At a state-of-the-art toxicology lab in Smyrna, Georgia, technicians use specialized equipment and procedures to test for the presence and concentration of dozens of drugs in the most frequently abused classes of pharmaceuticals: opiates/opioids, amphetamines, barbiturates and more. The services offered by the toxicology lab provide physicians who specialize in pain management with valuable feedback regarding the effectiveness of and adherence to current pain management practices.
The quantitative drug confirmation laboratory goes beyond basic drug screening provided by traditional labs. Testing procedures can reveal what drugs are in a patient’s system and at what levels, and if there are any potentially dangerous drug interactions taking place. The facility can also determine if drugs are being taken in other than the amount prescribed, which could indicate over-medication or illicit use.
Accurate Testing Relies on Nitrogen Gas
Nitrogen gas is a critical component in the testing methods of the advanced laboratory. Nitrogen is used in three separate processes:
- Break down specimens and isolate different chromatographs on different drugs;
- Sanitize the system between specimens; and
- Flush waste from the system.
With 17 machines that run at a flow rate of 40 liters per minute 24 hours a day and seven days a week, the laboratory uses a lot of nitrogen. A giant storage tank would be required in order for the laboratory to store the amount of nitrogen it needs on a weekly or monthly basis, so the company decided to generate their own nitrogen on-site.
When combined with an energy efficient and well-designed compressed air system, on-site nitrogen generation can offer significant benefits compared to bulk nitrogen delivery. On-site industrial gas generators offer a more sustainable and cost-efficient solution by eliminating the need for transport, handling and administrative costs while increasing productivity and lowering energy consumption.
Check back next week to learn how this toxicology lab designed their on-site nitrogen generation system to deliver reliable and pure nitrogen gas exactly when they need it. In the meantime, contact us to learn more about Atlas Copco’s nitrogen generation offerings.
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Source: Compressed Air Blog