Connecting two hospitals to one central laboratory

Connecting two hospitals with long-distance pneumatic tube transport

In a busy urban healthcare environment, speed and reliability are essential. In Marseille, the second-largest city in France, BP Atlas worked with Telecom Tube Systems on a project to connect two hospitals located 800 metres apart. The goal was clear: create one central laboratory process and transport all samples to the lab in less than five minutes.

The challenge: connecting two hospitals in the city centre

The project required a long-distance pneumatic tube solution that could handle a high volume of sample transport between two separate hospital sites. The system had to support four unidirectional carrier train networks, as well as an additional purge network, to connect the hospitals and automate the unloading of carriers at the laboratory.

This made the project technically demanding. The solution needed to combine long-distance transport, high capacity and automated unloading, while supporting a critical healthcare process where speed and continuity matter every day.

A long-distance solution with automated unloading

Telecom was selected because of its experience with long-distance, multi-carrier unidirectional pneumatic tube systems. For this project, Telecom supplied the full technical pneumatic tube solution for BP Atlas, including the required pneumatic equipment and system components.

At the laboratory, the automatic unloading process is handled by six Triton stations. This allows samples to arrive quickly and be unloaded efficiently, supporting a more streamlined laboratory workflow.

High-volume sample transport in practice

The result is a system that transports around 3,000 carriers to the laboratory every day. By connecting both hospitals to one central laboratory process, the system helps move samples quickly, reliably and automatically across the 800-metre distance.

During the project, delivery delays created a risk for the commissioning of the installation. However, Telecom found an alternative solution, helping the project move forward and supporting the successful implementation of the system.

This project shows how long-distance pneumatic tube technology can connect healthcare facilities, support centralised laboratory processes and keep high-volume sample transport moving efficiently in a demanding urban environment.