In hospitals, medical air is used mainly as a power source for driving surgical tools in the operating theatre, and for ventilation, aerosol therapy and anaesthesia. Many patients are dependent on a reliable, high quality supply of medical air to protect their delicate and sensitive respiratory systems.
The main uses of medical air in the hospital are:
Driving ventilators and incubators, where medical air provides uncontaminated and controlled air flows helping to reduce high concentration of oxygen exposure
As a carrier gas for anaesthetic agents in inhalational anaesthesia
To direct drug treatment straight to lungs by inhalation when treating respiratory diseases
In sleep therapy to enable constant air flow into the lungs.
BOC medical grade air is mainly supplied via a medical gas pipeline system where the air is manufactured as required using compressors. Medical air cylinders are used as the independent back-up supply to the pipeline system.
For more information on our medical air cylinders, please refer to the BOC medical gas brochure (PDF) on the right.