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Pneumatic tubes (or capsule pipelines, also known as pneumatic tube transport or PTT) are systems that propel cylindrical containers through networks of tubes by compressed air or by partial vacuum. They are used for transporting solid objects, as opposed to conventional pipelines which transport fluids. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pneumatic tube networks gained acceptance in offices that needed to transport small, urgent packages, such as mail, other paperwork, or money, over relatively short distances, within a building or, at most, within a city. Some installations became quite complex, but have mostly been superseded. However, they have been further developed in the 21st century in places such as hospitals, to send blood samples and the like to clinical laboratories for analysis.[1]
A small number of pneumatic transportation systems were built for larger cargo, to compete with train and subway systems. However, they never gained popularity.
- ^ Wykes, Sara (2010-01-11). "Gone with the wind: Tubes are whisking samples across hospital". Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved 12 February 2010.