Medical vacuum plants for hospitals: the complete guide.
How oil-free medical vacuum plants and AGSS systems serve hospital pipelines under EN ISO 7396-1, why every operating theatre needs both, and how to specify the right plant for your facility. Engineered in Lisbon since 1981, deployed in 80+ countries.
Negative pressure, delivered to every clinical area.
Medical vacuum is the fourth core medical gas pipeline service in any modern hospital, alongside oxygen, medical air, and AGSS. It powers surgical suction, bedside aspiration, fluid drainage, and clinical waste handling 24 hours a day. Without reliable medical vacuum, no operating theatre, ICU bed, or emergency department can function.
From bedside outlet to safe exhaust.
A complete medical vacuum plant uses oil-free or oil-sealed vacuum pumps to maintain continuous negative pressure throughout the hospital pipeline. Aspirated fluids are collected in jars at the point of use; the gas component flows through bacterial filters before being exhausted safely outside the building.
The four hospital vacuum services
Hospitals use vacuum for distinctly different clinical purposes. The pipeline must be sized to handle peak simultaneous demand across all four:
Four functional stages, one continuous pipeline service.
Medical vacuum plants are integrated systems. Four functional stages must work together continuously to maintain pipeline vacuum and handle aspirated material safely.
Vacuum generation
Oil-free or oil-sealed vacuum pumps create and maintain negative pressure in the pipeline. ULTRAVAC plants use proven rotary vane, claw, or screw vacuum pump technologies sized to actual hospital demand. Pumps cycle on demand based on pipeline pressure feedback.
Oil-free optionsVacuum reservoir
A vacuum reservoir buffers consumption peaks and maintains stable pipeline pressure during rapid demand changes. Reservoir sizing is critical: too small causes pressure swings, too large wastes energy. ULTRAVAC reservoirs are sized specifically for each facility's profile.
500–700 mmHg pipelineBacterial filtration of exhaust
Vacuum pump exhaust contains aerosolised body fluids and gases that must be filtered before venting. ULTRAVAC plants include bacterial filtration on the exhaust line plus a safe vent path outside the building. AGSS exhaust is always vented separately.
Bacterial · external ventContinuous monitoring & auto-failover
Onboard sensors continuously track pipeline vacuum level, pump status, and reservoir pressure. EN ISO 7396-1 mandates auto-failover to a backup pump on any out-of-spec parameter. Remote telemetry sends alarms to biomedical engineering staff and Ultra Controlo's UltraCare service centre.
24/7 remote diagnostics
