AZUSA, Calif., Oct. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the worldwide healthcare industry commemorating International Infection Prevention Week, October 17-23, MINTIE LLC, a third-generation healthcare product innovator and an Alliance Environmental Group company, continues its efforts at infection prevention in the fight against COVID-19 and the Delta Variant. The company introduced its first line of Environmental Containment Units (ECUs) in 2003 to control the spread of harmful airborne particles during construction or maintenance activities. Since then, MINTIE has continued to push the innovation process forward and now, its ECU4 mobile environmental containment units are currently being used to support surge requirements for airborne isolation in the continued fight against the transmission of COVID-19. https://youtu.be/O0sS1-LpDvc
Since January 2021, over 1,500 ECU4s have been deployed in 400+ Japanese healthcare facilities to provide temporary airborne isolation support as part of Japan’s effort to control the spread of COVID-19. The MINTIE ECU4 also played a critical role during the Tokyo Summer Olympics – supporting 20 Olympic designated healthcare facilities with additional airborne isolation capabilities.
According to Tsuneki (Neki) Kusaba, President & CEO, Moraine Corporation, MINTIE’s exclusive Japanese distributor, “The main purpose of the ECU4 is to create zoning to distinguish between risk and safety areas in hospitals where regular medical care must be continued to accommodate an ever-growing number of patients. We needed as many ECU4s as possible to handle this emergency, so we have made unreasonable demands on MINTIE. However, MINTIE has definitely supplied the ECU4 in response to our request.”
Mintie ECU4 Corridor Flange
The Mintie ECU4 Corridor flange prevents direct air exchange between the isolated area and general population without any building modifications
“We are delighted with the success of the ECU4 business, however more than that, we are proud to have saved the lives of many Japanese healthcare workers and patients. The ECU4 provides a safe and secure medical system for many healthcare workers, and we have received messages of gratitude from many customers,” Mr. Kusaba added.
According to Toshihiro Mitsuda, Ph. D CICD, Director and Associate Professor, Yokohama City University Hospital, “Without the MINTIE product, zoning couldn’t be achieved in healthcare facilities in Japan. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that HAI didn’t trigger collapse of the Japanese medical system because Moraine supplied MINTIE products all over the country. MINTIE and Moraine supported the Japanese government at a critical time and saved many lives.”
The adoption of MINTIE’s ECU4s in hundreds of hospitals has drawn the attention of a number of Asian media outlets, including Japan’s News 8 and TVK news station as well as in South Korea on MBN TV News, Money Today, MBC News, KBS News and JIBS News. In the US, MINTIE has been named a finalist in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s inaugural 2021 International Business Forum & Awards in the Global Trade Leader of the Year and Private Company — Medium Sized Business categories.
The MINTIE ECU4 is a product that provides a variety of airborne containment solutions. The ECU4 is patented and has been clinically evaluated and rigorously tested for efficacy of particle containment, ventilation, and stability in healthcare environments where ICRA containment requirement sits in levels 1 to 4. If a hospital is a step away from reaching ICU capacity for COVID-19 patients, ECU4s can be set up with negative air machines to provide temporary, total isolation rooms.
The ECU4’s simple, yet advanced design makes it user-friendly from setup to tear down and because of their portability, can be setup virtually anywhere. This allows hospitals to create as many isolations rooms as space allows. “Sometimes setting up multiple ECU4s might not be enough – maybe a whole section of a hospital needs to be isolated. The MINTIE ECU4 corridor flange enables an ECU4 to function as a portable anteroom. The corridor flange is used to seal off the entryway of a hallway, creating a larger isolated space,” according to Kyle Hourraney, Director of Facilities at Orange County Global Medical Center, Santa Ana, CA.
MINTIE’s product portfolio also includes multi-use negative air machines, when combined with an ECU4 to create an anteroom, a negative air machine is the “engine” that pulls air out of the anteroom space. As the air passes through the negative air machine’s 99.97% HEPA filter, it creates the negative pressure air lock to protect the general patient population and caregivers. MINTIE’s ECU4s are utilized in all 50 U.S. states. MINTIE is also currently partners with distribution channels in Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
About MINTIE LLC
Founded in 1940, MINTIE LLC began as specialty maintenance service company and has grown into a company with an international reputation for excellent service and innovative indoor environmental systems. MINTIE provides indoor air quality management, preventative maintenance solutions and portable containment products for airborne particulates, infection control, and bio-security. MINTIE has focused on leading the industry with innovative products and the highest quality services to provide clients with safer, healthier, and more productive environments with minimal disruption and highest levels of satisfaction and effectiveness. The company serves a diverse mix of companies, ranging from market leaders to entrepreneurial start-ups within healthcare, biotechnology, entertainment, aerospace, manufacturing, and commercial real estate. MINTIE is an Alliance Environmental Group Company. For more information, visit https://www.mintie.com/.
History of IIPW
Established in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) focuses attention on the importance of infection prevention in saving lives and healthcare dollars. APIC has spearheaded this annual effort to highlight the significance of infection prevention among healthcare professionals, administrators, legislators, and consumers.
Over the years, this week of recognition has vastly expanded to every corner of the globe, including Australia, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. As the reach of IIPW widens, more patients benefit from safer healthcare practices and reduced threat of healthcare-associated infections.
Contact Details:
Vinay Panday
Director of Marketing
Alliance Environmental Group
626-633-3514
vinaypanday@alliance-enviro.
Source: Mintie, LLC
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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