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Biological Controls

 

Hospital and Health Care (healthcare) Facilities
Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms
Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms

All Biological Controls air purification systems and equipment are HEPA filtered and comply with all CDC Guidelines and is FDA 510K certified, mandatory for air purification systems and equipment for use in Hospitals, Health Care (healthcare), and Medical facilities. CDC, OSHA and JCAHO mandate all of the specifications below for use in negative pressure isolation rooms.

FDA 510K Certified MANDATORY for use in hospital and heath care facilities in creating a
Negative Pressure Isolation Room or a Positive Pressure Isolation Room.


FDA Gov site


Additional Applications
Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms:
Greater air pressure in the isolation room than in the adjacent corridor or anteroom. To prevent transmission from the outside environment to profoundly immunosuppressed persons patients (HIV infection).
Fungi Spores Examples:
Prevention of aspergillosis in bone-marrow transplant recipients. Anthrax, Eryptoccus, Micropolyspora

   Create a Negative Pressure Isolation Room

   MICROCON® ExC7 with Germicidal UV
Features for a Negative Pressure Isolation Room System
Create negative pressure isolation room rooms
Create positive pressure isolation room rooms
3 capacity fans 1/5, 1/4, 1/2 HP
HEPA filtered
Ceiling or shelf mounted
Filter replacement from room side
Built-in Minihelic pressure gauge
Self-contained or isolated fan
Choice of CFM capacities depending on the size of the negative pressure isolation room and/or positive pressure isolation room
Filtered exhaust can be to outside of the isolation room, exhaust, ventilation, ceiling plenums or return air system back into the isolation room
One base model w/UV option
All equipment units interface with ACCUSTAT® Isolation Room Monitor


View of ExC7 from within negative
pressure isolation room or positive
pressure isolation room.

The MICROCON® Exhaust product line is a series of HEPA filtration systems designed to exhaust controlled amounts of room air to create negative pressure isolation rooms. CDC, OSHA and JCAHO mandate the use of negative pressure isolation rooms for known or suspected TB Tuberculosis patients and today Avian Bird Flu Influenza. Compliance is a matter of hours at a fraction of the cost of engineering controls.

Negative Pressure Isolation Room Requirements:
Being compliant and meeting "CDC Guidelines: Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms in hospital and healthcare facilities must create at least 12 air changes per hour." Our ExC7 has the appropriate discharge of air outdoors or monitored HEPA high-efficiency filtration of room air before the air is returned through the duct work or vented to the outside. The ExC7 can also be installed into a facility's duct work in order to create a permanent negative pressure isolation room at a more affordable price than a standard room conversion.

Negative Pressure Isolation Room Definition:
The relative air pressure difference between two areas in a health care facility. An isolation room at negative pressure has a lower pressure than that of adjacent areas, which keeps air from flowing out of the isolation room and into adjacent rooms or areas.

Positive Pressure Isolation Room Definition:
Greater air pressure in the isolation room than in the adjacent corridor or anteroom. To prevent transmission from the outside environment to profoundly immunosuppressed persons/patients. Recirculation Ventilation in which all or most of the air that is exhausted from an area is returned to the same area or other areas of the facility.


Same Isolation Room view with
Pre-filtered and HEPA exposed

These 12 ACH Air Changes per Hour needs to be accurately monitored (CDC Guidelines)
Biological Controls' ACCUSTAT™ room pressure monitor is designed specifically for monitoring low negative or positive pressure differentials. Accurate pressurization is a vital step in creating a compliant, controlled and safe environment. Ideally suited for monitoring hospital isolation rooms or pressure differentials in other critical applications. A large lighted digital display readout identifies instantaneous sub-fractional pressure changes when compared to the adjoining areas. Pressure readings are accurate to within .001” WG with audio and visual alarms identifying unsatisfactory conditions. The ACCUSTAT™ utilizes a highly sensitive pressure transducer eliminating the varying inconsistencies of “airflow” monitors. Air pressure tends to be more consistent and less corrupted by airflow direction disruption, thereby reducing the frequency of false alarms and inconsistent.

Link to ACCUSTAT URL
Be sure to bookmark this page before leaving!

ExC7 for Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms

The ExC7 is a high capacity self-contained HEPA filtered exhaust unit. When placed in a 2x2 drop ceiling grid, it requires only 13" of ceiling clearance. Its fan is housed in a separate enclosure while the ExC7 fan is integrated into the filter housing. This unit is highly recommended for creating hospital negative pressure isolation rooms for TB patients and Avian Bird Flu Influenza H5N1 patients and assistance with preparedness. Positive Isolation Rooms for HIV infection.

