When it comes to latest technology, there can be little doubt that Mater Dei Hospital is beeping with the most cutting edge. After all, technology is not just about mobiles and tablets – in a hospital environment, it can help save lives.
There is no better example than the pneumatic tube system. Anthony Mifsud from the Engineering Directorate at Mater Dei Hospital explains this is an innovative form of communication that can be used to transfer everything from documents to pathology samples around the large expanse of the hospital in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, it is safe, sterile and remarkably efficient. Electronic tagging also makes it possible to monitor the status of a carrier capsule at any time while it is in transit.
The concept may be simple but the technology behind it is rather more complex. Carrier capsules, travelling in closed tubes, are propelled by means of air pressure (low pressure but high flow) and suction to all areas of the hospital. The best analogy is to think of it as a mini tube station where the exit and entry points are the stations, the tubes are the lines and the capsules are the trains.
Some five kilometres of tubes currently run through Mater Dei Hospital, connecting 83 stations found in all wards and all major departments
All capsules are directed electronically and pass to a central station where they await a clear line before being sent on to their programmed destination. The system has been designed to be user-friendly, with each station having a unique address code – this is manually inputted by staff to send the carrier to the correct location and is automatically logged and monitored on a computer. Furthermore, every carrier is colour-coded according to the kind of material being sent.
Normally each ward has five carriers and can each carry up to five kilograms, whether it is blood or urine samples, documentation or pharmaceuticals. The only exceptions are sharp objects such as syringes and potentially infectious substances.
The benefits are obvious and the pneumatic tube system has greatly improved turnover times in laboratory processing. Moreover, human error is almost completely removed from the equation.
Some five kilometres of tubes currently run through Mater Dei Hospital, connecting 83 stations found in all wards and all major departments. Some departments, such as the pathology department, have a lot of traffic and so have multi stations, allowing the simultaneous transport of several different types of materials. More stations are scheduled to be added with the new oncology unit that is currently under construction.
Preparations for the installation of the pneumatic tube system were incorporated at the drawing board stage of the hospital plans and some 1,600 transactions travel daily between various departments at speeds of up to five metres per second.
An air cushion at the designated station effectively slows the capsule down in the last metres of the journey, thus ensuring a gentle arrival of whatever cargo is being carried. The capsule then enters the exit chute where no air can escape – this is an important consideration from the hygiene and cross-contamination perspective. The speed of each carrier can also be automatically adjusted – this is particularly important in the case of certain fluids that cannot be shaken too much.
The pneumatic tube system operates 24 hours a day and is equipped with real-time monitoring – this is controlled via satellite and is capable of visualising, analysing and monitoring itself. At any one time, it is possible to know from where each capsule originated, where it was sent and when. Such monitoring constantly delivers information about the system status 365 days a year.
In addition, each carrier is periodically serviced to ensure that the sliding material that eases the passage of the tubes is not worn out as this could cause friction. Again, such important matters are not left to chance – rather, they are indicated by means of a chip that notifies staff electronically after the capsule has exceeded 400 kilometres of usage and therefore needs to be sent to the maintenance section.
This mileage tracking system has now been fully operational for 18 months and, as yet, no carriers have become lodged or blocked in the system. Nonetheless, round the clock monitoring is still necessary and an engineer and two senior technicians are always on call, 24 hours a day, to repair any faults should they occur. The system was installed by an Austrian company and members of the support staff were given in-house training at the company’s development and manufacturing site in Vienna.
The human factor of carrying medical supplies, medicines and documented results by hand or on trolleys has become a thing of the past at Mater Dei.
The system is now fully automated and is fast, fail safe and represents a quantum leap in efficiency. This makes it a win-win situation for patients and staff alike, with the latter now able to dedicate more of their time to core tasks.
However, the pneumatic tube system is only one of a number of exciting new technologies that have been implemented at Mater Dei Hospital.
In the Central Control Room, apart from the obvious CCTV cameras, it is possible to witness how the nurse call system works. This is an important attribute of modern medical care. Here, a nurse can be called electronically by the patient and both the original request and the response of the nurse (which is usually within two minutes) are electronically logged.
Another helpful form of technology is an alarm system installed in the handicapped assisted toilets for people who may fall or get into difficulty.
An intelligent fire alarm system employs a number of cause and effect technologies that trigger sequential events and can close down sections in the event of a major fire hazard. The building management system which operates 24 hours a day monitors the entire technological heartbeat of the hospital, encompassing everything from the power supply to ventilation.
Time waits for no one and in many ways the same can be said for technology which is constantly evolving and improving. In the medical field, saving time makes for efficiency which, ultimately, can only lead to the patient benefitting in the long term.
In this respect, Malta’s Mater Dei Hospital can certainly take pride in that it is second to none when it comes to the successful implementation of the latest technological innovations.