Space is one of the biggest issues that hospitals have; all of the corridors, rooms and stations are need for a purpose and there can be more people than one may realize crammed inside a small space. A pneumatic tube system is just one way in which this problem can be solved; the tube system transports small items around the hospital, for example lab samples, medicines and paper, through an air system that consists of tubes that run within the walls of buildings. This will reduce the amount that staff has to travel to deliver much needed urgent samples, medicines and papers to their destinations. This system will be useful in busy hospitals, especially in emergencies and laboratories where additional staff is not able to be provided and there is a limited amount of floor space, allowing for the daily operations to occur. The Pneumatic Tube System is quiet and will take up the space that care providers and patients require.

Ceiling-Mounted Pneumatic Tube Systems vs Traditional Transport Methods

Two common methods for transporting items in the hospital are using pneumatic tubes installed above the ceiling or staff carrying items by hand or on trolleys. Both serve their purpose, but in the flow of the hospital they achieve their purpose in very different ways.Most of the parts of the pneumatic tube system are hidden overhead. Tubes sit above hallways or within walls and link critical areas, such as labs, pharmacies and emergency rooms. When it is to be sent, staff put it in a carrier, send it through the Laboratory Automation system and it is there in minutes. This configuration frees up floor space from the need to use additional carts or storage rooms in the corridors. It also decreases the crowding in close wing areas where every meter counts in the hospital.Traditional transport is via walking or rolling carts. The nurse or aide may have to walk away from the station, pass through elevators or hallways to hand deliver the item. This can be time consuming, particularly in rush hour. It can also cause delays in larger hospitals, when staff is already occupied with providing patient care. Carts consume space, and, if too many are present on the floor, they can obstruct hallways.A definite example is that emergency departments will experience fewer delays to care. This can be done in minutes by sending the blood sample through the tube system, or in much longer time if the sample had to be taken manually during a high volume shift. That distinction may impact the speed of decision making by doctors.However, manual movement is not a waste of effort. Tube systems are not suitable for some of the items as they are too large, too fragile or too sensitive. If these do occur, staff should handle the child with care.Many hospitals today employ combinations of the two procedures. The tube system is used for quick, small delivery; everything is controlled by people. This balance helps to maintain space and reduce traffic in the hallways, and ensures a smoother running of day to day operations without the need for additional rooms or building expansion.

Reducing Hospital Corridor Congestion with Pneumatic Tube Systems

Hospital halls can become crowded in a short span of time. Staff constantly move from wards to laboratories, doctors hospitals, pharmacies and emergency rooms. With visitors, equipment carts and emergency beds, the space can feel cramped, even in a good design. This is where pneumatic tube systems come into play to keep things moving without having to add to the traffic on the floor.Staff don't have to go back and forth to carry over the tubes small but urgent items, but can just send them through the tubes in the walls or ceiling. It can take a few minutes for blood samples, lab results and medication to be passed between departments. This will eliminate a lot of "short trips" which can fill hallways all day long.One such real-life example is in the busy EDs. Nurses have to take several blood samples to the laboratory during peak hours. If you don't have a tube system, this would involve making multiple journeys down the corridor, sometimes through people and equipment. As a result of the system, those trips no longer exist, and hallways are more free-flowing and less congested.The pharmacists too get benefitted. They can send medication to the various floors, rather than sending a runner. This reduces the congestion of people waiting in elevators or standing in corridor junctions which are often found in large hospitals.Reduced crowding in corridors makes it a safer, more predictable environment to move around. Stretchers may pass through promptly and during emergency situations staff can respond more quickly. It also reduces the risk of a bump or obstructed pathway that can impede care flow.Some hospitals also see a more peaceful work environment following installation. The movement seems more streamlined as fewer people pass through confined areas. Staff will have more time for care giving and less for logistics, in busy facilities a lot of time can go towards logistics.

Maximizing Hospital Space Efficiency Using Pneumatic Tube Systems

Space is always at a premium at the hospital. New equipment is added, patient numbers increase and departments are often expanding without additional space. This means the use of space is as significant as how the care is provided. Hospitals are finding greater value in their space with pneumatic tube systems.The largest space savings are found with the elimination of transport carts and storage spaces that run down corridors. These carts are often placed in corners or along walls, in many hospitals, occupying precious walking room. A tube system is installed with small deliveries passing through concealed lines fitted in the walls or ceiling. This opens up hallways and creates more usable, open space to move around and provides emergency access.The workstations are more mobile as well. Instead of designing the lab and nursing stations around constant patient movement, the space can be designed around the care of the patient, not the movement. The design of compact and efficient designs can be easily developed, especially for older hospitals in retrofitting situations, as opposed to creating a new structure.An example of this would be the pharmacy departments. Instead of having large stations for medication runners or a staging area for delivery carts, medications can be delivered directly where they are needed. This reduces the chance of extra shelves, wait counters, or holding rooms that take up floor space and are not in use often.Storage rooms are not overcrowded either. The items being delivered every day don't need to be staged to be carried over by hand, meaning that supplies can be stored neatly in a smaller, assigned space. This allows for quicker access to needed items without taking up too much floor space.The ceiling space has been taken into consideration. Tubes may sometimes be run through a ceiling or in back of walls creating an area used as a network. This also keeps room on the main level for care of patients, and the movement of equipment and emergency response.The overall design is a cleaner one with few obstructions, although it may not appear larger, but definitely appears to function better.

Integrating Pneumatic Tube Systems into Existing Hospital Infrastructure

In the case where installation of a pneumatic tube system within an operating hospital, planning and much of work could be done while no wall penetrations or total shut down of a wing need be implemented. Normally most hospital refurbishment can be achieved while operation is kept normal.A site visit is typically the first part of any new project. This involves examining the structural features of the building-walls, ceilings and service shafts and identifying ideal places for tubes, avoiding other services that may be passing behind walls, for example electrical wires, air vents and fire-safety lines. This is particularly crucial in older buildings as there may only be a limited space behind the wall.Following, important connection points are selected. Typically such areas are the lab, the pharmacy, the emergency department, and sometimes operating theatres. Hospitals tend to start at a few key stations, as opposed to all rooms at once. This way staff will familiarize themselves with the system without overloading the workload.Installation is frequently accomplished in stages. The work crews can work on one wing or floor at a time, while the remainder of the hospital carries on with business as usual. As far as possible, noise and disruption are minimised by working outside of peak hours.The first hospital example shown is of a medium sized hospital in which only the emergency department and laboratory had a connection with each other before system use. Originally staff had to walk samples to the floors above. Those walks were sharply reduced as soon as the system was implemented and more time could be dedicated to patient care. The system then expanded to the radiology and pharmacy areas, after the positive impacts of the original implementation.Included in the process is the training which must be done with staff members to load the carriers correctly, route their loads to the proper station, and react appropriately to a basic jam or alert. Training must be hands on, and does not usually take a great amount of time.Over time, staff can learn the system as a part of their daily routine without the inconvenience of crowded corridors and staff, and with little time lost