ExC7 Isolation Room Equipment Blower Box and Diffuser

A swing-down stainless steel grille allows easy and safe in-room access to filters for maintenance and replacement. Individual components are connected by 10" or 12" ducting which directs a high volume of filtered air to your choice of exhaust locations. Filtered air can also be returned to the room through a ceiling- mounted diffuser to provide dilution and in-room air changes. A built-in pressure gauge continually monitors the unit's performance.

 


Isolation Room Equipment
Built-In Pressure Gauge

  ExC7-UV Isolation Room requiring UV


ExC7-UV Isolation Room with view of
UV, HEPA & Pre-filter

The ExC7-UV is identical to the ExC7, except for the addition of four UV lamps. In applications requiring UV, this configuration improves performance by the addition of HEPA filtration. Four high intensity UV lamps are placed upstream of the filters, virtually eliminating periodic bulb maintenance within the isolation room by preventing particle buildup on the lamps surfaces, thereby cutting down their irradiation effectiveness.

Lamps are shielded and a built-in digital hour meter and electronic light sensor bar provide constant bulb performance status. A built-in pressure differential gauge monitors filter performance to assure operation at peak performance levels. This will help keep the isolation room fully compliant.

ExC7-UV for in-room irradiation and filtration or creating negative pressure isolation rooms housing TB and Avian Bird Flu Influenza H5N1 patients.


EXC7 Sample Configurations for Negative Pressure Rooms

Diagram Drawing Picture Photos of Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms - with Design Variations


configuration E

3 Models Available

Building Management
System Specs

Blower Module

1/5 HP

Blower Module

1/4 HP

Blower Module

 1/2 HP

Part Number

EXC7 BM  1.2

115V (only)

EXC7 BM  1.25 (115V)

Or

EXC7 BM  2.25 (230V)

 

EXC7 BM  1.5 (115V)

Or

EXC7 BM  2.25 (230V)

 

Blower Type

PSC Direct Drive Fwd Curve

PSC Direct Drive

Fwd Curve

PSC Direct Drive

Fwd Curve

Bearing Type

Perm. Lub Sleeve

Perm. Lub Ball

Perm. Lub Ball

Volts

115V,50/60Hz 1Ph

115V or 230v ,50/60Hz 1Ph

115V or 230v ,50/60Hz 1Ph

FLA Amps

2.2-3.3 Amps

3.66A@115V,1.8@230v

3.66A@115V,1.8@230v

HP/Speed

1/5 HP , 2-speed

1/4  HP, single speed

1/2  HP, single speed

Elec. Protection

Auto-Reset

Thermal Overload

Auto-Reset

Thermal Overload

Auto-Reset

Thermal Overload

Free Air CFM

549 /797 CFM

990 CFM

1202 CFM

Delivered CFM

435 / 495 CFM

500 CFM

800 CFM

RPM

970 / 1360

1080

1390

Service

Maintenance Free

Maintenance Free

Maintenance Free

Mount Position

ALL POSITIONS

ALL POSITIONS

ALL POSITIONS

Oper. Temp

-20º to 104º F

-20º to 104º F

-20º to 104º F

FM Interface

Cable & Chassis Connector Included

Cable & Chassis Connector Included

Cable & Chassis Connector Included

Facility  Elec

Interface

2X4” Elec Box Included

2X4” Elec Box Included

2X4” Elec Box

 Included

Fuse/Breaker

5A  FUSE

10A Circuit Breaker

10A Circuit Breaker

Hangers

4 Eye-Hooks

4 Eye-Hooks

4 Eye-Hooks

Chassis

20ga Galvz Steel, Powder Coat Paint

20ga Galvz Steel, Powder Coat Paint

20ga Galvz Steel, Powder Coat Paint

Duct Collars

10”Diam x 2”high

2ea-In and Out

12”Diam x 2”high

2ea-In and Out

12”Diam x 2”high

2ea-In and Out

Weight

30 LBS

36 LBS

49 LBS

Dimensions

13.5”x13.5”x13.5”

(W x L x H)

18”x17”x15”

(W x L x H)

18”x17”x15”

(W x L x H)

Agency

FDA Approval

FDA Approval

FDA Approval



Products & Services
Can your hospital handle the pressure?
Airborne isolation capacity ramps up nationwide

Airborne isolation has come to the forefront of hospital concerns, due to the potential for a pandemic of avian influenza H5N1.

