Study of Air Distribution in Operating Room

Abstract

Air conditioning of a surgical operation theater is an important topic of research, since maintaining both comfort and an ultra-clean environment is very essential for the successful completion of any surgical operation. Cleanrooms are specially constructed, environmentally controlled air conditioning areas to keep down the concentration of air-borne contaminants to appropriate low to very low levels together with the regulation of temperature and humidity. Surgical site infection (SSI) is the main reason for post-surgical death cases, and it arises due to the contaminations present in the surgical area. The specific features of air conditioning that reduces SSI are effective filtration, air distribution and room pressurization. Out of these, air distribution in operating room is the area of concentration in the present work. This work uses CFD to study and analyze the pattern of air distribution. The influence of geometry of room on turbulence of flow within the room, and the effect of position of surgical light and supply velocity on air distribution pattern are analyzed. It is observed that, laminar air flow (LAF) distribution is the best choice in contaminant removal as well as the energy consumption scenario. LAF reduces the energy consumption and noise level within the operating room and ensures removal of the contaminants from the critical zone of an operating room. But it is difficult to maintain LAF, as it is observed that the orientation of surgical lights and supply velocity influence the flow and thereby the movement of infectious particles.