MEDICAL OXYGEN SUPPLY
A ‘box’ of electronics The FLO2
‘box of electronics’ typically
connects to the flowmeter via a two-core cable, and, once connected, measures the 4-20 ma output. This is then converted into the data sent to SHJ’s servers. Stafford Scopes explained: “The user can then log on via K’nect from a desktop, laptop, or tablet device, and see live and historical data. The system also harnesses Artificial Intelligence to, for instance, predict an impending increase in flow rate based on what has been happening previously.” A major benefit of FLO2
to, say, an
Estates manager or engineer, he explained, is that the device is very quick to bolt onto a flowmeter, after which data on flow rates and pressures is read and transmitted to the SHJ server, and available to view, ‘within minutes’. Stafford Scopes added: “We can also give access to the data to many different users working in different disciplines – from a senior nursing practitioner ‘at the sharp end’ on a ward, to the Estates engineer or manager in an Estates office, via K’nect. The data is sampled every five seconds, and logged and recorded. Users can thus keep a close eye on flow rates, and see, for instance, when they are gently coming down, or, conversely, if a significant influx of patients is seeing them surge.”
SHJ Medical Gas Specialists’ MD, Stafford Scopes.
Remedial action
I asked Stafford Scopes what steps an Estates and Facilities engineer might take if, via the data from FLO2
, they noticed an
especially substantial increase in flow rate, to the point that the MGPS maximum flow capacity was in danger of being exceeded. He said: “The engineer can do one of two things very quickly – firstly
was designed to be able to monitor both oxygen flow rate and line pressure. Stafford Scopes elaborated: “A hospital user can – for instance – put in a pressure sensor at the VIE, and see that it is delivering at 4.4 bar, and install another one at the end of the pipeline, where it may only be 3.9 bar. With our Artificial Intelligence, and using FLO2
they can ‘load shed’, by using portable cylinders, or, alternatively, they can introduced back-feed kits in critical areas. Imagine,” he continued – moving from flow rates to line pressure considerations – “that the line pressure at the VIE is 4.4 bar, but that by the time the gas reaches the other end of the hospital, the pressure is significantly lower. To address this, we have installed some high flow rate oxygen manifolds in strategic locations in a number of hospitals to boost line pressure. For medical oxygen, the minimum pressure needs to be 4 bar, and with the high demands on hospitals’ oxygen systems we have seen, that can fall to alarm levels – of 3.6 bar or below.” FLO2
, you can then
work out that, as your flow rate increases, it’s likely that the line pressure at the end of the system will fall even further. This data is all available with FLO2
via K’nect.” Flowmeter options
SHJ stresses that for healthcare facilities wishing to have access to ‘speedy, round-
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June 2021 Health Estate Journal 35
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