If and when a pandemic Avian Bird Flu H5N1 emergency strikes your facility you could encounter pandemonium with an influx of potentially contagious persons, panic-stricken victims and their families - how do you keep everyone calm, safe, and secure. A new round of federal funding from Health and Human Services HHS announced in June has been earmarked for states to help "strengthen their capacity to respond to terrorism and other public health emergencies." In announcing an additional $1.2 billion for bioterrorism preparedness, HHS Secretary, Mike Leavitt, said, "All emergency incidents, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or terrorist-induced, begin as local matters and with this program, states and communities will build on the preparedness gains they've made over the past four years."

Included in the new HHS funding, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is providing an additional $450 million for states to develop medical surge capacity and capability to deal with mass casualty events. This includes the development of isolation capacity. HRSA's National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, "Critical Benchmark #2-2 Surge Capacity: Isolation Capacity".

Surge capacity for a pandemic is defined as a healthcare system's ability to expand quickly beyond normal services to meet an increased demand for medical care in the event of bioterrorism or other large-scale public health emergencies

HRSA Guidance Document
"Ensure that all participating hospitals have the capacity to maintain, in negative pressure isolation room, at least one suspected case of any highly infectious disease (e.g., small pox, pneumonic plague, SARS, Avian Flu 5HN1 Influenza and hemorrhagic fevers) or for any febrile patient with a suspect rash or other symptoms of concern who might possibly be developing a potentially highly communicable disease.

In addition, the awardee must identify at least one regional healthcare facility in each awardee hospital preparedness region as defined by the awardees FY 2003 work plan that is able to support the initial evaluation and treatment of at least 10 adult and pediatric patients at a time in negative pressure isolation room within 3 hours post-event.

While this is the minimum criteria for surge capacity as defined by HRSA, "everyone has their own individual agenda and have taken steps in the past that might help meet this criteria while others are adding. The big question still remains "How much is enough?"

The greatest advantage of the MICROCON® 800 is its completely mobile and can be rolled into any patient room and very quickly be set up along with our ACCUSTAT® Room Pressure monitor also available as a portable and convert any room into a negative pressure isolation room, virtually in minutes and be compliant.

For larger surge capacity pandemic preparedness we have developed and just introduced our brand new AirePhase HEPA Filtration Unit. Standard rooms are 10 x 10 x 12 foot room usually capable of two beds. Existing Isolation rooms have been created to house one (1) patient. For surge capacity of 10 or more beds the infection control personal and adminstration are going to have to look further for other rooms within the hospital that could quickly be convert from say a lounge area to a surge capacity negative pressure isolation room. We here at Biological Controls have the design ability to help you create such a room and all thats needed. Air flow supply, good proper sealing of the room, exhaust thru HEPA filtration and recirculated within the isolation room or exhausted to the outside. Biological Controls has an isolation room system that will fit your individual custom needs, and isolation room equipment that will last for years.

CDC Guidelines Patient Placement
Avian flu H5N1 patients need to be place in a private room that has monitored negative air pressure in relation to the corridor and or anteroom. Our ExC7 handles this situation perfectly and meets CDC Guidelines creating at least 12 air changes per hour. Our ExC7 has the appropriate discharge of air outdoors or monitored HEPA high-efficiency filtration of room air before the air is returned through the ductwork or vented to the outside. The ExC7 can also be installed into a facility's ductwork in order to create a permanent negative pressure room at a more affordable price than a standard room conversion.

The CDC further iterates "keep the isolation room door closed and the patient in the negative pressure room. When a private room is not available, place the patient in a room with a patient who has active infection with the same microorganism, unless otherwise recommended. But with no other infection. When a private room is not available and cohorting is not desirable, consultation with infection control professionals is advised before patient placement. Patient placement when a private room is not available and cohorting is not achievable, then where ever you do finally house these patients in such an unusual emergency, be sure to maintain spatial separation of at least 3 ft between the infected patient and other patients and visitors."

Anterooms and isolation chambers
The use of an "anteroom" can reduce the escape of droplet nuclei during the opening and closing of the door to a negative pressure isolation room.

Other Considerations:
A Pandemic disaster, be it naturally occurring, or an act of bioterrorism, may come without warning. It may seem to instantly overwhelm your facility. And even the most dedicated healthcare worker may feel totally overwhelmed. They will be quite literally risking their lives to help those in need. What can you do to help protect the safety of patients, coworkers, families, and the general public and help ease the fears of caregivers. These are the questions hospital administrators are addressing. Committees nationwide are convening to discuss pandemic preparedness plans at every level. A big part of those discussions involves airborne isolation rooms and surge capacity planning for pandemic preparedness of Avian Bird Flu strain H5N1.

