Modular Inpatient Unit with Negative Pressure Air Conditioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical units face challenges in quickly assembling and reconfiguring temporary wards for epidemic prevention, as they are often large, difficult to transport, and lack effective air isolation, leading to potential cross-infection risks during outbreaks like COVID-19.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated modular inpatient unit made from recycled and environmentally friendly materials, featuring modular design with antibacterial airtight panels, a negative pressure air conditioning system, and quick assembly capabilities, allowing for reconfiguration and redeployment as intensive care, general, or isolation units, including outdoor use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional temporary wards are built using existing technology, then they can provide medical treatment space, but they are large-sized, difficult to transport, and take a long time to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The temporary ward is divided into multiple modular units that can be independently manufactured, transported, and assembled. Each module contains standardized components (walls, ceiling, floor, ventilation systems) that can be quickly connected using standardized interfaces, dramatically reducing assembly time while maintaining functional integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design creates universal building blocks that can be configured for different medical purposes (isolation rooms, general wards, intensive care units) by arranging the same basic modules in different configurations. This standardized modular system reduces manufacturing complexity while enabling rapid deployment and reconfiguration
2Reliability
If negative pressure isolation rooms are used to prevent cross-infection, then air leakage is prevented, but it is difficult to collect equipment, materials and manpower to organize many such rooms in a short period
Solution Approach 1:
The negative pressure ventilation systems, airtight sealing components, and isolation features are pre-integrated into the modular units during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation of critical isolation components allows the modules to be deployed as complete functional units, eliminating the need to assemble complex ventilation systems on-site and enabling rapid deployment of multiple isolation rooms
Solution Approach 2:
The air isolation system is segmented into modular components that can be independently tested and certified before deployment. Each module comes with pre-installed negative pressure ventilation and airtight sealing, allowing multiple isolation rooms to be rapidly deployed by simply assembling the pre-prepared modules without collecting and installing complex equipment separately
3Area of stationary object
If integrated large-sized temporary wards are built, then they can provide sufficient treatment capacity, but they are difficult for transportation and assembly takes a long time
Solution Approach 1:
Large treatment facilities are segmented into smaller modular units that can be transported using standard transportation infrastructure (trucks, containers). The modules are designed to be compact for transport but can be expanded when assembled, providing large treatment capacity through the aggregation of multiple small units rather than requiring transport of a single large structure
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design allows smaller functional units to be nested within larger assembly structures during transport and storage. The modules can be stacked or nested compactly, maximizing transportation efficiency while maintaining the capability to expand into large treatment facilities when deployed
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The modular unit effectively prevents indoor air leakage, reduces infection risk, and can be rapidly assembled and redeployed, addressing the need for adaptable and convertible healthcare spaces during epidemics while minimizing the burden on medical personnel.
Implementation Method 1
the independent air conditioning cold setting unit arranges a negative pressure air conditioning system inside the main body of inpatient unit, so that the indoor air pressure is always lower than the outdoor air pressure
Implementation Method 2
The inner unit panels are spray coated with aluminum nano-photocatalyst material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an inpatient unit of modular design, built of recycled materials and environmentally friendly materials, allowing reconfiguration, redeployment and quick assembly, preventing indoor air from leaking, applicable to epidemic prevention and treating special patients, with high structural strength, lower cost and good environmental benefit.