Linde Healthcare has introduced a unique therapeutic oxygen cylinder to the U.S. healthcare market that enhances patient safety while providing a higher efficiency and cost effective oxygen delivery system than other systems in the market today.
“The LIV IQ package is a completely new generation of oxygen cylinder,” said Jake Masters, product management specialist for Linde Healthcare. “The technology provides an instant display of the time remaining of oxygen in the cylinder, which removes uncertainty on the part of healthcare practitioners. It gives them peace of mind and more time to focus on patient care.”
The Linde LIV IQ cylinder:
- Eliminates the guesswork in determining how long the cylinder will last;
- Automatically and instantly calculates the remaining time from the actual gas content of the cylinder and the set flow rate—shown on a large and clear digital display; and
- Is equipped with various visible and audible alerts that give the user an additional guidance in various situations: cylinder is running low; actual flow to the patient does not match the desired set flow; or temperature is too high or too low.
“The U.S. economy has a critical challenge with respect to healthcare, as 18% of its GDP is derived from healthcare expenditures,” said Eric Weisholtz, head of hospital care for the Americas. “Linde Healthcare is committed to reducing healthcare costs by introducing new technologies into the market. The LIV IQ technology is Linde’s latest example of healthcare innovation. A digital cylinder with the capability to communicate with its environment will revolutionize oxygen cylinder management within the hospital.”
The communication capability of the LIV IQ package allows users to monitor the information from any computer or web enabled device—an industry first. This eliminates the need for a hospital’s supply chain staff to physically inspect each cylinder for amount of product. It will allow hospital supply chain employees to view cylinders throughout the hospital, saving valuable time.
“At any time, a hospital supply chain’s staff can know the quantity of cylinders in the hospital, their general location, and the amount of product remaining,” said Weisholtz. “Aside from the obvious safety benefits, hospitals will realize cost savings by monitoring the average pressure in the cylinders before returning them to Linde for refilling. This minimizes the amount of unused, or wasted oxygen purchased by the hospital.”
The LIV IQ package consists of a valve with an integrated pressure regulator, a flow selector, flow outlet, a pressure outlet and a digital display. The cylinder is made of light aluminum, and the valve has a protective cover with ergonomic design for easy handling. The LIV IQ package is also equipped with various visible and audible alerts which enhance patient safety in mobile oxygen therapy.
Linde Healthcare collaborated with Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital in Jackson, MI, to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the LIV IQ cylinder in a large hospital environment.
“Prior to having LIV IQ, our staff was making avoidable oxygen rounds,” said Melissa Owen, contract sourcing specialist at Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital. “Now, they can easily check real time contents on the LIV IQ Web App, eliminating unnecessary tasks and maximizing efficiency.”
Masters points out that this capability has a significant impact on the economics within the hospital environment.
“Imagine how efficient and cost-effective this capability will be in a hospital environment where there may be thousands of cylinders to manage across many locations in a hospital system,” Masters said.
Linde Healthcare
lindehc.com
