NeoDeWa water treatment system 230 l/h – 300-litre tank

The benefits of NeoDeWa

NeoDeWa from HeylNeomeris is a modular water treatment system that supplies deionised water for the reprocessing of sterile medical devices in outpatient facilities.

The key factor is the bespoke design: each system is tailored to local conditions – the existing water quality, the degree of hardness and the actual volume of water required.

The planning process also takes into account which treatment steps are already carried out by the water supplier.

This is what NeoDeWa offers you:

• Configuration tailored to the existing water quality
• Capacity designed according to actual consumption
• Suitable for use with different levels of water hardness
• Modular system for a customised configuration
• Compact dimensions despite individual configuration

The result is a water treatment system that is precisely tailored to the requirements of your outpatient reprocessing centre.

Deionised water treatment for outpatient care

Without deionised water – or ‘VE’ water for short – instruments and medical devices cannot be reprocessed in accordance with standards.

It is used, amongst other things, to supply RDGs and Steris in instrument reprocessing, as well as in laboratories.

During the treatment process, minerals, salts and other undesirable components are removed from the water. This reduces the occurrence of deposits and residues on instruments and equipment – which protects the materials and supports a hygienically safe process.

Typical areas of application for deionised water include:

• outpatient surgical centres
• dental practices
• dermatology clinics
• endoscopy centres
• other facilities with instrument reprocessing

The reprocessing of medical devices requires a consistently high standard of water quality. The relevant water parameters can therefore be monitored continuously.

The focus here is on conductivity and silicate content. Both values provide information about the quality of the treated water and help to prevent deposits and residues.

The NeoDeWa water treatment plant combines all the necessary treatment stages into a single modular system.

Pre-filtration, water softening, reverse osmosis, further treatment and quality monitoring all work together seamlessly.

The configuration is tailored to the facility’s requirements and can be expanded with additional components at any time.

Depending on the model, the system comprises:

• A system separator to protect the drinking water network
• Pre-filters and activated carbon filters for pre-treatment
• Water softener to reduce water hardness
• Reverse osmosis system, which retains the majority of dissolved substances
• Permeate tank with a capacity of 100, 200 or 300 litres
• Pressure boosting station for a reliable supply
• Two-stage mixed-bed system for further treatment
• Conductivity measurement to monitor water quality
• Testomat® 808 SiO₂ for monitoring the silicate content
• Circulation loop that keeps the water circulating when there is no draw-off

The following optional extras are available:

• Aqua-Stop and drip tray
• UV system
• Pyrogen filter
• Brine pumping system
• NeoTecMaster

With the NeoDeWa VE water treatment system, outpatient facilities do not receive a hodgepodge of individual components, but a water treatment system that is fully coordinated from start to finish – all from a single source: HeylNeomeris.

The modular design tailors the system to water quality, water demand and the specific requirements of the facility. Key parameters remain under control, whilst additional functions can be retrofitted as required.

This results in a compact, tailor-made solution for a reliable supply of deionised water in outpatient settings.

NeoDeWa water treatment system – Flexible capacity to meet a range of requirements

The capacity of the NeoDeWa water treatment system is determined by the facility’s deionised water requirements.

Depending on the model, the following capacity options are available:

• 90 litres per hour
• 150 litres per hour
• 230 litres per hour
• 300 litres per hour

The permeate tank is also determined by the required water volume. For capacities exceeding 150 litres per hour, the permeate tank and pressure-boosting station are usually housed outside the cabinet system due to their dimensions. The specific configuration of the system depends on the conditions at the installation site.

The main priority for the cupboard system was to minimise the space required. A floor area of 1.60 m × 1.00 m is sufficient for both cupboards.

Each cabinet measures 80 cm in width and 60 cm in depth. As the double-leaf doors barely swing out when opened, the system can be accommodated even in confined spaces.

The cabinets are made from sturdy sheet steel and feature a high-quality, durable surface coating.

The NeoDeWa cabinet system thus combines flexible performance, a small footprint and a robust construction to provide a solution for any application.

If treated water flows back into the drinking water supply, the quality of the drinking water is compromised – a system separator is therefore mandatory. The system is already fitted with an integrated BA-type system separator. It is located directly behind the optionally available Aqua-Stop on the water connection and reliably isolates the system from the drinking water mains.

A Testomat® 808 SiO₂ silicate analyser ensures continuous silicate monitoring. It measures the silicate content of the water and ensures that the SiO₂ limit of 0.4 mg/l recommended by the DGSV and AKI is reliably adhered to.

The integrated conductivity measurement on the second mixed-bed continuously monitors the range from 0–10 µS/cm. A conductivity of < 1 µS/cm is recommended for the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation processes of medical devices. The measurement continuously checks whether this value is being maintained.

The pre-filter stage consists of a pre-filter and an activated carbon filter. Their primary function is to protect the downstream water softener and reverse osmosis system, which can be damaged by impurities in the water.

The water softener removes the hardness-causing minerals calcium and magnesium from the drinking water and replaces them with sodium. This ion-exchange process reliably protects the reverse osmosis membranes from blockages.

Reverse osmosis reverses the natural osmotic process: softened water is forced under pressure through a membrane that allows only water molecules and very small molecules to pass through. Salts, bacteria, viruses and larger particles are retained. In terms of all dissolved substances in the water, the built-in reverse osmosis system achieves a retention rate of around 98 per cent.

The cylindrical tank used offers advantages in terms of stability, ease of cleaning and space requirements. Its uniform shape allows for efficient treatment and storage of the water. The optimised tank geometry also prevents the growth of microbiological contamination, thereby meeting the high standards required for media purity.

The pressure-boosting station supplies the operating pressure and flow rate required by the connected consumers. This ensures an optimised and demand-driven supply of media.

The two-stage mixed-bed system, connected in series, acts as a polisher. Thanks to the special resin composition in the cartridges, all remaining dissolved substances are reliably removed from the water. The resin is particularly effective against silicates, which have the greatest adverse effect on the reprocessing of medical devices. If the optionally available buffer tank system is used, the mixed-bed unit also handles the first stage of the recirculation process.

The Aqua-Stop is a safety mechanism for water supply systems: in the event of a fault or leak, it interrupts or restricts the water flow.

It is installed as the first component directly behind the system’s main water connection. Two sensors control the associated solenoid valve – one in the base tray of the cabinet, the second outside at the level of the tank and pressure-boosting station.

The integrated drip tray detects leaks. Together with the Aqua-Stop, it forms part of the cabinet system’s safety features.

UV disinfection technology has advanced significantly in recent years, as it is both simple and effective. The UV-C rays generated are considerably more intense than sunlight and disinfect the water to prevent bacterial contamination. Legionella, microbes, bacteria, viruses and protozoa are eliminated in an environmentally friendly manner.

A pyrogen filter is a specialised water treatment filter that removes pyrogens from the water. Pyrogens trigger immunological reactions in the body – primarily a rise in body temperature. In most cases, these are endotoxins released by bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli).

As an option, the treatment plant can be expanded to include an integrated wastewater lifting system, which conveys the generated and collected wastewater into the sewerage system. The largest wastewater flow rates originate from the regeneration of the water softener and the concentrate from the reverse osmosis system.

Collecting, visualising and processing data are among the core tasks of modern water treatment. The networking of a wide variety of measurement systems and their integration into process automation plays a key role in this. The NeoTecMaster® – a manufacturer-independent multi-parameter system – was developed precisely for this purpose.