Method of operating a facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patient treatment facilities face challenges in minimizing and controlling the spread of pathogens, such as norovirus, and reducing the risk of infection and cross-infection, especially during outbreaks or pandemics when resources are overwhelmed.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a ventilation system that maintains predetermined pressure differences between processing, intermediate, and entrance suites to control airflow and prevent the escape of pathogens, using HEPA filters and Vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide sterilization to ensure clean air circulation and decontamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional strategies for reducing risk of contamination are used, then the risk of infection and cross-infection is reduced, but the strategies are very time consuming and ineffective during outbreaks or pandemics
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into multiple suites (entrance suite, intermediate suite, processing suite) with distinct pressure zones. Each suite has controlled air pressure to create a gradient that prevents pathogen spread, allowing simultaneous treatment of multiple patients without cross-contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate suite acts as a buffer zone between the entrance suite and processing suite. It maintains a pressure gradient that mediates air flow, ensuring that contaminated air from patient rooms cannot directly reach clean areas, thus enabling faster patient turnover.
2Productivity
If more specialist treatment rooms are provided to treat more patients, then more patients can be treated safely, but the facility complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure-controlled suite system can be applied to multiple patient rooms within the same suite. Once the pressure gradient is established, multiple rooms can treat different patients simultaneously using the same containment mechanism, reducing the need for separate isolated rooms for each patient.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing the number of physical rooms, the solution adds a pressure dimension control to existing rooms. By controlling air pressure differentials, the same room can be safely used for different patients at different times, effectively increasing productivity without adding physical space.
3Reliability
If air pressure is controlled to prevent pathogen spread, then infection risk is reduced, but the ventilation system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system automatically maintains pressure differentials between suites through integrated sensors and control mechanisms. The system self-regulates air pressure and flow to ensure pathogens remain contained in processing rooms without requiring constant manual intervention, balancing reliability with manageable complexity.
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
Effectively reduces the risk of infection and contamination by maintaining controlled air pressure and sterilization within patient treatment facilities, enhancing safety for patients and staff while preventing pathogen spread.
Implementation Method 1
the ventilation system is configured to maintain a predetermined pressure difference between said at least one processing room and said at least one intermediate room and a further predetermined pressure difference between said at least one intermediate room and said at least one entrance room
Data Source
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AI summary
A facility 202 comprising: a processing suite 210 having at least one processing room; an entrance suite 204 having at least one entrance room, the entrance suite 204 providing an entrance to the facility 202; at least one intermediate suite 208 having at least one intermediate room, the intermediate suite 208 connecting the processing suite 210 with the entrance suite 204 such that persons can transfer from the entrance suite 204 to the processing suite 210 via the intermediate suite 208, and a ventilation system connected to each of the processing suite 210 and the intermediate suite 208, wherein the ventilation system is configured to maintain a predetermined pressure difference between said at least one processing room and said at least one intermediate room.