Recently launched by Israel’s Savion Industries is a range of patient transportation systems for adults and children with highly contagious airborne infectious diseases such as swine flu, SARS, and tuberculosis, designed for “first line transportation” from initial patient reception to sterile isolation units.
The units are based on a negativepressure chamber mounted on a transportation stretcher patient trolley. The mobile stretcher chambers provide complete air circulation within the chamber via a carbon filter and blower, thus providing sufficient time for full diagnosis and initial treatment while simultaneously preventing expulsion of contaminated air from within. The systems operate on rechargeable batteries for up to 12 hours of continuous operation. The transparent chambers are fitted with conduit sleeves via which patients can be diagnosed or receive treatment, and are connectable to cables for monitoring equipment or tubes for ventilation or I/V drips. The isolation chambers “do not in any way interfere with operation of the stretchers or paediatric beds”.