Isolation capacity refers to the ability to segregate patients with an infectious disease away from the rest of the patient population, to help prevent nosocomial transmission of disease.

Key to isolating airborne contaminants in the hospital is the use of negative pressure isolation. A room that is under negative pressure has a lower pressure than adjacent areas. The airflow in the negatively pressured room is such that when the doors are opened, air is drawn into the room, rather than the contaminated air being pushed out of the room. CDC advises managing known and suspected cases of both SARS and avian influenza using isolation precautions. These include: "Airborne Precautions: Place the patient in an airborne isolation room (AIR). Such rooms should have monitored negative air pressure in relation to corridor, 12 air changes per hour (ACH), and exhaust air directly outside or have recirculated air filtered by a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. All of Biological Controls' HEPA Filter units meets and exceeds these CDC Guidelines. If an AIR is unavailable, our WallMap portable HEPA filter unit can augment the 12 ACH required."

While the preferred way to achieve negative pressure isolation is through a dedicated engineered airborne isolation room, also referred to as an airborne infection isolation (AIR) room, this option is also the most costly. Few hospitals have enough AII rooms to accommodate any type of surge situation and it's difficult and expensive to retrofit an existing patient room into an AII room, as well as to maintain it to standards.

A case study in December 2004 of the isolation capacity of hospitals in Minnesota, found that 85% of the hospitals' AIR rooms failed to meet the AIR functional criteria.

TNPI
Fortunately for hospitals with tight budgets, regulations don't require permanent AII rooms for surge capacity; they allow for alternative temporary solutions, sometimes referred to as Temporary Negative Pressure Isolation (TNPI). A much less expensive, easier-to-maintain, and flexible alternative to constructing a permanent isolation room. Biological Controls' Mobile MICROCON® 800/400 HEPA filtered air purification units have been successfully satisfying this solution in over 3,000 hospitals across the country.

TNPI can take on many forms, ranging from individual patient solutions to surge capacity custom designed for such situations. While organizations such as the CDC provide general guidelines for establishing negative pressure isolation, it's up to the facility to determine the best solution for their needs and to incorporate that solution into an overall preparedness plan.

A two-day workshop in August 2005, cosponsored by the Department of Defense and Harvard University, discussed future and current needs and available technology for TNPI. Key findings from the meeting included: "Significantly more isolation capacity is required in hospitals and emergency management areas; there is a genuine and valid need for TNPI, but it must be as part of an integrated system; other aspects of TNPI, such as use of personal protective equipment and proper procedures, are as important as the TNPI itself, and many fundamental questions about the spread of disease, and the impact of isolation on it, still remain to be answered."

 

Isolation Room Systems

MICROCON® ExC7 For Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities in creating Isolation Rooms.
Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms and Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms.
Clean air and the control of airflow have become vitally important in the control of airborne diseases, particularly TB and Avian Bird Flu Influenza H5N1. The increase in TB cases, particularly drug resistant strains, has caused the CDC to write a guideline for Isolation Rooms in controlling TB in Health Care facilities. These Isolation Room guidelines are now being enforced by OSHA. JCAHO has followed it in their process and is looking for compliance as part of certification. These agencies take this very seriously.

There is a greater need in the Third World Countries for Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms for TB
and Preparedness of Pandemic Avian Bird Flu Influenza H5N1.
An even more measureless need for Positive Isolation Rooms for treating HIV infection

TB kills more adolescents and adults than any other single infection. It is also a leading cause of death among women. Almost 2 billion people are infected with the disease worldwide or nearly one-third of the world's population. M. tuberculosis is carried in airborne particles, or droplet nuclei, that can be generated when persons who have pulmonary or laryngeal TB sneeze, cough, speak, or sing. The particles are an estimated 1-5 um in size, and normal air currents can keep them airborne for a prolonged time periods and spread them throughout a room or building. Infection occurs when a susceptible person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis, and these droplet nuclei traverse the mouth or nasal passages, upper respiratory tract, and bronchi to reach the alveoli of the lungs. Thus creating the demand and need of Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms for risk reduction to all health care personnel in medical care facilities.

Immunocomprised persons have a greater risk for the progression of latent TB infection to activate TB disease; HIV infection is the strongest known risk factor for this progression.

