Ultipor® 100 filter (BB100E) for COVID-19
The importance of using Pall Medical Ultipor ® 100 filter on COVID-19 patients
A clinical study led by Prof. Adriano Peris at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy, investigated the viral load in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid taken from the lungs of their mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients and if the use of the Ultipor® 100 (Reorder code BB100E). *
The result of this study has been published online in September 2022 as a letter to the editor of the British Journal of Anesthesia:
SARS-CoV-2 viral load in heat and humidity exchange filters during invasive mechanical ventilation of patients with COVID-19 - British Journal of Anesthesia (bjanaesthesia.org). Printed version in press.
The patients in the study group were shown to be infected with a variety of SARS-CoV-2 lineages: wild type, alpha, gamma, delta, and omicron. The study showed impressively that the virus was exhaled by the patients and was found on the patient side of the Ultipor® 100. At concentrations of more than 10,000 viruses per milliliter of lavage fluid from the patients’ lungs, up to 10 million virus copies were isolated from the patient side of the Ultipor® 100 filter medium.
The good news for the clinical staff
Irrespective of viral strain and viral load, none of the Ultipor® 100 filters which had retained SARS-Cov-2 on the patient side showed viral contamination on the “clean”, machine side of the filter medium, i.e., the filter kept the breathing circuit free of patient-derived viral contamination and prevented its spread into the ventilator. This is also a potential risk for ambient contamination in semi-open breathing systems in which the patient exhalation gases are released to the room air.
The hydrophobic Ultipor® 100 is an efficient heat and moisture exchanger filter, which in this study not only provided humidification for the lungs of the vulnerable COVID-19 patients, but it also acted as a reliable barrier against patient-derived SARS-CoV-2 contamination.
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FAQs
What was the purpose of the clinical study on Ultipor® 100 filters?
The study investigated whether Ultipor® 100 prevents the spread of SARS-CoV-2 exhaled by mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients.
What were the findings regarding viral contamination?
The patient side of the Ultipor® 100 contained up to 10 million virus copies, but the machine side remained completely free of SARS-CoV-2 contamination.
Why is this important for clinical staff safety?
By preventing contamination of ventilators and reducing the risk of ambient contamination, the filter helps protect healthcare workers in semi-open breathing systems.
Does the Ultipor® 100 filter provide additional benefits beyond viral protection?
Yes. It functions as an efficient heat and moisture exchanger, providing humidification for patients’ lungs while acting as a barrier against viral spread.1
Which SARS-CoV-2 variants were included in the study?
The study included patients infected with multiple lineages: wild type, alpha, gamma, delta, and omicron.
References
https://www.bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(22)00500-1/fulltext
Author bio
Wolfgang Hares, MSc, PhD — Former Sr. Global Manager Scientific Affairs for Gas Filtration and Respiratory Care
He supported with a range of products, which included filters for mechanical ventilation, surgical and medical gas applications, and pulmonary function testing. He has held several roles in regional and Global marketing functions and holds a MsSc from the University of Cologne and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University Hamburg, Germany.
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