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If the epidemic slows down, we can prepare for an increase in oxygen supply to deal with future infectious disease raids

2022-11-28T00:20:58.035Z


To treat major infectious diseases, in addition to appropriate drug treatment, patients with chronic diseases are more likely to suffer from hypoxia or multiple organ failure if they are infected. Therefore, sufficient oxygen supply is very important. In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong,


To treat major infectious diseases, in addition to appropriate drug treatment, patients with chronic diseases are more likely to suffer from hypoxia or multiple organ failure if they are infected. Therefore, sufficient oxygen supply is very important.

At the beginning of the new crown epidemic in Hong Kong, the oxygen supply in Hong Kong was almost tense, because many patients needed enough oxygen to assist treatment and maintain life.

In fact, not only Hong Kong, but some overseas regions also suffer from oxygen shortages. India and other places have even experienced a wave of "scrambling for oxygen". The government is struggling to solve the shortage of oxygen cylinders.

In order to increase the oxygen supply of hospitals in Hong Kong, at that time, the use of portable oxygen machines with a higher flow rate than normal was strengthened and more oxygen cylinders were added to supply oxygen to alleviate the demand. Now that the epidemic has slowed down, the authorities may further review the local oxygen supply system to prevent Before it happens.


Written by: Yuan Pak-leung, a senior engineer and former president of the Institution of Engineers


The author remembers that at the beginning of the epidemic, there was a shortage of oxygen supply in Hong Kong, which made people worry that patients would not receive timely treatment.

At that time, large-scale vacuum-insulated liquid tanks were installed in general hospitals to store oxygen, and liquid oxygen was mass-produced by local oxygen companies in the form of thermodynamics.

The oxygen company first absorbs the air in the atmosphere (nitrogen accounts for 78.3% in the atmosphere, followed by 20.99% of oxygen), lowers its temperature to below minus 196 degrees Celsius, turns it into liquid air, and then slightly heats it to Celsius Negative 196 degrees is the boiling point of phlegm, so that the phlegm can be vaporized and discharged.

After exhausting, the remaining low-temperature liquid oxygen is stored, and then transferred to a dangerous brand of liquid tank truck, transported to the oxygen tank in the hospital, and after gasification, it is transported to various hospital departments by a special medical gas pipeline for treatment.

Usually, an oxygen cylinder with an equivalent capacity of more than 10,000 liters is filled with liquid oxygen, which is enough for a standard hospital to use for several days.

However, the demand for oxygen use has suddenly increased under the new crown pneumonia. If the oxygen company is too late to operate and replenish oxygen for the liquid tank, the hospital may have the opportunity to use oxygen cylinders or portable oxygen machines to assist.

If bottled oxygen cylinders are used, the volume and capacity of such oxygen cylinders that store compressed gas are not large, so they can be conveniently placed by the patient’s bedside for use by patients. However, due to the severe epidemic situation at the time and the high demand for oxygen, the oxygen company may not have enough oxygen cylinders Backflow reuse, so it is not the best way to solve the lack of oxygen.

In addition, some hospitals also use small independent portable oxygen machines, or "molecular sieve" oxygen machines.

Its oxygen production principle is different from the thermodynamic method of Oxygen Company. By drawing in air, using the characteristics of zeolite materials used in molecular sieves, it operates with physical adsorption and desorption technology. When pressurized, nitrogen in the air can be adsorbed, and the rest The unadsorbed oxygen is collected and purified to become high-purity oxygen.

On the contrary, the molecular sieve will discharge the previously adsorbed nitrogen back into the air during decompression, and then absorb nitrogen and the remaining oxygen when the molecular sieve is pressurized next time. The whole process is a periodic cycle, and the supplied oxygen can be continuously used by the patient.

However, the amount of oxygen that this type of oxygen generator can provide is also limited, and the oxygen concentration will gradually decrease when the molecular sieve function declines.

I remember that there was an accident of "wrong gas delivery" in Hong Kong in the past. The authorities once tried to produce oxygen in the hospital. Although molecular sieves were successfully used to "produce oxygen", it needs to be handled according to strict pharmaceutical standards. In addition, oxygen production is not the hospital's "profession". , so it is planned to stop operation after the oxygen supply stabilizes.

Looking back now, although self-produced oxygen may not be a feasible way to increase or stabilize oxygen supply, but in this period of approaching the "post-epidemic" era, it is believed that the authorities may strengthen oxygen supply equipment in new hospitals, including discussing with oxygen companies to introduce More spare oxygen bottles, increase the purchase of high-flow portable oxygen concentrators, and consider replacing the "single tank" with a "double tank" or adding it to a "double tank" to increase the oxygen load when replacing the liquid tank in the hospital, etc., to make a long-term plan Plan for a rainy day.

"01 Medical Clinic" cooperates with senior engineer Yuan Bailiang to launch a column "Yuantu Youyou" every Monday to share engineering and medical issues.



Yuan Bailiang has always been committed to promoting the professional development of the engineering industry. He is the former president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

Decades of professional journey are really worth remembering, and I firmly believe that latecomers may understand the key points of engineering majors.

Yuantu has you, let everyone experience it together.


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Source: hk1

All news articles on 2022-11-28

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