KAROLINSKA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Karolinska University Hospital in Solna received its first patients in 2016. Four years later, the hospital and staff were faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and put great resources into trying to find innovative solutions to reduce the spread of the virus within the hospital.
The facility management company Coor manages the operation of Karolinska University
Hospital, and one of their responsibilities is to ensure adequate ventilation and air quality.
Care had already been taken before the pandemic to achieve optimal air pressure conditions
in the patient rooms so that particles would not spread from the rooms and out into the corridor.
When the pandemic hit, Coor partnered with Camfil to find necessary additional solutions and
concluded that one solution could be to to put air cleaners in the rooms of the COVID-19 patients
to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to staff and other patients.
Along with the air cleaners, Camfil also installed Air Image sensors, an intelligent system for monitoring and controlling indoor air quality (IAQ). The Air Image Sensor System makes it possible to see how the air cleaners improve the air quality in real time.
The existing ventilation system changed the air in the hospital rooms 2-3 times per hour, while
the air cleaner cleaned the existing air 6-12 times per hour. Air exchange, via fresh air from the
ventilation and purified air from the air cleaner, was the most important measure to increase
the quality of the indoor air.
It was already known that when COVID-19 particles get into the air cleaner’s filter, they get stuck
there. The challenge was getting the air cleaner to capture the particles. In order to achieve the
best possible outcome, different placements in the room were tried out while the Air Image sensor
displayed the results.
The existing ventilation system changed the air in the hospital rooms 2-3 times per hour, while the air cleaner cleaned the existing air 6-12 times per hour. Air exchange, via fresh air from the ventilation and purified air from the air cleaner, was the most important measure to increase the quality of the indoor air.
It was already known that when COVID-19 particles get into the air cleaner’s filter, they get stuck there. The challenge was getting the air cleaner to capture the particles. In order to achieve the best possible outcome, different placements in the room were tried out while the Air Image sensor displayed the results.
Right now, the effect is being evaluated, and so far, the air cleaners have proven to provide an 85%
particle reduction per room. An additional indication that this was a successful approach is that other
hospitals have contacted Karolinska and shown an interest in Camfil’s solution.
Air exchange from the ventilation and purified air from the air cleaners was the most important measure to increase the quality of the indoor air.
Learn more about Camfil air cleaners at camfil.com
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