STR MK 4 biocontainment emergency stretcher
The STR MK 4 by Intelligent Care (Incare) is an emergency stretcher with isolation system for biocontainment, also available as the motorized STR MK 5.
What is the STR MK 4 emergency stretcher with isolation system?
The STR MK 4 is an emergency stretcher with isolation system for biocontainment: the stretcher and a transparent isolation cabin form one unit, with an optional motorized fifth wheel.
It was designed to keep patients and medical staff safe during emergency room evacuations and during the treatment of highly contagious biological diseases or airborne infections. The patient can be diagnosed and treated inside the cabin, so isolation does not stop when the stretcher stops.
The system protects patients of almost any age, excluding infants and small children, who are breathing on their own or through a ventilated system. For young patients, Incare offers the STR MK9 pediatric bed.
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.
Technical data
The figures below apply to the emergency stretcher with isolation system STR MK 4 and, where indicated, to its motorized version STR MK 5.
- 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
- Patients
- Most ages excluding infants and small children; spontaneous or ventilated breathing
- Push-force reduction
- Up to 50% STR MK 5: start-up push force and steering effort
- Maximum speeds
- 2 STR MK 5: selected with a speed limit switch
Read more on filter classes in our guide to HEPA and ULPA filters in isolation units.
How does the emergency stretcher with isolation system work?
The filtration unit sets the pressure inside the cabin either below or above the surrounding room, depending on whether the patient is a source of infection or is at risk of one.
Containing an infectious 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.
Shielding an immunocompromised patient
Positive pressure protects patients with a deficit of the immune system, potentially at risk of contracting certain infections, from the external environment.
Both modes support the isolation precautions set out in the CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions. For transfers across departments, see our guide to infectious patient transport in hospitals.
Design and features: the STR MK 5 motorized version
The STR MK 5 is the STR MK 4 with a power-assisted transport system, which lets one person push and steer the stretcher with minimal effort.
The STR MK 4 emergency stretcher with isolation system is designed not only for the safety of patients and clinicians, but also to improve patient comfort and reduce the physical effort required from caregivers. The STR MK 5 takes this further:
- Motorized, retractable fifth wheel
- Two operating handles with electric brake and directional control
- Speed limit switch for two different maximum speeds
- Start-up push force and steering effort reduced by up to 50%
- One-hand maneuvering of the stretcher
- Same U15 isolation cabin as the STR MK 4
Reducing push and steering forces matters because manual handling is a recognized cause of strain for healthcare workers, as described in the EU-OSHA guidance on musculoskeletal disorders.
Where it is used
The emergency stretcher with isolation system is used in emergency departments and wherever a patient with a highly contagious or airborne infection has to be evacuated, moved and treated without leaving isolation.
Typical settings are emergency room evacuations, transfers to isolation wards and intensive care, and emergency response centers. Because the cabin stays sealed while staff work through it, the emergency stretcher with isolation system also serves as a temporary point of care while a definitive isolation room is being prepared.
Frequently asked questions about the STR MK 4
Which patients can be transported on the STR MK 4?
Patients of almost any age, excluding infants and small children, who are breathing on their own or through a ventilated system.
What is the difference between the STR MK 4 and the STR MK 5?
The STR MK 5 is the motorized version of the STR MK 4. It adds a power-assisted transport system with a motorized, retractable fifth wheel, two operating handles with electric brake and directional control, and a switch for two maximum speeds.
How much effort does the motorized version save?
The power-assisted system of the STR MK 5 reduces start-up push force and steering effort by up to 50%, so one person can maneuver the emergency stretcher with isolation system with one hand.
What filtration does the isolation cabin use?
An NBC filter with protection grade U15 and an efficiency of 99.9975%, tested to block solid and liquid particles of average size up to 0.3 microns.
Related isolation products
Compare the emergency stretcher with isolation system with other Incare isolation units.
STR MK3Isolation unit placed on top of a hospital stretcher, with U15 filtration and negative or positive pressure.View product
STR MK7 / STR MK8Hospital bed with isolation canopy; the STR MK8 adds a motorized fifth wheel.View product
AuraControlled pressure chair for moving seated infectious or immunosuppressed patients.View productChoose between STR MK 4 and STR MK 5
Our team can help you decide whether the manual or the motorized emergency stretcher with isolation system suits your department. Download the catalogues for details.