Partitioned Examination Booth Layout for Infection-Safe Screening

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing examination rooms for patients with infectious diseases do not adequately address droplet and contact infection prevention, in addition to airborne infection, leading to insufficient protective clothing supply and increased labor for medical workers.

Innovation Solution

A simplified examination room design with a partitioned booth system, featuring a through hole and transparent region, along with positive and negative pressure systems, and ultraviolet irradiation, to prevent airborne, droplet, and contact infections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protective clothing is worn to prevent droplet infection, then infection prevention is improved, but air permeability deteriorates and heat retention increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfection preventionVSAvoidheat retention

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The examination room is segmented into a clean area for medical workers and a contaminated area for patients, separated by a partition. This spatial segmentation allows medical workers to perform examinations without wearing protective clothing that would otherwise be required for direct contact with patients, thus improving air permeability while maintaining infection prevention through environmental control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If protective clothing is worn to prevent contact infection, then infection prevention is improved, but labor intensity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfection preventionVSAvoidlabor intensity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The partition divides the examination room into clean and contaminated areas, allowing medical workers to perform most examination operations without donning and doffing protective clothing. This reduces the labor intensity associated with protective clothing management while maintaining infection prevention through spatial separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The partition acts as an intermediary barrier between the medical worker and the patient, preventing direct contact and droplet transmission. This intermediary structure reduces the need for protective clothing and the associated labor of putting it on and taking it off carefully.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a partition is used to prevent airborne infection, then infection prevention is improved, but droplet and contact infection prevention deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairborne infection preventionVSAvoiddroplet and contact infection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The partition extends to the floor, creating a complete separation between the clean area and contaminated area. This local quality of the partition (reaching the floor) prevents droplets from passing underneath, and the clean area flooring prevents contact infection by maintaining a clean surface that does not become contaminated by patient droplets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If protective clothing is discarded after each use, then infection prevention is improved, but material consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfection preventionVSAvoidprotective clothing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the examination room into clean and contaminated areas, the system allows protective clothing to be worn only when entering the contaminated area, rather than throughout the entire examination process. This reduces the frequency of discarding and replacing protective clothing, thus reducing material consumption while maintaining infection prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enables safe and efficient examination procedures by preventing contamination of the medical worker's area, reducing protective clothing needs, and allowing quick setup of examination rooms.

Implementation Method 1

a transparent region allowing a person having entered the first booth and a person having entered the second booth to face each other

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight transmission: Light

Implementation Method 2

along with positive and negative pressure systems, and ultraviolet irradiation, to prevent airborne, droplet, and contact infections

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltraviolet irradiation: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS12575987B2Simplified examination room and simplified examination room assembly set

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 UCHIYAMA JUNZO

AI summary

A simplified examination room includes a first booth and a second booth provided adjacent to each other, interposing a partition wall therebetween, and the partition wall is formed with a through hole allowing an arm to pass through and is provided, at least at an intermediate portion of the partition wall in an up-down direction, with a transparent region allowing a person having entered the first booth and a person having entered the second booth to face each other. A simplified examination room assembly set for producing the simplified examination room includes a frame constituting a framework of the first booth and the second booth, and a panel constituting at least one side of a ceiling part, a floor part, a side face wall, or a back face wall, and a partition wall partitioning the first booth and the second booth.