A&E Fastrack Pneumatic Tube Systems

In every general hospital with a pneumatic tube delivery system,

A&E, or the ED as it’s often called, will be the most frequent user.   

A&E Fastrack Pneumatic Tube SystemsOur research into A&E hospitals using aerocom pneumatic tube systems in the UK, is conclusive of just how dominated by the Emergency Departments sample transportation these sites really are!

Example: Of the total sends at Queen Alexandra Hospital  Portsmouth of 11,326 carriers to and from sample handling over 1 week, 3,780 (33.3%) were from the two Emergency Treatment stations in the A&E Department.
On a multiple zone pneumatic network A&E will have a programmed send priority, which in peak periods will cause other non-urgent users to wait until A&E stop sending pods.
Fortunately on this particular site the two A&E stations, S202 & S203, have an exclusive fastrack to station S201 in Sample Handling. This keeps the high traffic flow away from the main system and reduces waiting time for non-urgent users.

 


A&E Fastrack Pneumatic Tube Systems

A&E Fastrack Pneumatic Tube Systems :CASE STUDY

When aerocom were contracted by the University Hospital Lewisham to replace their original pneumatic tube system supplied by another manufacturer, we adjusted the system design to allow the Emergency Department a fastrack.
The original site layout had 6 working zones and for the ED to get samples to the Lab, the carriers has to cross from zone 6 to either zone 2 or 5. With a large maternity and ward block, also having to transfer to lab zones, the effect on traffic flow was slowing down the system for all users.
To further complicate matters the transfer interchange was in a remote location which effectively directed the A&E samples from their location within 100m of the lab, on a 400m detour. The traffic flow was studied and with a aerocom re-design, the transfer interchange was centralised to the site, and the ED was provided with an exclusive fastrack to an additional lab station.
Both the main system and the fastrack are AC3000 system models, with computerised monitoring and RFID tracking. The upgrade and switchover to aerocom AC3000 resulted in a 50% increase in sample traffic flow across the entire campus.

 

Even hospitals with pneumatic tube systems from other suppliers can install an aerocom independent fastrack.

Aerocom have simple point to point systems such as AC2u which are supplied with a microprocessor control system and are extremely cost efficient.
We can also supply a more Hi-Tech solution with the AC3000 control system as an independent zone.

and when it comes to state of the art technology, aerocom have all the solutions

Using the AC3000 system we can link A&E to Pathology not only with a dedicated fastrack, but can also add an Automatic Unloading Station.
Lab staff at sample handling will be delighted with this innovation. The AUS delivers the carriers, unloads the samples into a tray, then returns the empty carriers automatically.

Streamlining sample handling for todays busy A&E departments provides a three-fold return on investment

  1. The traffic flow will increase on the main system eliminating the need for porters to deliver samples when the pneumatic tube is overwhelmed at peak periods;
  2. A&E benefit from an exclusive fastrack to Pathology streamlining there sample handling operation;
  3. and in both instances the hospital will be reducing patient waiting times for test results.

If your A&E is struggling with sending samples to the lab, contact us, we have the solutions

 

 

 

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