Numerical and experimental investigation of air distribution in a full-scale experimental barn-integrated operating room for general thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND: Barn-integrated operating rooms have been used in an effort to save space and improve operating room efficiency during orthopedic surgeries. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of performing several thoracic surgeries in a barn-integrated operating room simultaneously. METHODS: Both numerical simulation and field measurement approaches were applied to evaluate the performance of the ventilation system for the barn-integrated operating room. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was applied to simulate airflow velocity field and particle concentration field. On-site test of airflow velocities were measured with a thermal anemometer. Bacteria-carrying particle (BCP) deposition and distribution was estimated using passive air sampling (PAS) and active air sampling (AAS) methods during mock surgeries. RESULTS: The airflow distribution and concentration contours showed the barn-integrated operating room to be highly effective in controlling the concentration of airborne bacteria in the operating fields. The airflow and bacteria count met the current standard of GB50333-2013 Specifications, and there was no evidence of air mixing between cabins. CONCLUSIONS: A barn-integrated operating room with several ultraclean operating tables in a single room would be a viable proposition for general thoracic surgeries in the future. As well as achieving a satisfactory level of contamination control, such an approach would reduce operating costs.