Background and Identification
A medical suction regulators is a medical device that changes the high power vacuum of the hospital’s central vacuum system into a safe level for use on people. The hospital vacuum system is too high pressure for human contact so the suction regulator adjusts the pressure to an appropriate level for the patient. Generally, the central vacuum system is piped in through the wall and the suction regulator is plugged in. Because there are different manufacturers of the headwalls and connectors, you must be sure to have a proper back fitting in order to attach the suction regulator. Another thing to note is that suction regulators have a pressure limiting mechanism that allows you to adjust the suction pressure.
Depending on the viscosity of the fluid being suctioned the suction regulator may need to be adjusted to a higher or lower setting. For example, if the fluid is thicker, it may need to be set to a higher setting. Also, some suction regulators can be set to constant or intermittent vacuum.
Additional Information
- Medical Suction Regulators
- What is a Suction Regulator?
- Boehringer Continuous Suction Regulator Repair Video
- Setting up Basic Suction Equipment for Suctioning a Patient (Video tutorial)
Image source: BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons
