Beacon Medaes has developed a new emergency reserve manifold – incorporating the primary manifold header – which it says is the highest specification such unit on the market.
Medical manifolds are used to deliver gases such as oxygen, medical air, and nitrous oxide into a medical gas pipeline system (MGPS). An emergency reserve manifold system should be provided to form a secondary source of supply, for emergency use, or to permit servicing or repair. The supply should be designed to provide the design flow of the primary system, and have sufficient connected capacity to supply the pipeline for at least four hours.
The highest specification of regulator is recommended for the demanding medical environment, where flow demand can change frequently. To achieve the high flow rates of the primary manifold, typically 1,000 litres / min at 4 bar pressure, two stages of regulation are provided; this is to guarantee an adequate flow output at 10% drop from dynamic to static pressure, a critical factor when the cylinders are depleted.
The Beacon Medæs ERM includes a bespoke first stage regulator designed for use with medical applications. HTM02-01 requires consideration to be made as to the use of non- halogenated polymers within the high pressure gas stream, since halogenated polymers releasing toxic by-products when burned. Although the risk is low, Beacon Medæs says the impact could be severe. It thus ensures that no halogenated polymers are present in the high pressure gas stream to guarantee patient safety in the event of a third party fire.
Emphasis has also been placed on reducing footprint, as space within a manifold room can often be confined. By integrating the primary manifold header within the ERM control panel, the company has reduced the width by 24% compared with its previous model, making the product ‘quick and easy to install.’
The Beacon Medæs ERM meets the requirements of HTM 02-01, and is CE marked according to the Medical Devices Directive 93/42.
