An industrial vacuum pump is a piece of equipment used to move material including pressurized air, gas, and liquid. Industrial vacuum pumps are used in a multitude of industries, but they have become exceptionally important within the medical industry.
Air Beds
The development of the air bed has been indispensable in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and for in-home patients. Bed sores, or pressure ulcers, are a common body response to constant pressure on the skin, particularly in patients who are bed ridden or mostly immobile. These uncomfortable sores can develop in a matter of hours given a constant state of pressure.
Air beds or medical grade air mattresses are used in the medical setting to help prevent the development of pressure ulcers. They use a rotary vane type of industrial vacuum pump to deflate and inflate air cells within the airbed based on a selected program. This consistently changing pressure simulates movement and reduces the risk of bed sores. This can also help in adjusting the patient’s position for treatment.
Wounds
Negative pressure wound therapy or vacuum-assisted wound closure is another way industrial vacuum pumps have become essential in the medical industry. This medical procedure consists of attaching a vacuum pump to a covered wound, such as a pressure ulcer or diabetic ulcer. By creating intermittent negative pressure, the vacuum pump drains fluid and bacteria from the wound while simultaneously bringing the edges of the wound closer together. It can also increase blood flow which speeds up the healing process. This is most often used on injuries that have proven difficult to heal.
Sterilization
Sterilization is one of the most important concepts within the medical industry. Without the sterilization of medical instruments, supplies, and facilities every patient getting treated would be at risk for severe infections that could easily lead to death. Industrial vacuum pumps can be used for sterilization of tools, clothes, and supplies through autoclaving.
Autoclaving is the use of high-pressure steam to sterilize. The process consists of evacuating 99% of air from a chamber with a vacuum pump until steam is evenly distributed through the chamber, then air is added back in to pressurize the steam consequently heating it up. The heat and moisture sterilize the contents of the chamber over time thus destroying microbial life and making the items in the chamber safe for reuse.
These are only a few of the uses for industrial vacuum pumps within the medical industry. There are many other uses within the industry and without this equipment medical advances would be delayed.
Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing.