Transmission of M. tuberculosis is a recognized risk in health care facilities. The magnitude of the risk varies considerably by the type healthcare facility in which the HCW’s (Health Care Workers) occupational group, the area of the health care (healthcare) facility in which the HCW works, and effectiveness of TB infection-control interventions.

Biological Controls' MICROCON® units for use in Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms and Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms
An effective TB infection control program requires early identification, isolation rooms, and effective treatment of persons who have active TB.

The second level of the hierarchy is the use of engineering controls to prevent the spread and reduce the concentration of infectious droplet nuclei within the isolation room. These controls include a) direct source control using local exhaust ventilation, b) controlling direction of airflow within the isolation room to prevent contamination air in areas adjacent to the isolation room and the infectious source, c) diluting and removing contaminated air via general ventilation, and d) air cleaning via air filtration or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) all within the isolation room.

In the early 90's, with the advent and resurgence of TB, Biological Controls started designing and building MICROCON® equipment specifically for airborne infection control applications. With the exception of some localized problems, the disease has not reached epidemic proportions in the US. In 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) adopted Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of TB in Health Care Facilities (Guidelines) in an attempt to minimize the risk that TB might be passed from patients to healthcare workers, other patients and visitors. The Guidelines also recognized that the greatest risk of TB transmission exists with undiagnosed TB cases. The Guidelines also recognizes that a complete program to control TB must include engineering controls to reduce the concentration of infectious droplet nuclei in the air. The Guidelines impose a rather comprehensive list of features, which are to be designed into Airborne Infectious Isolation Rooms both Negative and Positive, with Minimum Standards.

Biological Controls offers an array of Isolation Room products which are designed to:

  • Reduce risks of transmission of disease
  • Provide compliance with all regulations for an isolation room
  • Eliminate the need for expensive renovations to HVAC systems connect to the isolation room

All of Biological Controls’ filter units comply with CDC Guidelines, and are FDA 510K certified.
“An FDA 510K certification is mandatory for air purification systems in hospital use!”

Especially for creating an isolation room.
The products include those for removal of airborne pathogens, creation of negative pressure isolation rooms, monitoring of pressure differential conditions and enclosures for use in performing high risk procedures or holding patients who are known or suspected to be at risk of transmitting airborne diseases. Knowing that this type of equipment is performing to specifications is very difficult, since the particles being removed are invisible to the naked eye, or the pressure differential cannot be sensed. For these reasons our products have been independently tested and products like the ACCUSTAT® were designed to help reassure isolation room compliance.

Each isolation room product is designed to perform a specific function in meeting the CDC Guidelines engineering controls. Integrating them into a system provides an inexpensive, yet superior performance as an alternative to standard engineering retrofits.

The requirements for isolation rooms are not specific to TB since isolation room precautions are required for a variety of other infectious diseases (e.g., varicella zoster, rubeola). Patients with TB should be isolated in a room where the air pressure is negative to the corridor, resulting in inward directional airflow back into the isolation room.

Health care (healthcare) facilities should determine the number of isolation rooms they require. If several isolation rooms are necessary, consideration should be given to locating these rooms in one area of the facility. Health care facilities should also liaison with regional and public health authorities to determine the number of isolation rooms required for the region outlines.

Isolation Rooms & Pressurization Control
Isolation Room Systems can be classified in two (2) basic categories:
• Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms: The relative air pressure difference between two areas in a health care (healthcare) facility. A room at negative pressure has a lower pressure than that of adjacent areas, which keeps air from flowing out of the room and into adjacent rooms or areas, preventing airborne transmission.
Viruses Examples: Measles, Mumps, Chicken pox, Influenza, and suspected or proven pulmonary or laryngeal Type M. tuberculosis.
Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms: Greater air pressure in the isolation room than in the adjacent corridor or anteroom. To prevent transmission from the outside environment to profoundly immunosuppressed persons/patients.
Fungi Spores Examples: Prevention of aspergillosis in bone marrow transplant recipients. Anthrax, Eryptoccus, Micropolyspora

The intent of the CDC in developing guidelines that they be readily achievable by community health care institutions with minimal funds. Anyone who has training in liability issues as they relate to health care knows that codes and standards are recognized by the legal community as minimum requirements, so creative interpretation of the Guidelines to minimize cost of implementation is strongly discouraged.

To be entirely successful, a project to develop a new Isolation Room in any institution should include early involvement of the nursing staff who will manage the room, the Infection Control Department, and the maintenance staff.

