Medical Engineering and Healthcare Engineering Seminars

Panellists for this session are:

Paul Harris, Chair IHEEM Electrical Technical Platform

Martyn Stanway, IHEEM Electrical Technical Platform

Peter Angel, IHEEM Electrical Technical Platform

Mazin Daoud, Chair, IHEEM Fire Safety Technical Platform

Presentation will cover our new operating environment as the UK becomes more energy independent and strives towards net zero. The hazards and risks around Electric vehicles, Charging Infrastructure, Enclosed Car Parks, and Battery Energy Storage..

Panellists in this session are:

Abigail Pride,Senior Technical Guidance Manager, NHS Estates & Facilities, NHSE

Michael Rope, Head of Technical Guidance, NHS Estates & Facilities, NHSE

Phil Clark, Emerging Energy Technology Lead, National Fire Chiefs Council

Andrew will introduce the session, and Malcolm will speak on the HBN update.

The presentation is about an update on the work carried out by the Decontamination Technical Platform and AE(D) Registration Board.

Many technical topics have arisen in recent times and the two groups are working on various subjects, some that will require long term planning and trials. Others could be short term guidance papers for IHEEM members, but especially the registered AE(D)s.

This work includes a paper on the best tips of decontamination of dental phaco hand pieces which should be available very soon. We are also working with QUIQSolutions on digitizing our AE(D) endoscopy audit tool, and the development of new pre-audit systems that will enable better informed audits and assist the users in collecting the correct evidence. We are also investigating the specialist Pharma world, again on testing and competence levels to assist people working in that industry.

We are also looking at AP(D) and CP(D) competence levels and personal logbooks for inspection to ensure correctly educated and trained people work on the hospital equipment.

There will be a section on the continued AE(D) Framework in partnership with EWP and speak about our latest position.

Panellists in this session are:

Andrew Poplett, Chair, IHEEM Ventilation Technical Platform

Graham Stanton, Chair, IHEEM Decontamination Technical Platform & BoR(AE)(D)

There is growing awareness of the need to mitigate transmission of infection through the air in healthcare settings. This includes respiratory diseases such as Covid-19, influenza and TB as well as healthcare-associated bacterial and fungal pathogens where there is evidence that dispersion in air forms part of the transmission pathway. Ventilation is well recognised as an important element for infection control, however many healthcare settings have ventilation rates below those recommended in HTM03-01, and improving ventilation can be costly and often a practical challenge. Air cleaning technologies offer an option to mitigate airborne transmission risks at a lower complexity and energy cost than providing higher ventilation rates.

This paper focuses on the application of germicidal ultraviolet light, and in particularly the emerging technology in the 222nm UV wavelength known as Far-UVC. Compared to conventional UVC at 254nm, Far-UVC is much safer for human exposure and therefore has the potential to be applied as an open field in occupied rooms. Through a programme of work funded by UKHSA and NHS Scotland Assure, we have carried out experimental measurement of the performance of Far-UV lamps against aerosolised Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a controlled room-sized chamber and developed complementary computational fluid dynamic simulations.

Results show that Far-UVC has substantial potential to significantly reduce concentrations of airborne pathogens, with lamps that are within current exposure standards leading to around 90% reduction in S.Aureus during continuous contamination of the room - equivalent to over 30 air changes per hour. Energy consumption may be low as 15W for an 8m3 space. The study findings suggest that Far-UVC is a promising technology and real-world exploration through demonstration trials are an important next step in determining how and where it can be deployed in a healthcare setting.

Panellists in this session are:

Andrew Poplett, Chair, IHEEM Ventilation Technical Platform

Graham Stanton, Chair, IHEEM Decontamination Technical Platform