Ultra clean ventilation system performance relating to airborne infections in operating theatres using CFD modelling

Preventing airborne infections during a surgical procedure is of paramount importance for effective and economical delivery of care, as well as for health and well-being of patients. Ultra clean ventilation (UCV) systems are commonly used in operating theatres, in particular for orthopaedic surgery because of the higher risk of infection from exposed deep wounds. This research, investigates the airflow pattern of a UCV based operating theatre using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The effects of the opening and closing of doors in two pressurisation scenarios (0 and 20 Pa) with the surrounding spaces at various inlet and door inflow velocities are investigated. The UCV system operates effectively in the positive pressure (20 Pa) scenario but fails when there is no pressure difference between the operating theatre and surrounding areas. The implications of the research findings are discussed in the context of design guidance and the operation of the airflow system.