The MICROCON® ExC7 Important Engineering Features for Isolation Rooms
The MICROCON® ExC7 has an isolation room airflow minimum of 12 air changes per hour. The Guidelines do not specify if the supply airflow or the exhaust airflow should equal 12 air changes per hour, but making the supply air flow equal to 12 air changes per hour is the most conservative approach for an Isolation room.

Therefore, based upon that premise, for most normal capacity rooms the MICROCON ExC7 is more than sufficient to satisfy the isolation room minimum 12 ACH requirement.  Knowing the specific parameters of room volume, supply and exhaust air capacity, will better determine the exact require and number of air changes that can be created to assure isolation room compliance using the ExC7 system.

CDC Guidelines regarding isolation rooms states that the exhaust airflow volume should exceed the supply airflow volume by approximately 10% or 50 CFM, whichever is greater, to maintain a negative pressure within the Isolation Room with respect to surrounding areas. MICROCON® ExC7 has the capacity to comply with this CDC isolation room recommendation. Negative pressure will cause an inward flow of air into the Isolation Room when doors are opened, preventing the migration of bacteria to the surroundings. The location and process of air intake and exhaust was deemed critical to its functionality and uniqueness. The path of the air being from the undercut of the door sweeping to the intake of the MICROCON® unit in the ceiling of the isolation room.

When HEPA filtration is utilized as a method of air cleaning it supplements other recommended ventilation measures. HEPA filters remove a minimum of 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns and larger. TB bacteria have a rod-like shape with a minimum diameter of 0.5 microns. All air is HEPA filtered by the MICROCON® ExC7 within the isolation room before exhaust.

HEPA filters by design are resistant to the passage of air. Therefore, proper sealing of HEPA filters is essential to maintaining the integrity of the system. Any bypass of unfiltered air compromises the system. The CDC Guidelines for Hospital Isolation Rooms address the need for adequate sealing in health care (healthcare) air purification systems. Also a means of assessing the loading of the HEPA filter, is necessary. Biological Controls manufacturer of the MICROCON® ExC7, has all products equipped with a minihelic gauge (a pressure differential gauge designed to monitor filter life expectancy). As the filter becomes clogged with contaminants (thereby increasing resistance) the less filtered air is delivered at rated flow. HEPA filters don’t become less efficient with use only their airflow delivery diminishes with use. The pressure reading on the gauge is an objective means to determine the filter loading and degree of resistance on the isolation room system. It is a much more accurate means than the more commonly used, less costly and less accurate filter warning light.

Pressure measurement for variable volume supply and exhaust systems in the isolation room is critical. If variable volume is used, it is imperative that accurate, reliable controls must be used to sense the pressure differential between the patient isolation room and the surroundings and adjust the fan operation to maintain the desired pressure differential.

The MICROCON® ExC7 is equipped with a 2 (high & low) speed fan control. This will allow precise calibration of exhausted air. The isolation room unit will deliver between 300 to 450 CFM of air. A minihelic gauge monitors filter performance and alerts you to filter replacement or a malfunction. A lighted switch advises when the unit is operating.

CONSTANT OPERATION
Circumstances may exist where negative pressure cannot be constantly maintained within an isolation room or where cost or time constrains in creating a negative pressure isolation room environment are prohibitive. A combination of the ACCUSTAT® and the MICROCON® ExC7 for this application are ideal.

The isolation room system is not permanent so that it can be easily installed for a short period of time if necessary. To maintain constant negative pressure within a room the MICROCON® ExC7 or EX-BB is ducted out and the ACCUSTAT® is installed by attachment to the wall outside the isolation room. By determining the room air supply volume and exceeding that by at least 10% or 50 cfm negative pressure should be constantly maintained while the ACCUSTAT® confirms compliance.

Further the MICROCON® ExC7 meets the CDC Isolation Room Guidelines specifying a minimum pressure differential of 0.001 inches w.g. (water gage) or an inward velocity of 100 feet per minute for the Isolation Room. Our ACCUSTAT® isolation room monitors equipped for differential pressure measurement should be utilized for this application. Our ACCUSTAT® Isolation room pressure monitors are designed to allow you to continually know the pressure differential status of any isolation room whether it be negative or positive and maintain compliance with all regulations.

The Isolation Rooms should be well sealed from the surroundings to help maintain the pressure differential. Penetrations through walls must be sealed, and drywall or ceilings impervious to air should be used. Swinging doors are easier to seal than sliding doors. Since the ExC7 is recirculating air, UV ultra violet irradiation is recommended in combination with the ExC7 or our ExC7-UV as an extra precaution of irradiation especially for infectious viruses. e.g. Mumps, Measles, Chickenpox, and influenza.

