Laser Plume Capture for the Veterinary Practice

Laser surgical instruments are commonplace in today’s veterinary practice. Because laser instruments can vaporize tissue, there is concern about the content of the smoke plume they produce.

OSHA says such surgical plumes “have contents similar to other smoke plumes, including carbon monoxide, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and a variety of trace toxic gases.”

OSHA also notes that although there has been no documented transmission of infectious disease via surgical smoke, the potential for generating infectious viral fragments, for example, may exist.

Point-of-origin solutions

In the scenario OSHA describes, a point-of-origin solution for removing the plume from the veterinary operating room is an appropriate recommendation for veterinary practitioners concerned about operating room safety.

For those laser instruments that include a suction nozzle with internal fan and an exhaust port, our units can connect directly to the instrument, pulling the plume into filters that help to prevent contaminants from spreading to the wider work area.

The plume can also be contained by placing the source capture hood of a Sentry Air Portable Floor Sentry adjacent to the site of the surgery to capture the plume as it is created, directing impurities into the unit’s filter system. Filtration media for these systems depends upon the application being performed, but typically involves HEPA filtration [up to 99.97% efficient on particles 0.3 microns and larger] and Activated Carbon filters.

This approach to safety in medical environments is also used in other practices. Here’s a link that describes source-capture fume extraction by a podiatrist who uses a laser to treat his patients. You can read his testimonial as well as that of a lab manager who says our portable SS-200-FS Floor Sentry is “extraordinarily effective” at lowering exposure to anesthetic and dental acrylic used during surgical procedures.

Model SS-200-FS Floor Sentry 

The Model SS-200-FS Floor Sentry has several features that make it a good fit for medical workspaces. Its self-supporting, flexible source-capture arm can be placed directly adjacent to the source of fumes.

Its small footprint takes up minimal workspace on the floor or on a bench top, whichever location better suits the requirements of a particular procedure.

A Greater Air Volume, Stackable Filters Solution

Like the Model SS-200-FS, our larger Model # SS-300-PFS Floor Sentry provides laser plume capture and filtration of airborne contaminants during veterinary laser surgery.

Model SS-300-PFS Portable Floor Sentry

The unit’s greater air volume capability ranges from its high rate of 350 CFM (cubic feet per minute) to 50 CFM at its lowest setting. This source-capture fume extractor includes heavy-duty casters for easy mobility. Multiple filters can be housed inside the filter chamber for applications that emit both particulates and fumes; media options include HEPA, ASHRAE filtration [up to 95% efficient on particles 0.5 microns and larger], Activated Carbon, and specialty-blended filter media [i.e., acid gas, mercury, aldehyde, ammonia].

For information on source-capture options for your laser procedures, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to have a Sentry Air Systems Applications Specialist contact you to discuss your process.

Resources:

Laser/Electrosurgery Plume

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laserelectrosurgeryplume/index.html

Sentry Air Systems Laser Plume Extraction

http://www.sentryair.com/laserapp.htm

TESTIMONIAL: Epoxy and Adhesive Fume Control - Bulow Biotech Prosthetics

Company and application

Bulow Biotech Prosthetics provides custom, functional and cosmetic prostheses to individuals who have suffered an amputation of an extremity. They use epoxies and adhesives to fabricate prostheses and were seeking a quick solution for removing fumes from the workplace.

Because the company was familiar with ducted systems and unsure of the effectiveness of ductless systems, Sentry Air representative McKay Hansen offered them a demonstration unit.

The results of that demonstration are relayed in the comments below.

Solution

“We are utilizing the SS-400-FSD [Model 400 Dual Arm Fume Extractor] to evacuate fumes from epoxy resins that we use in the fabrication of our strong but lightweight prostheses. We are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and our SS-400-FSD runs for most of the day, capturing and evacuating fumes in our lab while the epoxy resins and adhesives are in use.”

Cost-effective

“I have worked with most chemicals commonly used within the prosthetic industry and have used the typical ventilation systems that are common in our industry.  The ventilation systems commonly used involve overhead hoods and require custom made duct work that is fixed in position at a work station. These systems are very expensive and often inadequate because the ventilation is usually not close enough to the source.  Our current location is in a professional, medical office building and the most inexpensive quote for a ventilation system was $23,000.

“The SS-400-FSD unit is a fraction of that cost, is very quiet and works so well that it is difficult to smell any trace of chemical in our laminating room where all resins and adhesives are used.”

