Practical Knowledge of Plasma Air Sterilizers: Operation and Maintenance Guide for Medical Scenarios

1. How to Set Operating Parameters of Plasma Air Sterilizers for Different Medical Spaces?

In different medical scenarios, the setting of operating parameters for plasma air sterilizers needs to be combined with the characteristics of the space and pollution risks to ensure disinfection effectiveness while avoiding resource waste. For areas like outpatient waiting rooms with large people flow and relatively open spaces, it is recommended to adjust the equipment's air volume to medium-high gear, conduct intensive disinfection 3 times a day (morning, noon, and evening) for 2-3 hours each time, and maintain low gear for continuous operation during daily periods. This can not only cope with the microbial fluctuations brought by people but also reduce energy consumption.

As for operating rooms with extremely high sterility requirements, the high gear should be turned on 1 hour before the operation to ensure that the microbial concentration in the space drops below the safety standard. During the operation, the medium gear can be maintained according to the number of people in the room and ventilation conditions. After the operation, high-gear disinfection should be performed for another hour to completely eliminate possible residual pathogenic microorganisms.

In intensive care units (ICUs), where patients have weak immunity, medium-high gear should be maintained for 24-hour continuous operation, and the equipment's operating data (such as air volume, temperature, and disinfection duration) should be recorded every 4 hours. If a patient is transferred out or there is an infection case, the gear should be immediately upgraded to the highest level, and the disinfection time should be extended by 1-2 hours.

2. How to Properly Clean Plasma Air Sterilizers in Daily Use to Avoid Secondary Pollution?

Daily cleaning is the key to ensuring that plasma air sterilizers do not cause secondary pollution, and the principle of "regular cleaning and zoned operation" should be followed. First, the air inlets and outlets of the equipment are prone to dust and debris accumulation, so they should be gently wiped with a dry soft brush or dust-free cloth every week. If obvious stains are found, a small amount of neutral detergent (such as medical-grade detergent diluent) can be dipped in for wiping, and then dried with a dry cloth after wiping to prevent detergent residues from affecting equipment operation or causing odors.

Second, for the outer shell of the equipment, wipe it with a chlorine-containing disinfectant (concentration of 500mg/L) once a day, focusing on cleaning high-frequency contact parts such as the buttons and display screen on the equipment surface. After disinfection, wait for 30 minutes, then wipe it clean with clean water to avoid corrosion of the equipment shell by the disinfectant.

It should be noted that the equipment power must be turned off during the cleaning process, and it is strictly forbidden to rinse the internal or core components of the equipment directly with water. If the air inlet filter is found to be damaged or severely blocked, it should be replaced in a timely manner. When replacing, sterile gloves should be worn to avoid hand contamination of the filter.

3. What Problems Can Medical Staff Troubleshoot Themselves When Plasma Air Sterilizers Have Abnormal Operation?

When plasma air sterilizers have abnormal operation (such as increased noise, display error, decreased disinfection effect, etc.), medical staff can first conduct basic troubleshooting to quickly determine the cause of the problem. If the operating noise of the equipment suddenly increases, first check whether the equipment is placed stably and whether there is any foreign object under the bottom. If the placement is normal, then check whether the air inlets and outlets are blocked by debris. If the noise still does not disappear after cleaning the blockages, the internal fan may be faulty, and the equipment should be suspended for use and professional maintenance personnel should be contacted.

If the display shows a "filter replacement" error, first confirm whether the filter usage time has reached the replacement cycle (usually 3-6 months, subject to the equipment manual). If it has not reached the cycle, the filter can be taken out to check for severe pollution. After cleaning, reinstall it. If the error still exists, the filter sensor may be faulty, and maintenance personnel should be contacted for calibration.

If the disinfection effect is suspected to be reduced (such as odor in the space, fluctuation in patient infection rate), first check whether the equipment operating gear is correct and whether the disinfection duration is sufficient, then check whether the plasma generation module is working normally (such as observing whether the equipment has signs of stable plasma generation). If there are no problems with the above aspects, it is recommended to contact a third-party testing agency to test the disinfection effect and check for possible equipment performance degradation.

4. How to Reasonably Arrange the Maintenance Cycle of Plasma Air Sterilizers in Medical Scenarios?

A reasonable maintenance cycle can extend the service life of plasma air sterilizers and ensure the long-term stable operation of the equipment. The plan should be formulated according to the equipment usage frequency and medical scenario requirements. In terms of core component maintenance, the plasma generation module should be comprehensively inspected by professionals once every 12 months to check the active particle generation efficiency and circuit stability of the module. If the equipment is used extremely frequently (such as 24-hour operation every day), the inspection cycle can be shortened to 9 months. The fan assembly should be cleaned once every 6 months, and the fan blades should be checked for wear and whether the bearings need lubrication to avoid fan faults affecting the equipment's air volume.

In terms of vulnerable parts replacement, the air inlet filter should be replaced every 3-6 months. If the use environment has a lot of dust (such as near corridors and windows), the replacement cycle can be shortened to 2-3 months. The power cord and plug of the equipment should be checked once a quarter to see if there is damage or aging. If problems are found, they should be replaced immediately to prevent electric leakage risks.

In addition, the overall performance calibration of the equipment should be carried out once a year. Professional institutions should test the equipment's disinfection efficiency, noise, energy consumption and other indicators in accordance with national standards to ensure that all parameters of the equipment meet the usage requirements of medical scenarios.

5. How to Enhance the Usage Effect of Plasma Air Sterilizers Under Special Medical Conditions (Such as Infectious Disease Outbreaks)?

When facing special situations such as infectious disease outbreaks, it is necessary to enhance the disinfection capacity of plasma air sterilizers through strengthened usage strategies and block the air transmission route. First, increase the equipment operation duration, change the original intermittent operation to 24-hour continuous operation, and maintain the highest gear throughout the process to ensure that the concentration of active particles in the space is always at a high level and quickly inactivate pathogenic microorganisms in the air.

Second, optimize the equipment layout. In key areas such as infectious disease isolation wards and fever clinics, in addition to the regularly installed equipment, mobile plasma air sterilizers can be additionally added, and arranged at a standard of 1 unit per 50 square meters to eliminate disinfection dead corners, especially focusing on areas in the ward where microorganisms are prone to accumulate, such as toilets and around hospital beds.

At the same time, cooperate with other disinfection measures. While using plasma air sterilizers, wipe and disinfect the ground, walls, and object surfaces with chlorine-containing disinfectant twice a day, and maintain indoor ventilation (if conditions permit, the fresh air system can be turned on) to form a three-dimensional prevention and control system of "air disinfection + surface disinfection + ventilation".

In addition, strengthen the monitoring of equipment operation, record the equipment operation status every 2 hours, and immediately activate the backup equipment if a fault occurs to ensure that the disinfection work is not interrupted. At the same time, collect air samples for microbial testing every day, and adjust the disinfection strategy in a timely manner according to the test results.