Three distinct surgical clothing systems in a turbulent mixing operating room equipped with mobile ultraclean laminar airflow screen: A numerical evaluation

Abstract

Two types of mobile screens producing ultraclean local laminar airflow were investigated as an addition to turbulent mixing operating room ventilation. The exploration was carried out numerically using computational fluid dynamics. Surface and volumetric particle counts were simulated on the operating and instrument tables with and without the additional mobile airflow screen. Three different source strengths (the mean bacteria-carrying particle value emitted from one person per second) due to staff clothing variety were considered. Model validation was performed through result comparisons with experimental data from the literature. Results confirmed that the mobile screen units reduced the airborne bacteria to an acceptable level for infection-prone surgeries. No significant particle concentration differences existed in the periphery of the operating room. Lower source strength resulting from a clothing system with high protective capacity reduced particle concentration.