Workplace friendly

“We are very impressed with the efficiency, noise level and price of a unit that does a wonderful job of making our work environment safer and more enjoyable to work in.

“I would highly recommend this product to anyone in the prosthetic industry that is facing the task of eliminating fumes in their lab."

Kirk Simendinger

Certified Prosthetist

Bulow Biotech Prosthetics

Dual Arm Chemical Fume Extraction

The Model # SS-400-FSD Floor Sentry Double is a dual arm fume extractor that provides source-capture fume extraction to two work stations simultaneously. It features powerful suction and a dual-stage filtration chamber consisting of a Carbon Pre-filter and a 22 lb. Activated Carbon Filter.

This fume control solution also includes heavy-duty casters for easy mobility, self-supportive flex arms that are capable of 360-degree rotation, and an infinitely-adjustable variable speed controller.

Sentry Air offers several additional configuration options for chemical fume control, including wall-mounted, floor, and benchtop models.

For information on ductless fume removal options for your workplace, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to have a Sentry Air Systems Applications Specialist contact you to discuss your process.

Portable Clean Room Hoods are a valuable solution for infusion pharmacy practice

Home infusion is the application of medical and nutritional therapies via intravenous (IV) lines at home. Infusion therapy is prescribed for patients well enough to leave the hospital but who need continued medical treatment at home, including chemotherapy, antibiotics and nutrition. A compounding pharmacist fills the IV bags as prescribed and the infusion is administered by home health care workers or by the patients themselves.

Filling IV bags requires adherence to USP <797> Guidebook to Pharmaceutical Compounding-Sterile Preparations. We’ve blogged extensively about the standards and requirements associated with this document.

Customized Portable Clean Room Hoods

Our customers who prepare sterile IV bags sometimes require a Portable Clean Room Hood (also known as a Vertical Laminar Flow Hood) that can provide a way to hang IV bags and accommodate measuring devices. One way Sentry Air addresses their needs is to customize a Portable Clean Room Hood (available in a variety of standard sizes, ranging from 12” to 50” wide) by increasing the height of the hood and installing an aluminum hanging rod. Careful analysis of the desired modifications includes identification of the appropriate fan/filter unit required to support the application and hood modifications.

Standard clean room hood classifications are not affected by the customization. For example, our 24-inch, 30-inch, and 40-inch wide hoods retain their ISO Class 3 certification, and vertical laminar airflow is maintained.

A fluorescent lamp for localized lighting is included; a Germicidal (Type C) UV lamp with a timer can be optioned to facilitate sterilization procedures.

This drawing depicts a Sentry Air Portable Clean Room Hood customized for filling IV bags. Customizations include: elevated hood height (4” increase) and the addition of an aluminum rod for hanging IV bags.

Airflow in our Portable Clean Rooms

Sentry Air offers both ISO Class 3 and ISO Class 5 hoods in a variety of standard sizes. In the design and manufacture of our hoods, we use powerful fans to draw ambient room air though a series of filters that remove particles as small as 0.12 microns in size.

The graphic below shows the stages of filtration that result in a particle-free, positive-pressure environment within the hood.

Our Portable Clean Room Hoods can be constructed of a range of materials, including PVC, polycarbonates, aluminum, and stainless steel. If desired, the hood can be entirely constructed of transparent materials. We can also provide cut-outs specifically for specialized equipment you may need to use in a sterile environment [e.g., sinks, infusion pumps].

Sentry Air has designed and delivered a variety of customized clean room hoods and laboratory hoods. You can see some examples here and in our custom hood gallery. A brochure that explains the process is located here.

For information on custom hoods and portable clean rooms for filling IV bags or other aspects of compounding pharmacies, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to have a Sentry Air Systems Applications Specialist contact you to discuss your process.

UPDATE May 22, 2012. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), a nonprofit organization devoted to medication error prevention and safe medication use, has issued for public comment Policies and Procedures for Compounding Sterile Preparations. The document was drafted in response to reported mistakes made in IV compounding in pharmacies.You can read and comment on the document at  http://www.ismp.org/Tools/guidelines/IVSummit/comments/default.asp

Chemical Fume Extraction Solution for Laboratories: Mobile & for Multiple Operators

Volatile Organic Compounds: Some Pose Health Risks

Numerous laboratory processes require the use of chemicals: the cleaning or rinsing of equipment with solvents, epoxy and resin use for gluing processes, formaldehyde use, general chemistry (such as titration reactions), medical and pharmaceutical applications, plastic melting and bonding, acid etching, water testing and analysis, and several other processes that produce volatile organic compounds.