Ultraviolet (Ultra Violet) Ultraviolet germicidal (UV) radiation in the 254-nanometer wavelength has proven effective in killing most types of airborne bacteria and viruses. Coupled with a high efficiency filter cell upstream of the four UV lamps the germicidal effectiveness is greatly enhanced.

Monitor Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms
ACCUSTAT® gives you an accurate digital readout of the pressure differential in the isolation room being monitored and the adjoining area. Ideal placement should be on a wall outside the isolation room to be monitored with a sampling tube directed into the isolation room. The ACCUSTAT® monitor will record and clearly display the differential pressure reading on the digital readout display to within .001 inches of static pressure for easy monitoring outside the room. Providing a visible and/or audible alarm when low air pressure is sensed, while incorporating a time delay to allow staff to enter the isolation room without activating the signal. If an Anteroom is provided with the Isolation Room, the Guidelines require that the Isolation Room be maintained at negative pressure with respect to the Anteroom. The pressure relationship between the Anteroom and the corridor is negative.

NO FALSE ALARMS
The ACCUSTAT® is designed with a visible or audible alarm that activates when the room drops below a predetermined set point. There is a 1 minute delay cycle designed to avoid nuisance alarms due to a temporary condition existing. This situation might arise when a healthcare worker or staff enters or exits the isolation room momentarily. The LED will light indicating negative pressure has been reached as will the digital readout record, the actual increase in pressure, but the alarm well not sound for that one minute grace period. But, after a minute if the room pressure has not returned to negative pressurization it will activate the sound alarm that an unsatisfactory condition exists. The alarm feature can also be muted.

REMOTE MONITORING
By connecting an optional cable which directly attaches to the sensor a remote monitoring station can be created to establish a multiple monitoring panel that identifies each ACCUSTAT® location and the status of the isolation room.

The ACCUSTAT® acts as a sentinel to provide continuous monitoring of the isolation rooms. Having this tool offers you a status report on an ongoing basis that you are in compliance with the standards and the codes and affording the protection required for patients and staff alike.

CREATING POSITIVE PRESSURE ISOLATION ROOMS
Having greater air pressure in the positive isolation room than in the adjacent corridor or anteroom. To prevent transmission from the outside environment to profoundly immunosuppressed persons/patients.

In creating a positive isolation room the ExC7 should be installed (ceiling mounted) outside the positive isolation room. The supply duct must be attached to the downstream exhaust connection of the unit and be directed into the positive pressure isolation room through a ceiling mounted diffuser. This is additional air and thereby positively pressurizing the room. Install a self-closing door in positive pressure rooms, considering the direction door swing in relationship to room pressure.

CREATING A COMPLETE SYSTEM
The ACCUSTAT® coupled with the MICROCON® ExC7 will provide a very useful and critical function at a fraction of the cost and time of major renovations to the HVAC system. The installation need not be permanent and can be relocated and repositioned at anytime wherever needed. However, it alone isn’t suitable as a means to allow for the required internal air changes to occur since its primary function is to clean exhausted air. Once established, the negative pressure isolation room is designed primarily to protect staff and patients outside the room by “containing” possible infectious airborne particulate within the isolation room. To complete the process of affording protection to healthcare workers and care givers who must enter the isolation room on an ongoing basis the MICROCON® 400/800 Mobile Hospital Air Purification System or the MICROCON® WallMAP should be utilized.

These will create the ventilation, dilution, filtration and irradiation “within” the isolation room that the CDC recommends to enhance and complete the process. By allowing for the maximum number of air changes to take place and for the creation of consistent air currents and patterns to be established inside the isolation room.

