A Smart Gas Leakage Monitoring System for Hospitals: Innovation for Safety and Efficiency
By Yasmin Makki Mohialden, with Nadia Mahmood Hussien,
Nada Thanoon Ahmed, Mostafa Abdulghafoor Mohammed, and Tole Sutikno
Medical gases are essential to modern healthcare. They are used in life-support systems, anesthesia, patient care, and various diagnostic and treatment procedures. Hospitals often operate extensive gas supply networks, delivering oxygen, nitrous oxide, and other specialized gases to critical areas such as operating rooms, intensive care units, and patient wards.
.jpeg "Smart Gas Leakage Monitoring System in a Hospital Environment")
However, while these gases sustain life, they also pose serious
risks when leaks occur. Gas leakage can lead to:
- Health
hazards from toxic gases like carbon monoxide.
- Fire
and explosion risks from flammable gases such as methane or butane.
- Costly
operational disruptions and damage to equipment.
Traditional detection systems typically use sensors that
trigger a local alarm when a dangerous concentration is reached. But in many
cases, safety personnel are not nearby to hear these alarms.
Recognizing this problem, our research team developed a Smart
Gas Leakage Monitoring System specifically designed for hospital environments.
It detects leaks instantly and sends immediate alerts via GSM, ensuring
responsible personnel are notified wherever they are.
Related Work
Previous studies have addressed gas leakage detection in
domestic or industrial contexts:
- Simbeye
et al. [7] developed a home system that detects LPG leaks and sends SMS
alerts, with the added ability to cut off power using a magnetic relay.
- Fraiwan
et al. [17] designed a wireless detection system that activates alarms and
a mobile device receiver when gas levels exceed thresholds.
- Ishak
et al. [18] created a GSM-based system to send SMS alerts for LPG leaks.
- Azibek
[19] proposed a smart home system for elderly care, integrating health
monitoring, gas sensors, and cameras.
Our approach builds on these ideas but is tailored for
hospital use, integrating multi-gas detection, instant remote alerts, and manual
emergency activation in one compact, cost-effective package.
Proposed System
The system’s architecture is shown in the block diagram
(Figure 1). It operates continuously to monitor air quality in hospital gas
storage areas.
 |
| Figure-1 - Block diagram of the proposed system |
When a leak is detected:
- Gas
sensors send a signal to the Arduino Uno microcontroller.
- The Arduino processes the data and activates:
- An LCD display to show warnings and sensor readings.
- A buzzer module to emit an audible alert.
- A GSM module to send SMS notifications to pre-stored phone numbers of hospital safety officers.
- Alerts
are repeated until an acknowledgment is received.
- A pushbutton
switch allows staff to send a manual emergency alert if they suspect
danger before sensors detect it.
The system works both automatically and manually, ensuring
rapid action in any scenario.
Hardware Components
 |
| Figure-2 - The prototype of whole system |
The prototype (Figure 2) consists of:
A. Arduino Uno Microcontroller – Based on the ATmega328P, with multiple input/output pins, analog inputs, and USB power options.
B. Gas Sensors (MQ2 and MQ9) – Sensitive to a wide range of gases. Table 1 lists their target gases:
- MQ2: Methane, Butane, LPG, Smoke
- MQ9: Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen, Methane, Propane, and more
 |
| Table-1 - The module of sensor and its target |
Software Components
We programmed the system using Arduino IDE version 1.8.12, which supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. The software reads sensor data, compares it against pre-defined thresholds, and decides whether to trigger alerts.
Software Design
The use case diagram (Figure 3) outlines the system’s
interactions:
 |
Figure-3 - The Use case diagram of the system |
- Smart System Actor: Detects gas leaks (via MQ2, MQ9, or pushbutton), processes signals (digital or analog), displays notifications, activates buzzer, and sends SMS alerts.
- Emergency Operator Actor: Receives alerts, listens to buzzer, and can contact civil defense if the situation escalates.
Results and Discussion
During testing, the system effectively detected multiple
hazardous gases, including:
- Carbon
Monoxide (CO)
- Hydrogen
(H₂)
- Methane
(CH₄)
- Butane
(C₄H₁₀)
- Ammonia
(NH₃)
- Propane
(C₃H₈)
- Smoke
particles
When powered on, all detection modules activate and send
data to:
- The
computer interface.
- The
GSM module for SMS alerts
- The
LCD display in both normal and leak conditions
The system uses two SMS formats:
- Sensor
Alert: “Gas leak in the warehouse”
- Manual
Alert: “The hospital warehouse is in danger”
Hospital gas storage areas are high-risk zones. Our Smart
Gas Leakage Monitoring System offers a practical, flexible, and affordable
solution for continuous monitoring and rapid emergency communication. By
combining multi-gas detection, audible and visual warnings, and remote GSM
alerts, this system bridges the critical gap between leak detection and timely
response.
Acknowledgements
This work was carried out by:
- Yasmin
Makki Mohialden (Corresponding Author)
- Nadia
Mahmood Hussien
- Nada
Thanoon Ahmed
- Mostafa
Abdulghafoor Mohammed
- Tole
Sutikno
We thank the Department of Computer Science, College of
Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq, for their support.