Air Sampler Helps Check New Hospital in Bath  

An Andersen N6 sampler hired from Ashtead Technology has been used to analyse operating room conditions prior to the opening of a new £30million hospital in Bath.

The Andersen N6 Microbial Sampler was hired by independent healthcare organisation Circle, to prove compliance with the requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The innovative 58-bed hospital, designed by internationally-acclaimed architects Foster + Partners, will take a mixture of NHS and private patients and is set to open in March (2010). The design incorporates fresh air and natural light into the healing process and is set to achieve the highest national rating for sustainable hospital design.

The N6 sampler hired from Ashtead Technology was employed by Circle to collect airborne micro-organisms and can also be used for such applications as pharmaceutical production, animal care laboratories, food processing areas and any environment in which contamination must be controlled. To collect samples a Petri dish is placed on top of the N6 base plate and at least 0.1m³ of the sample is taken through the impactor. This sample is then taken to a laboratory for analysis.

The sampler has a minimal set-up procedure, provides an efficient and easy sampling method and rents with pump, rotometer, tubing, isopropyl alcohol and case.

Bob Darby, Head of Infection Prevention & Control at Circle, said: “The air sampler was extremely easy to use throughout the hire period and the readings will help the hospital gain CQC approval prior to the official opening.

“By hiring instrumentation we avoided considerable purchase and maintenance costs and were able to call on Ashtead Technology if we had any queries whilst using the sampler.”

Alan Hasson, Ashtead Technology’s General Manager, added: “This application highlights the many benefits of renting air sampling instrumentation, including significant cost savings and access to the very latest technology on the market.”