Many of the volatile organic compounds that are released in laboratory processes carry health risks. Several attributes categorize the level of risk, including the type of chemical, amount of exposure, surface area, and length of exposure time.

Symptoms That Some People Experience from Exposure to VOC’s [source: epa.gov]

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Eye Irritation
• Respiratory Tract Irritation
• Visual Disorders
• Memory Impairment
• Loss of Coordination
• Nausea
• Damage to Liver, Kidney, and Central Nervous System
• Allergic Skin Reaction
• Some organics can cause cancer in animals
• Some organics are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans

OSHA’s Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard [1910.1450]

This standard by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) applies to employers who are engaged in the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals.

Section 1910.1450(e)(3)(viii) of this standard discusses “provisions for additional employee protection for work with particularly hazardous substances.” OSHA explains that “these include ‘select carcinogens,’ reproductive toxins and substances which have a high degree of acute toxicity. Specific consideration shall be given to the following provisions which shall be included where appropriate:”

One of these provisions is the “use of containment devices such as fume hoods or glove boxes.”

[source: osha.gov]

If your Chemical Hygiene Plan calls for this kind of protection, you may want to consider the following option for your laboratory:


Mobile Laboratory with Heavy-Duty Chemical Fume Extractor [240 lbs. of Activated Carbon] and Ducted Laboratory Exhaust Hoods

Laboratory Chemical Fume Control Solution: Model 500 Heavy-Duty Chemical Fume
Extractor hard-ducted* to two Sentry Air Systems Exhaust Hoods

The Design

This conceptual mobile laboratory for chemical fume extraction is based around the Model 500 Heavy-Duty Chemical Fume Extractor. This base unit is equipped with 240 lbs. of Activated Carbon [4 individual 60 lb. filters]: a significant amount compared to standard chemical fume hoods on the market. With this amount of filtration media and air volume of up to 1100 CFM, this fume extractor can be hard-ducted to easily supply negative air pressure and filtration for two Sentry Air Exhaust Hoods for multiple operator use (up to four exhaust hoods could potentially be connected depending on the sizes needed and the applications being performed). Sentry Air offers a variety of standard Exhaust Hood sizes that are compatible with this configuration [from 12" Wide to 70" Wide, plus custom options].

No Exterior Ducting: It's a Mobile Solution

This conceptual configuration has a recirculating air pattern. Once chemical fumes are extracted from the exhaust hoods and directed into the filter housing, filtered air is released back into the room. With this design, heated and cooled air is recirculated within the room, so costly make-up air (typically a huge expense for laboratories) is not needed.

Unlike exterior-ducting systems, which may require costly fees if relocation were necessary, this configuration can be moved fairly easily. Once the ducting is separated from the base unit and hoods, the base unit (Model 500) can simply be rolled to a new location on its heavy-duty casters. Sentry Air Systems Exhaust Hoods are designed with hinged, folding side panels, so it can be deconstructed with minimal effort and moved to a new location.

*Ducting is not provided by Sentry Air Systems for this configuration.

More Information

Efficiency Tests. Sentry Air Systems' Chemical Engineers and third-party industrial hygienists have performed multiple chemical efficiency tests to assess Sentry Air Systems filter and unit performance against a variety of standard chemicals. You can find these reports on the Data Page of the Sentry Air Systems website.

For more information on the mobile chemical fume control solution explained above, Sentry Air's line of standard Chemical Fume Hoods, or additional air purification solutions for your laboratory, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to receive additional information from a Sentry Air Systems Applications Specialist.

Product Spotlight: Adjustable Table Stand for Supporting Flexible Fume Extraction Arm

The Sentry Air Systems Adjustable Table Stand [Model # SS-000-ATS] is the perfect accessory for slightly raised welding processes performed on a table or in a vise. It allows operators to position the flexible hose of a fume extractor at varied heights from the welding table.

As welders move their torches to different areas, they can use the adjustable stand to position the extractor hood precisely where welding fumes are being released, helping to create a safer working environment.

Adjustable Height Stand being used with a Model 400
Portable Fume Extractor with Flexible Hose.

High-powered magnets securely hold the carbon steel stand to the table. The stand’s horizontal platform is vertically adjustable from 1.125 to 24 inches, which provides maximum flexibility for most welding jobs.

