Different Classifications of Medical Air Compressors

1. What is a medical grade compressor?

The medical air compressor is the main component of the medical air system. It is an air compressor that converts the power in the compressed air into potential energy. It is usually used in medical facilities and medical air equipment.

Medical air compressors are mainly used in operating rooms, surgical machinery, and medical systems. Over time, medical air compressors have become an essential part of medical air systems and have become a necessity in healthcare facilities all over the world. Unlike other types of compressors on the market, medical air compressors are specially designed to meet certain requirements in the medical field.

As the name implies, a medical compressor system will typically provide medical air. Therefore, medical air is not only used for clean, compressed, dry, odorless air for medical needs, but it is also classified as a pharmaceutical.

2. The classification of medical grade compressors

Since medical air is considered a pharmaceutical, medical compressed air systems must comply with statutory standards and requirements.

Depending on how it operates, different types of medical air compressors are used in medical air systems: lubricated or oil-free reciprocating compressors, lubricated or oil-free screw compressors, oil-free scroll compressors, oil-free toothed compressors.

Depending on the requirements, different kinds of compressor technologies can be used as part of a medical air system, which is considered a medical device. A medical air system typically consists of a medical compressor, a receiver, and a medical air dryer and filter. Only at the outlet of such a system does the compressed air become medical air.

Oil-free reciprocating compressors are single-stage or two-stage fixed-speed oil-free compressors, produced and packaged in sound-absorbing enclosures. It is commonly used in medical air systems where intermittent circulation is most required. It is designed to prevent oil from entering the air stream and compression chamber. Medical air systems using oil-free medical compressors do not run the risk of mixing residual contaminants into the medical air if parts of the medical air dryer and filter fail.

Medical air systems consist of clean copper tubing through which medical air enters supplies such as ventilators and respirators. Oil-free reciprocating compressors are considered cost-effective in terms of installation and maintenance.

Because of these benefits and optional noise reduction, most medical professionals prefer smaller hospitals. Similarly, oil-free toothed compressors (also known as positive displacement compressors) enclose air in a chamber. There is self-regulating, cost-effective maintenance and quiet operation. Scroll compressors consist of a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll, the orbiting scroll rotates around the fixed scroll to compress medical air, reducing its volume and increasing its pressure. Unlike other compressors, scroll compressors are usually small in size and run very quietly with little to no vibration.

They are known to run at a good duty cycle and the level of maintenance of this type of compressor has been greatly reduced, as well as being less noisy, so most medical professionals prefer oil-free reciprocating compressors.