# Medical vacuum

Medical vacuum is the piped suction service of a hospital: a central plant of vacuum pumps, vessels and filters connected through the pipeline to terminal units, giving immediate and continuous suction for clinical use.

ISO 7396-1 covers vacuum pipelines together with the compressed medical gases. In HTM 02-01 (2026), the medical vacuum pipeline system is the vacuum supply system, the distribution pipework, valves and terminal units, designed to hold a vacuum of at least 315.5 mmHg at each terminal unit during the design flow tests. The plant typically includes a duplex set of [bacteria filters](https://library.ultracontrolo.com/glossary/bacterial-filter/) with drainage traps, non-return and isolating valves, gauges and pressure switches.

Medical vacuum is not the same as dental suction or anaesthetic gas scavenging. HTM 02-01 says it should not be used to extract bodily fluids during dental procedures, which need a dedicated dental vacuum system, and anaesthetic gas scavenging disposal systems are covered by ISO 7396-2, not Part 1.

ULTRAVAC central vacuum plants run fully automatically with 1 to 12 vacuum pumps, at a normal operating vacuum of −0.85 bar, and the basic configuration includes two bacterial filters with liquid separator.

## Sources

- [ISO 7396-1:2016, Medical gas pipeline systems, Part 1 (ISO summary)](https://www.iso.org/standard/60061.html)
- [HTM 02-01 (2026) Part A, paragraphs 10.1 to 10.3, 10.9 and 10.14 (NHS England)](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/health-technical-memorandum-02-01-medical-gas-pipeline-systems-part-a-design-installation-validation-verification-aug-2026.pdf)
- [ULTRAVAC datasheet, p. 2 and p. 5](https://www.ultracontrolo.com/products/ultravac)

Reviewed: 2026-10-22. Ultra Controlo engineering. https://library.ultracontrolo.com/glossary/medical-vacuum/