This accessory is typically used with Sentry Air Systems highly flexible Python Hose, which is included with several fume extraction models [e.g. Model 300 Portable Floor Fume Extractor, Model 400 Portable Floor Fume Extractor]. The magnetized capture hood on this hose allows the inlet to be strongly secured to the steel platform for hands-free operation.

Magnetic Capture Hood of 6-Inch Python Hose (can be securely 

placed on the horizontal platform of the adjustable table stand 

for hands-free fume control)

The Sentry Air Systems Adjustable Table Stand can also be used for a variety of additional applications including powder-based processes, soldering, and an array of other operations that emit particulate.

For information on welding fume extraction units and accessories, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to have a Sentry Air Systems’ Applications Specialist contact you to discuss your process.

Testimonial: Fume Extractor for Essential Oil Odors

Company & Application

Simplers Botanical is a "small herbalist-operated company in Northern California with a passion for providing the highest therapeutic grade organic essential oils and extracts available."

When Simplers approached us for a fume control solution for their production process, we realized that their application was very unique. Although we have worked with organic and plant-based fumes before, this was the first time we had a company bottling various essential oils with a wide range of volatility. Sales Manager, Omar Ilsever, researched various filter medias and felt that activated carbon would work best for the herbs and oils being utilized. "We felt that it was best to let the customer evaluate the unit prior to purchase since we had limited experience in their market. This allowed us to ensure that our Model 400 was the best fit for their particular need", states Ilsever. Upon receiving the unit, Simplers Botanical ran it through several tests and found that it was a good fit for their manufacturing floor. Ilsever states that "it is always rewarding to find new applications for our equipment, especially when we are able to help customers with a specific need in regard to health and safety."

The Solution

Simplers Botantical utilizes a Sentry Air Systems Model 400 Portable Fume Extractor with 22 lbs. of Activated Carbon filtration to control volatile oil odors during preparation:

"Our Sentry Air 400 is nothing short of a breath-saver, skin-saver, life-saver. We are a high volume essential oil company that, over the years, found employees having to deal with levels of atmospheric volatile oil compounds that was becoming intolerable. The Sentry Air 400 has virtually removed the volatiles from our working environment. I cannot speak strongly enough of what this has done for the safety of our people. Totally recommended."

Matthew Persico
Production Manager
Simplers Botanical

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The Model 400 Portable Fume Extractor [Model # SS-400-PFS]

This energy-efficient portable fume extractor features heavy-duty casters and a flexible, self-supportive extraction arm that can be easily moved according to operator preference. This particular model is capable of up to 700 CFM of air volume.

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Sentry Air Systems offers several other portable fume extraction options, including:

• The Model 300 Portable Fume Extractor [up to 350 CFM]
• The Model 300 Portable Python Fume Extractor with flexible, steel-ribbed hose [up to 350 CFM]
• The Model 400 Dual Operator Fume Extractor [up to 700 CFM]
• The Model 450 Portable Python Fume Extractor with flexible, steel-ribbed hose [up to 950 CFM]
• Click Here to View Additional Portable Fume Extractor Configurations

Other fume control options include Ductless Fume Hoods, Exhaust Hoods, and Wall-Mounted Fume Extractors.

To find out more about fume control solutions for volatile oil compounds, please give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to receive additional information from a Sentry Air Systems' Applications Specialist.

Dust is the Enemy of Studio Electronics - Use a Portable Room Air Cleaner to Subdue it

Sticky sliders? Components overheating?

These ailments can be caused by dust, which affects electrical systems big and small -- because dust loves to infiltrate the recesses and crevices of electronic equipment.

Some might find it deeply ironic that fans designed to cool the equipment also draw dust into the chassis, which can lead to overheating and other electronic malfunctions.

There are several online guides for cleaning audio electronics. This site seems particularly knowledgeable: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/eqptcleaning.html.

In your quest for clean equipment, you may also want to consider a room air cleaner that removes particles from the ambient air, reducing the amount of dust available to invade your electronics.

Visualize Cleaner Equipment. At Sentry Air, we tested our SS-300- PRAC (Portable Room Air Cleaner) to see how many particles it could remove from a 12 ft x 12 ft room.

In 90 minutes, it reduced the number of particles in the air by more than 95%. You can see the methodology and test results here.

In our test, the SS-300-PRAC removed almost 900,000 particles from the air in

90 minutes.

For information on room air cleaners for your audio or electronics studio, give us a call at 1.800.799.4609, email us at sales@sentryair.com, or fill out this simple online form to have a Sentry Air Systems’ Applications Specialist contact you.