GLOSSARY For Negative and Positive Isolation Rooms
This glossary contains terms (and abbreviations) used in the guidelines, as well as terms that are frequently encountered by persons who implement infection control programs. The definitions are those that are most applicable for communicating with health professionals.
ACH Air changes per hour
Aerosol The droplet nuclei that are expelled by an infectious person (by coughing or sneezing for example). These droplet nuclei can remain suspended in the air and can transmit an infection to other persons.
Air Changes The ratio of the volume of air flowing through a space within a period of time (that is, the airflow rate) to the volume of that space (that is, the room volume). This ration is usually expressed as the number of air
changes per hour (ACH)
Air Diffuser An air outlet discharging supply of air in various directions and planes.
Air Mixing The degree to which air supplied to an isolation room mixes with the air already in the isolation room usually expressed as a mixing factor. This factor varies from 1 (for perfect mixing) to 10 (for poor mixing), and it is used as a multiplier to determine the actual airflow required. (The recommended ACH multiplied by the mixing factor equals the actual ACH)
Anteroom A small room leading from a corridor to an isolation room. This room can act as an airlock, preventing the escape of contaminants from the isolation room into the corridor.
Aspergillosis Infection with or disease caused (as in poultry) by molds.
ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. This professional body develops standards for building ventilation.
Bronchoscopy A procedure for examining the respiratory tract. An instrument (a bronchoscope) is inserted through the mouth or nose and into the trachea. The procedure can be used to obtain diagnostic specimens.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Computer-aided fluid modeling. Airflow patterns and air streams are calculated by solving fundamental fluid mechanics equations of laminar and turbulent flow, such as the flow pattern and distribution of wind blowing over a building.
Differential Pressure Gauge A pressure gauge that will display the difference in pressure between one port on the gauge and the other. It is normally placed to measure the difference in pressure between two rooms. Displacement Diffuser An outlet grill that creates displacement diffusion.
Displacement Diffusion A directional airflow pattern that provides a single-pass air stream. The air flows from the source, over the designed target area, to exhaust with the least mixing, therefore creating as little turbulence as
possible.
Droplet Nuclei Microscopic particles (1-5 um in diameter) produced when a person coughs, sneezes, shouts or sings. An infectious tuberculosis patient can produce droplet nuclei bacilli and remain suspended in the air currents in the
room.
High Efficiency Air (HEPA) Filter A filter is capable of removing 99.97% of particles sized 0.3 um in diameter. Filters may be used in ventilation systems to remove particles from the air. Immunosuppressed Immuno-compromised A state in which the immune system is not functioning normally (for example severe cellular immunosupression resulting from HIV infection or immunosuppressive therapy).
Infection The condition in which organisms capable of causing disease (for example, M. tuberculosis) enter the body and elicit a response from the hosts immune defenses. Tuberculosis infection may or may not lead to clinical disease. Infectious Capable of transmitting infection
Negative Pressure Isolation Rooms The relative air pressure difference between two areas in a health care facility. An isolation room at negative pressure has a lower pressure than that of adjacent areas, which keeps air from flowing out of the isolation room and into adjacent rooms or areas.
Nosocomial Infection A hospital acquired infection.
Positive Pressure Isolation Rooms: Greater air pressure in the isolation room than in the adjacent corridor or anteroom. To prevent transmission from the outside environment to profoundly immunosuppressed persons/patients. Recirculation Ventilation in which all or most of the air that is exhausted from an area is returned to the same area or other areas of the facility.
Self Closing Door A door with a self closer (for example, a simple, mechanical hydraulic lever type closer)
Sputum Induction A method of obtaining sputum from a patient who is unable to cough up a specimen spontaneously. The patient inhales a saline mist, which stimulates a cough from deep within the lungs.
Transmission The spread of an infectious agent from one person to another. The likelihood of transmission is directly related to the duration and intensity of exposure to the pathogen.
Virulence The cause of a microorganism to cause disease.
VRE Vancomycin resistant enterocci
To learn more about all of our Hospital Air Purification Systems we welcome you to visit
our Home Page and scroll down to our Dossier. Or our Online Catalog Page. Call Us at 1.800.224.9768 8:30 AM to
4:30 PM Monday thru Friday USA Eastern Standard time in Eatontown, NJ or e-mail us at sales@biologiocalcontrols.com

 

Product Details (click link)
MICROCON® ExC Manual
Replacements
Components
Filters & UV lamps (Pricing)
Specifications
Submittal Drawing

MICROCON® ExC-BB

Electrical Schematics
Manuals
Replacements
Components
Filters & UV lamps (Pricing)
Specifications
Submittal Drawings
Blower Box
ExC-BB


MICROCON® ExC-BUV Electrical Schematics
Replacements
Components
Filters & UV lamps (Pricing)
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Submittal Drawing
 

Exhaust Options
Model Numbers
Wall Mounted Security Switch
 

 

FDA Medical Device Listing Number
FDA 510K Classification No. K974682

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EPA:
Environmental Protection Agency

   

American Lung Association

   

AAAAI:
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology

   

AANMA:
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics

   

OSHA:
US Department of Labor

   

National Safety Council
Environmental Health Center

   

ASHRAE:
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.

   

ACCA:
Air Conditioning Contractors of America

   

ARI:
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute

   

NADCA:
National Air Duct Cleaners Association

   

NAFA:
National Air Filtration Association

 


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