As part of the nationwide response to the COVID-19 situation, Omega Flex has deployed its flexible medical gas tubing product, MediTrac, in New York City’s Central Park temporary field hospital. The field hospital was rapidly constructed to support the ongoing pandemic and relieve other area hospitals of patient overflows.

Commercialized in 2019, MediTrac piping was designed and is manufactured by Omega Flex at its plant in Exton, Pennsylvania. MediTrac is flexible medical gas tubing made from a copper alloy that is sold on reels in long continuous lengths. The flexibility and long lengths allow MediTrac piping to be quickly installed in new or renovated health care facilities from external supply tanks or manifold directly to a patient’s bedside.

Unlike typical rigid copper gas pipe, installers can simply unreel and pull the MediTrac piping through the facility, around corners, up floors and down corridors, until the final connection. Thanks to its patent-pending axial, swaged quick-assembly fittings, MediTrac piping can be quickly attached to a standard Type K/L copper pipe using only basic hand tools and without the use of any brazing the company notes. MediTrac piping comes in a full range of sizes from 1/2-inch to 1-inch, with larger sizes currently being qualified.

In several studies, MediTrac was installed five times faster than typical rigid copper gas pipe systems, making it the best choice for health care facilities that need to be operational in a matter of days, the company says. Because no brazing is required, MediTrac eliminates the need for expensive purge gases, minimizes the facility down-time associated with brazing and hot work in a healthcare facility and maximizes time for patient care.

MediTrac flexible medical gas system (including piping and fittings) has been extensively tested and has passed rigorous qualification requirements, including listing to UL 1365 and recognition under NFPA 99 (2018 edition) as an approved piping medical piping product. MediTrac fittings are tested to withstand 1,000° F and 647.5 psig, and the tubing includes a fire-retardant jacket for added strength and reliability and a maximum operating pressure of 185 psig. It is plenum rated and tested per ASTM E84. W

OmegaFlex is committed to supporting its customers and communities through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The company is redeploying its resources to meet the needs of its customers by moving engineering and manufacturing personnel to the MediTrac business and prioritizing
the supply of MediTrac products through its distributors. 

For more information on MediTrac, visit www.meditrac.us.