Lasting Critical Environment Solutions Synthesize the Past, Present, and Future of HVAC
Public attention on infection control has undergone serious changes in the past few years, and there’s more urgency than ever to ensure that healthcare facilities and other buildings, like schools and offices, remain safe. The phrase “indoor air quality (IAQ)” is on the minds of those who, prior to 2020, never thought they’d utter it.
Alongside this urgency, new research and analysis has determined the cost-benefit outcomes of infection and its prevention. Facilities are prepared to make significant investment in infection control measures from a “business case” perspective.
These two imperatives – from both the public and private sectors – create a perfect storm for healthcare technology companies, and the eye of that storm is centered on the conference showroom floor. If you’ve ever walked the exhibition floor at a healthcare facility or HVAC conference, you’ve seen your share of the “latest” products. If you’re a seasoned veteran of conferences, you know that what is now framed as innovative can sometimes disappear without a trace.
Despite the potential for fly-by-night technologies, it is still important to thoughtfully consider what technologies are trending. After all, some will stick and point the way forward. AJ Manufacturing has been at the forefront of healthcare solutions since we started building critical environment and cleanroom products 50 years ago. Because of our experience, we’ve decided to share what we’ve been reading about recent infection control trends and weigh in where our expertise applies.
Three Trends Shaping the Infection Control Conversation Today
AI, sensor technology, and the latest updates on virus reduction regularly show up in lists of trends to watch in the healthcare industry. At 2024 conferences from ASHRAE to ASHE, a significant portion of the conversation around infection will come from businesses that develop these technologies.
- AI: Artificial intelligence (AI) already provides essential healthcare services, from public-facing tools like chatbots to answer health questions and schedule appointments, to technologies that help healthcare providers manage their workflows efficiently and protect them from making dosage errors. As AI technology continues to expand, technologies have emerged, which claim they can detect the presence of an infection by analyzing the surfaces that harbor them.
- Sensors: As we know, airborne viruses and bacteria can rapidly move through a facility undetected. However, startup medical tech companies have developed sensors that can detect the presence of contagions to provide an additional layer of defense. Environmental sensors are already employed as critical environment solutions to monitor humidity and other conditions, and soon, comparable sensors will be used to analyze infectious particles based on their chemical makeup.
- Particle reduction: While various methods exist for reducing virus and bacteria particle counts, we’ve been pleased to see a continued emphasis on the products we design at AJ Manufacturing. Our cleanroom products are all based on high-quality filtration, engineering, and the precise physics of airflow. Continued studies of filtration, which were given new life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, include powerful testaments to the basics of infection mitigation. This striking study is an on-the-ground comparison of infection mitigation alternatives that emphasize the value of tried-and-true practices, including HEPA filtration and indoor air quality products, such as air-handling equipment.
AI, sensor technology, and particle reduction methods all currently or will soon provide infection control support for healthcare facilities. Of these three technologies, filtration is traceable to a long-standing, evidence-based approach. It is powerful to see the continued value of a method that isn’t a 2020s buzzword, but is still making waves in healthcare.
AJ Manufacturing Takes What Works for Infection Control and Makes It Better
When AJ Manufacturing began our stainless steel HVAC specialization in the 1970s, we couldn’t fully predict where the market would take us. However, it has become clear that the work we established then has laid the groundwork for critical environment solutions and cleanroom products that facilities rely upon for infection prevention today. As we’ve grown, we’ve modified, customized, and enhanced our signature technologies as times have changed, so we can deliver high-performing, multifaceted solutions that merge the past, present, and future.
We think our experience points to a key consideration healthcare facilities should make when weighing their options for infection control protocols and technology. Consider what works, and rely on it. There is something to be said for a time-honored body of evidence pointing in one direction. At the same time, you want to choose partnerships with businesses that not only provide established indoor air quality products and solutions, but continue to refine and perfect their work for a changing world.
Established practices and strategic advancements are what you’ll find when you work with AJ Manufacturing to meet today’s and tomorrow’s most important needs. Get an estimate on our air distribution products today by emailing Amy Van Wagner, National Sales Manager, at amyvanwagner@ajmfg.us. You can also contact us online or by phone at (816) 231-5522.