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STR MK7 and STR MK8 isolation hospital beds

The STR MK7 by Intelligent Care (Incare) is a biocontainment hospital bed for transporting, diagnosing and caring for contagious patients; the STR MK8 adds a motorized fifth wheel.

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What is the STR MK7 biocontainment hospital bed?

The STR MK7 is a biocontainment hospital bed: a care unit for the transport, diagnosis and assistance of patients with high-risk and airborne contagious diseases, within the healthcare facility.

It protects both patients and medical staff, with integrated features that ease the burden on care staff while providing a comfortable patient support surface. The same bed is available with a motorized fifth wheel as the STR MK8.

Intelligent Care (Incare) is part of Stretchers Industries OOD, a manufacturer based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and supplies hospitals and healthcare providers across Europe and beyond.

STR MK7 biocontainment hospital bed with transparent canopy — STR MK7: biocontainment hospital bed with transparent canopy.

Technical data

Figures for the STR MK7 biocontainment hospital bed and, where indicated, the motorized STR MK8.

Filtration grade: U15 NBC protection, 99.9975% efficiency
Particle size tested: 0.3 microns solid and liquid particles, average size
Operating modes: 2 negative and positive pressure
Fifth wheel: Motorized STR MK8: retractable, installed on a damper device
Push-force reduction: Up to 50% STR MK8: start-up push force and steering
Maximum speeds: 2 STR MK8: speed limit switch

For background on the U15 class, see our guide to HEPA and ULPA filters in isolation units.

How does the biocontainment hospital bed isolate the patient?

The filtration system keeps the canopy at a pressure lower or higher than the room, according to whether the patient must be contained or protected.

Negative pressure

Containing a contagious patient

Negative pressure protects the external environment from the infected patient inside. Contagious disease cannot escape the isolation cabin while the patient is being diagnosed and treated.

Positive pressure

Protecting a vulnerable patient

Positive pressure protects patients with a deficit of the immune system, potentially at risk of contracting certain infections, from the external environment.

Our guide to negative and positive pressure isolation explains the principle in detail. Pressure isolation works alongside the measures in the CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions.

Diagram of negative and positive air pressure flows in the biocontainment hospital bed — Diagram: negative and positive air pressure flows.

Design and features: the STR MK8

The STR MK8 is the motorized version of the bed, with a power-assisted system that lets one person push and steer it with little effort.

The STR MK7 biocontainment hospital bed is designed for the safety of patients and clinicians, and also to improve comfort and reduce the physical effort of caregivers. On the STR MK8 this means:

Motorized, retractable fifth wheel
Fifth wheel installed on a damper device
Two operating handles with electric brake and directional control
Speed limit switch for two maximum speeds
Start-up push force and steering reduced by up to 50%
Single-hand maneuvering

Lower push forces help reduce the manual handling strain described in the EU-OSHA guidance on musculoskeletal disorders.

Motorized fifth wheel and handle controls of the STR MK8 biocontainment hospital bed — STR MK8: motorized fifth wheel and operating handle controls.

Where it is used

The biocontainment hospital bed is used inside healthcare facilities for patients with high-risk and airborne contagious diseases who need isolation during transport, diagnosis and care.

Typical uses are infectious disease wards, intensive care and transfers between them, and the protection of immunocompromised patients in positive pressure mode. Unlike a stretcher, the biocontainment hospital bed remains the patient support surface for longer stays, which makes it suited to care that continues after the transfer. For short emergency transfers, the STR MK 4 emergency stretcher is the alternative.

Frequently asked questions about the STR MK7 / STR MK8

What is the difference between the STR MK7 and the STR MK8?

Both share the same isolation system. The STR MK8 adds a power-assisted transport system with a motorized, retractable fifth wheel installed on a damper device, two operating handles and a two-speed limit switch.

Can patients be treated inside the bed, not only transported?

Yes. The STR MK7 is a care unit designed for the transport, diagnosis and assistance of patients with high-risk and airborne contagious diseases within the healthcare facility.