Colombo?s Direct Delivery Systems are highly advanced, microprocessor-controlled pneumatic tube systems designed with special features for the safe and immediate delivery of specimens, blood products, medications, controlled substances, I.V. solutions and other patient-care items. Each system is composed of a main station, typically located within the Pharmacy, Laboratory or Blood Bank, servicing one to seven remote stations located in the patient-care areas. To achieve the throughput and capacity of the enterprise, multiple dedicated systems of different sizes (4" and 6") may be deployed separately in Lab and Pharmacy. A predetermined and repeatable turnaround time can be achieved for a given critical-care area, such as an Emergency Room, by limiting the number of remote stations designed on a given system or just having one remote station on that system. This multiple-dedicated-system format is simple, virtually silent, error-free and easy to operate for the users, as they can only transact with Lab or Pharmacy. The extremely small footprint of remote stations allows the equipment to be installed above counters and under cabinets in locked Med Rooms for Pharmacy, or in convenient corridor locations for Lab, which provides great design flexibility for dedicated Lab and Pharmacy systems. This dedicated-system approach provides a complete separation of clean and biohazardous materials, providing the optimum in infection control.