Mobile laboratories - what is a mobile biology laboratory?

The coronavirus pandemic negatively affects many areas of life. Medical personnel are in a particularly difficult situation, having to provide care to patients on the one hand and exposing themselves to infection on the other. What can be done to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and protect doctors, nurses and laboratory staff from contracting COVID?

A recent NIK report showed that the Polish health service is facing a number of problems. One of them is the increasing number of infections in hospital wards. An ineffective system is responsible for this state of affairs. Among other things, there is a lack of systematic monitoring and reporting of events related to the emergence of new strains of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses. In practice, many facilities do not provide adequate protection against pathogens. To minimise the risk of infection, it is worth investing in microbiology laboratories or mobile modular hospitals. A Covid Firewall solution, a dedicated area for the initial diagnosis of COVID-19 patients, is also a good way to reduce virus transmission.
Mobile biology laboratories - why, how, for whom?

An increasing number of investors are opting to build turnkey mobile microbiology laboratories. These facilities are made from prefabricated components manufactured under controlled and repeatable conditions. Such constructions are characterised by very good technical parameters. They comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and with health and safety regulations. They also meet the standards set out in the BSL-3 security standard, and can be adapted to BSL-4 requirements following changes in work organisation and equipment. The facilities operate fully independently, but can also be added to existing hospitals.

Among the advantages of construction is the speed of erection - most of the activities take place in a closed workshop. Only the previously prepared elements are assembled on site. The construction work does not involve noise or airborne dust, which is why the structures are often erected next to existing facilities. This option allows the available medical facilities to be modified without affecting the operation of the unit. If necessary, the mobile laboratory is set up in another location. Hospitals are also created from prefabricated components - read more about this in the article: What is a mobile modular hospital? Find out more.
What distinguishes mobile laboratories?

Characteristic features of the construction include a well thought-out design. Mobile biological laboratories consist of separate areas designed for:

• sampling,
• reagent manufacture,
• pathogen inactivation,
• RNA (ribonucleic acid) isolation,
• carrying out RT-PCR-type genetic tests.

The facilities also include utility, storage, housekeeping and decontamination or waste storage areas. Decontamination sluices for the elimination of micro-organisms and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, are located at critical points (for details on this technology, see the article: What is a decontamination sluice - find out the advantages.

Refined procedures and sterile conditions

Among the advantages of mobile laboratories, it is worth mentioning the technological solutions that reduce the likelihood of contamination. Reagents are always delivered from the outside. On the way to the delivery chamber, there is a vestibule and a decontamination airlock. Materials are received in the receiving chamber and stored in spaces adapted to the required temperatures.

Samples from outside the laboratory, on the other hand, are delivered in labelled packages, passing through a vestibule and airlock. The next steps include unpacking and labelling of the materials. In the event of damage to the sample or packaging, decontamination in an autoclave is initiated.
Special procedures also apply to employees. To protect themselves from the pathogen, they must remove their outer clothing and personal items in a separate area. They then go to the so-called clean changing room (passing the sanitary area on the way) and change into protective clothing and footwear. One enters the main laboratory through the washroom and airlock.

The prefabricated buildings are characterised by any scalability - they function as either single-storey or multi-storey spaces, depending on needs. Mobile biological laboratories can also be expanded or transformed into outpatient clinics, dispensaries or other facilities (allowing them to continue to be used after the coronavirus pandemic has ended). A variety of medical facilities are being erected using modular technology. To find out more about this, we encourage you to read the article, 'Why choose a modular hospital? Why opt for a modular hospital?

https://www.nik.gov.pl/aktualnosci/quo-vadis-sluzbo-zdrowia.html