Arkitech has delivered the first Maritime CleanCabin (MCC) on an offshore vessel in the Netherlands. The MCC is a medically qualified quarantine cabin for cruise ships, ferries and naval and offshore vessels that allows an onboard disease outbreak to be contained.

After a difficult year for the maritime sector, the MCC is said to offer a perspective for safe operations during and after the pandemic. Especially for the cruise and ferry industry, the MCC can contribute to the restart of operations this summer.

Also read: Dutch navy vessels to stay in port due to Covid-19

A regular cabin can be converted into a medically qualified MCC by replacing all walls, floors and furniture with cleanroom components and installing the necessary MCC components.

Airlock system

The MCC is a complete turnkey system that complies with the highest medical standards. Using proven and certified medical, cleanroom and laboratory technology, contaminated passengers can be quarantined to guarantee patient and crew safety.

The MCC is entirely separated from the other areas of the vessel by an airlock system. All air flowing in and out of the MCC is fully filtered and controlled to create an artificial negative pressure inside the cabin. This way, other passengers will not come in contact with the contaminated air. Through an interlocked passthrough system, the patient can be provided with medical care and necessities without physical contact. All floors, walls and furniture are cleanroom components that are designed to be disinfected to medical standards.

The MCC is entirely separated by an airlock system. All air going in and out of the MCC is filtered and controlled to create an artificial negative pressure. Passengers will not come in contact with contaminated air and the patient can be provided through an interlocked passthrough system.

Arkitech’s experience in analysing and improving onboard HVAC systems helped to develop a system that continuously measures all important values of air quality. Outside of the MCC, a dashboard shows the values of the air quality and other important data. Another dashboard is placed at the bridge of the vessel, so that the ship management is always up to date and in control. When critical values of air quality are surpassed, the system automatically alerts the ship management.

Ship management is constantly informed about the situation in the MCC and is alarmed when critical values are reached.

Cabin conversion or separate container

Converting a regular cabin to an MCC can be done on any cruise, ferry, offshore and naval vessel and takes only one or two weeks. An alternative is to directly install a twenty-foot container that has been converted to a mobile MCC. According to the company, both options of the MCC give ship operators the security that their mission will not be cancelled because of an onboard disease outbreak, while it also creates a safe environment for the patient and crew.

Picture (top): The dashboard outside of the MCC shows the values of the air quality.

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