Veterinary clinic now self-sufficient in the production of oxygen for anesthesia
AniCura Bökelberg GmbH, a veterinary clinic in Mönchengladbach, Germany, has been manufacturing its own oxygen required for anesthesia since the beginning of the year. As a result, the clinic is no longer reliant on cylinder suppliers and logistics: the gas is now available around the clock, without anyone having to worry about replenishing it. There is also no longer any need to spend time changing cylinders in the yard. The oxygen system consists of a compressor with pressure vessel, an oxygen generator, an O2 buffer vessel and various devices for processing compressed air and oxygen.
"The status of animals in families has risen dramatically over the last 20 years," says Dr. Arnd Stelljes, Veterinary Director of AniCura Bökelberg GmbH in Mönchengladbach. This is mainly due to the rising levels of isolation among people, who have therefore become much more attached to animals than in the past: "Nowadays, even farmers come to us to have their working dogs operated on!"
Well over 90% of the surgeries at the veterinary clinic are performed on dogs and cats, plus some small pets and birds. "We once had a mini pig that someone kept as a pet," the Clinic Director recalls. "The pig had bladder stones, and we had to operate on a fistula." To do this, the mini-pig had to be X-rayed at the Bökelberg clinic, which is well known within a radius of 100 to 150 kilometers for its imaging procedures. The diagnostic equipment includes CT, MRI, X-ray, dental X-ray and three ultrasound machines, one of which is specifically for cardiology. "We have a corresponding number of medical specialists here," explains Arnd Stelljes. "Radiologists, cardiologists, experts in internal medicine, surgeons, orthopedic surgeons." Performing 15 to 25 surgeries per day keeps the 60-strong AniCura team well occupied.
The vet performs surgery on a cat's broken leg. The cat does not feel anything during the surgery, because it is anesthetized and ventilated with oxygen and a drug which is tailored to the animal. The oxygen is produced on the clinic premises itself and reaches the anesthesia machine here in the operating theater from the tap in the center left of the image.
Oxygen for ten anesthesia machines
PPOG1 oxygen generator from Pneumatech with oxygen reservoir. To produce oxygen, the ambient air is first compressed by a screw compressor (located in another room), then dried and finally fed to the oxygen generator. The PPOG1 removes the nitrogen from the compressed air using pressure swing adsorption. In the process, it separates the oxygen from the other air components and enriches it to purity levels of up to 95%.
Large price differences among cylinder suppliers
The managing director, who owned the clinic until 2016 before selling it to the AniCura Group, originally had the idea to produce the oxygen in-house many years ago. At the time, however, the site with its 300 square meters of space and only a few surgeries proved too small, and the O2 demand too low. Now the facility covers an area of 1200 square meters. The reason it took some time to install an oxygen station was also due in part to the cylinder supplier: "He was a nice, older gentleman ..." says Arnd Stelljes, referring to the trusting cooperation. And the prices were also "nice" because they were relatively low. "When he couldn't deliver on one occasion, we had to switch to an alternative supplier. That's when we realized how expensive it can get." When the supplier eventually retired, the time had come for Stelljes to switch from cylinder bundles to self-sufficient oxygen production.
Fresh air supply for dogs with breathing difficulties
The managing director, who owned the clinic until 2016 before selling it to the AniCura Group, originally had the idea to produce the oxygen in-house many years ago. At the time, however, the site with its 300 square meters of space and only a few surgeries proved too small, and the O2 demand too low. Now the facility covers an area of 1200 square meters. The reason it took some time to install an oxygen station was also due in part to the cylinder supplier: "He was a nice, older gentleman ..." says Arnd Stelljes, referring to the trusting cooperation. And the prices were also "nice" because they were relatively low. "When he couldn't deliver on one occasion, we had to switch to an alternative supplier. That's when we realized how expensive it can get." When the supplier eventually retired, the time had come for Stelljes to switch from cylinder bundles to self-sufficient oxygen production.
Oxygen is extracted from the air and enriched to 95%
To produce the oxygen on site, the gas is separated from the surrounding air and enriched in a container. Normal ambient air contains about 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, plus smaller amounts of carbon dioxide, argon and other gases. To generate oxygen (or nitrogen), the ambient air is first compressed in an air compressor and then fed to the generator. The PPOG1 removes the oxygen from the compressed air by means of pressure swing adsorption. This means that the Pneumatech generator separates the O2 from the other gases and enriches it to purity levels of up to 95%. For this purpose, the oxygen generator has two containers, each filled with a special adsorbent. Both are fed with compressed air and alternate between oxygen adsorption (up to a saturation limit) and regeneration. The gas storage container behind the generator ensures a continuous supply of oxygen to the consumers.
Supplied and installed by ALUP's northern branch
In the compressor room, little space is wasted... The Alup screw compressor (blue) is mounted on a compressed air reservoir equipped with an electric condensate drain. An adsorption dryer (on the wall at the back) and various filters condition the compressed air. Alup's northern branch supplied and installed all the equipment, which is spread over two rooms. Shown large in the picture is the screw compressor mounted on a compressed air reservoir.
All the oxygen generation equipment was supplied and installed by Alup's northern branch, based in nearby Erkelenz. The company's specialists also laid all the stainless steel piping for compressed air and oxygen, including all the fittings up to the distribution line. The equipment was then commissioned by Pneumatech, while Alup performed the necessary servicing.
The two-part plant now comprises the following components typical for such a setup:
- Room 1 (in the order in which the equipment is connected): Alup screw compressor, mounted on a compressed air reservoir; wet separation filter (equipped with electric condensate drain, like the compressed air reservoir); adsorption dryer; various dust filters.
- Room 2: PPOG oxygen generator from Pneumatech; gas sampling hose for purity testing; oxygen reservoir and, lastly, an oxygen filter before the gas reaches the taps in the OR and fresh air room via the piping.
The OWS type oil-water separator is a complete solution for condensate treatment. The OWS separates oil and water effectively and easily from the condensate produced during compressed air treatment. It needs to be serviced only every 4000 operating hours, when a filter replacement is due. The separator also ensures that the collected water meets the strictest purity standards (DIBT approval) and can be released into the public wastewater network without further treatment.
View of further components for compressed air treatment in the compressor room. The cold-regenerating adsorption dryer from Pneumatech (type PH) can be seen on the center right, with the VT activated carbon adsorber in the center. This filters all oil vapors out of the compressed air. On the left of the picture is the dust filter from the new Pneumatech Ultimate series, which protects the compressed air consumers from particles..
Self-sufficient oxygen station pays for itself in a few years
Dr. Arnd Stelljes, Veterinary Managing Director of AniCura Bökelberg GmbH in Mönchengladbach: "Years ago, I had the idea of producing the oxygen needed for anesthesia on the clinic premises myself, instead of purchasing the gas cylinders in bundles from a supplier. But at the time, it would not have paid off. It is only with the growth of the clinic and now 15 to 25 surgeries per day that self-sufficient oxygen production is worthwhile for us." In 2021, the project was implemented.
Additional locations could be supplied by means of pressure amplifiers
Tim Ganser (left), Sales Manager at Pneumatech, explaining to Clinic Manager Dr. Arnd Stelljes: "If you integrate a pressure booster into your new station, you can also bottle the oxygen yourself and make it available to other sites. A booster like this is also useful for covering peak loads or as a backup for emergencies."
