Nion Technology in Hospital

Mission

To provide hospitals and clinics with a range of products using Nion technology that will result in a cleaner environment, enhance water quality, reduce the incidence of in-hospital infections, and ultimately create a pristine, idyllic setting imbued with negative ions.

Negative ions (OH^–electrons) can:

>> Suppress microbe proliferation, thereby lowering the incidence of in-hospital
　 infections
>> Eliminate foul odors and improve air quality by breaking down volatile gases and
　 chemical substances
>> Eliminate smoke and other particles suspended in air
>> Reduce the growth of microorganisms such as viruses, fungi, bacteria, and mites
>> Decrease static electricity disruption
>> Neutralize the positive ions produced by electromagnetic waves and their harmful
　 effects
>> Provide patients with a higher quality environment and increase hospital staff
　 productivity

Nion ionized water has the following unique features:

>> Stably ionizes minerals and microelements contained in water
>> High oxygen-carrying capacity -- Contains no chlorine residue
>> Constituted by smaller clusters of water molecules
>> Mildly alkaline character (pH of 7.8) is ideally suited to the pH of the human body
>> Maintains efficient water flow and cleanliness by eliminating clogging in water pipes
　 and water towers
>> Improves the quality of water used in hospital/clinic settings
>> Reduces the growth of microorganisms found in water and biofilm, and the
　 subsequent risk of infection

Hospital settings have much room for improvement

Most hospitals and clinics today are enclosed buildings equipped with a central air conditioning system that significantly limits the level of air recirculation that can be achieved. This lack of an effective ventilation system is compounded by the following factors: metabolic waste by-products from patients, biochemical residues from medical treatment regimens, static electricity and electromagnetic radiation emitted by hospital equipment, and vapors from inhalant medications/anesthetics all serve to considerably reduce the amount of negative ions in the air while concurrently increasing the amount of positive ions. The result is not only that patients and hospital staff suffer a decreased level of comfort due to compromised air quality, but they are also at greater risk for in-hospital infections. Moreover, the ubiquitous use of antibiotics in hospital settings today has led to the development of substantial microbial resistance by the hardiest organisms, a challenge that not only poses a significant health hazard but can also lead to undesirable legal ramifications. In the face of such daunting issues, the purification of the hospital environment is of the utmost priority.

The challenges facing a hospital setting

The intensive care units (ICU) in hospitals face the greatest challenges in the realm of patient care. Invariably, ICU patients are those who are extremely ill or who have undergone major surgery, and therefore are the most immunocompromised. Due to their condition, they are the ones who can least afford to suffer the risks of contamination from invasive procedures (the placement of IV catheters, urinary catheters, chest tubes, etc). They are also the ones with the longest hospital stays and who require the most care, both in terms of time and expense (eg.: longer hospital bed turnover time, increased nursing staff, higher treatment costs, etc).

In addition, emergency room patients often cannot be effectively isolated from one another and in the unfortunate event that air-borne pathogens are spread from one patient to another, causing an in-hospital epidemic, this can lead to a daunting level of unsolicited media attention and embarrassment.

Maintaining sterility in hospital operating rooms poses a daily challenge in a world where increasing microbial resistance is the norm. Standard procedures to achieve a pathogen-free environment include: ensuring the laminar flow of air within operating rooms through the use of elaborate air filtration systems, diligent scrubbing of hands and arms with antiseptic solutions, the careful donning of aseptic surgery gowns and gloves, limiting the number of observers and other outsiders, autoclaving operating equipment, using ultraviolet lighting for sterilization, and so forth. Yet, despite all these stringent defenses, maintaining a completely sterile environment is clearly impossible and the risk of intra- or post-operative patient infection is always present.

Studies have shown that statistically, the risk of surgical contamination is greatest during the first surgery of the day. This is due to the fact that when the air conditioning is first turned on, it effectively circulates the numerous microbes that have aggregated inside the ventilation system. Furthermore, the more time-consuming a surgical procedure the greater the risk of infection since the incision site is exposed for a longer time to potential pathogens. Thus, without the ability to use ultraviolet sterilization techniques or antiseptic solutions intra-operatively, it becomes imperative that other ways be explored to cleanse the hospital environment.