When contemplating the use of a pneumatic tube system to transport sensitive materials such as lab specimens or pharmaceuticals, a common set of questions usually arises. In an effort to promote the proper application of pneumatic tube systems, we have prepared this document. It is intended to specifically address the most common questions giving facts and recommendations.

1. What materials can be transported?

Considerations:

• Sensitivity to Motion
• Time Delays in Transportation
• Reliability of the Delivery System
• Safety
• Dimensions of Materials
• Weight of Material
• Security

Recommended Applications:

• Laboratory - Blood, Urine
• Pharmacy - IV Bags, Bottles, Drugs
• Medical Records
• Sterile Supply
• General Usage

It has been proven time and again that a pneumatic tube system can transport sensitive materials with less motion trauma than a person carrying the samples in a case or cart.

Time delays associated with the pneumatic tube system depend totally on system design; but at travel speeds of 20 feet per second, a well designed system can exceed the traffic capacity of a manual transport system.

Pneumatic tube systems can achieve reliability levels of performance greater than 99.9%.

The risk from exposure to potentially infectious spills is far less in a pneumatic tube system than it is for personnel to carry specimens through hallways and elevators crowded with patients and the general public.

Most patient materials that are moved within a hospital can be fitted into a pneumatic tube carrier.

Weights of up to 12 pounds are common payloads for pneumatic tube systems.

2. What exposure to trauma do the materials experience while being
transported, and what can be done to minimize the trauma .

a.) At input to and output from the system?

b.) Inside the system?

As a carrier (and its contents) travels through the pneumatic tube system, it is subjected to several changes in direction, including transitions from vertically straight up to horizontal, from full 90 degree left and/or right turns, through many smaller “offsets” and finally from horizontal back to a vertically downward arrival.

The contents inside of the carrier must be restrained to keep them from moving back and forth inside of the carrier as it moves through the system.

As carriers travel from a horizontal to a vertical direction, contents inside the carrier must be restrained from “falling” to the front end of the carrier.