipment after installation, the equipment does not need to be recertified.”

The GA MED oil-injected screw compressor range, also available in VSD (Variable Speed Drive), is designed, manufactured and tested in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 1217. With the proven reliability of the latest high-efficiency compression element, this screw compressor delivers outstanding performance, flexible operation and the highest productivity and subsequent minimal cost of ownership. The PDp filters can be considered as bacterial filters following tests and certification by an external laboratory.

Energy typically represents over 80% of a compressor's life cycle cost. As a world leader in delivering sustainable productivity solutions, Atlas Copco always strives to provide the most energy-efficient solutions. “Our GA 5-15 VSD MED range will drive energy costs down considerably in medical facilities where air demand fluctuates. By monitoring the outlet pressure, the air flow is adjusted to the demand; the high turndown ratio and the new fan saver cycle can realise energy savings of up to 35%.

Using Atlas Copco's on-site industrial gas generators and requiring only a supply of dry compressed air, customers can produce their own nitrogen and oxygen at a fraction of the price of using gas bottles which also require storage space. “Our range of nitrogen and oxygen generators which includes the OGP oxygen generator series with PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) technology provide flexible, reliable and cost-efficient solutions to meet customers’ production needs,” states Ackerman. Atlas Copco supplies, installs and services gas generators, along with compressed air equipment.

Atlas Copco's mVAC systems provide a highly reliable medical vacuum (suction) mainly in operating theatres, intensive care, emergency and respirology units for a variety of applications such as wound drainage, assisted wound closure, chest and lung drainage, removal of excess blood during surgery, collection of other bodily fluids, gastric emptying, cleaning endotracheal tubes and liposuction (lipoplasty).

Consisting of between two and up to six air-cooled rotary vane type vacuum pumps and a central controller with an intelligent graphical user interface, an mVAC system is capable of reliably meeting even a large hospital’s vacuum requirements. The pumps can work independently to satisfy the required vacuum flow. Atlas Copco’s mVAC systems are suitable for both continuous and frequent start/stop operation, keeping the vacuum level at the point of connection as low as or lower than -600 mbar(e) / -450 mm Hg at all times.

Every mVAC system is subjected to comprehensive Quality Assurance controls to eliminate the risk of service interruptions even in extreme circumstances. The mVAC system offers (multiple) backup supply in case of failure of individual functional components. The carbon composite material of Atlas Copco's mVAC pumps will not break down or wear out like laminated blades.

If the central controller should fail, every pump has its own controller. Every system is delivered with all interconnection piping and copper connections and the ‘plug and play’ approach ensures fast, simple installation. The mVAC is installed, piped and wired as modular stacked components or as a tank-mounted unit.

“Our medical air systems can be further maximised through effective and easy control and monitoring,” continues Ackerman. Atlas Copco’s next generation Elektronikon® graphic controller regulates system pressure to push energy efficiency to new levels. For the mVAC we have opted for a multi-pump arrangement to better match the flow demand. In this arrangement, the advanced Elektronikon® Graphic controller maximizes energy efficiency by controlling the individual vacuum pumps and regulating the overall vacuum, ensuring even wear at all times.

The AIRConnect™ Visualization and Notification Package connects to extensive monitoring and status information and provides immediate access to valuable information such as system status, alarms, trends and historical data enabling end-users to get the most out of the GA MED and mVAC systems.