Computer enabled system for assessing optimum airflow for medical facilities

Abstract

A computer and software enabled system is provided for real time and ongoing assessment and adjustment of current air quality and airflow within and exiting an operating room. Using software operating to the task of assessing existing airflow patterns in rooms of medical facilities and to determine from an optimal CFD model and a real time current CFD model one or more adjustments of the characteristics of incoming and outgoing airflow to substantially match current air flows to that of the optimal CFD model.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining an optimal airflow within an operating room having an incoming air supply from an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system communicated through an airflow inlet, and having an exiting air flow from an air flow outlet, comprising: a processor, and a non-transitory, computer readable medium communicably coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: for said operating room supplied with the incoming air supply, generating an optimal airflow model for each said operating room using software operating to compute an optimal fluid dynamics model from initial airflow characteristics of the operating room and store said optimal fluid dynamics model in said computer readable medium; employing sensors in communication with the exiting airflow from the operating room to ascertain current airflow characteristics of said operating room and communicate said current airflow characteristics to a user; providing a user graphic interface allowing said user to communicate the current airflow characteristics to a system provider; employing the current airflow characteristics in a secondary computational fluid dynamics analysis to ascertain a current fluid dynamics model for the operating room; calculating changes to said incoming air supply which are required to change the current fluid dynamics model to match the optimal fluid dynamics model; and communicate optimization commands to the HVAC system to cause it to provide said changes to said incoming air supply to said operating room, whereby said airflow through said operating room matches that of said optimal fluid dynamics model.

2. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 1, additionally comprising: subsequent to communicating said optimization commands, confirming with said user that said initial airflow characteristics calculated of said optimal fluid dynamics model can be maintained by said optimization commands.

3. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 1, additionally comprising: employing one or a combination of airflow characteristic variables for said initial airflow characteristics from a group of airflow characteristic variables measured by said sensors, including: a room length of said operating room, a room width of said operating room, a height of a roof of the operating room, a location of the airflow inlet, a size of individual air particles within said exiting airflow, a position of a light fixture within the operating room, a current temperature within the operating room, and a location of an air flow outlet from the operating room.

4. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 2, additionally comprising: employing one or a combination of initial airflow characteristic variables for said initial airflow characteristics, from a group of airflow characteristic variables measured by said sensors, including: a room length of said operating room, a room width of said operating room, a height of a roof of the operating room, a location of the airflow inlet, a size of individual air particles within said exiting airflow, a position of a light fixture within the operating room, a current temperature within the operating room, and a location of an air flow outlet from the operating room.

5. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 1, additionally comprising: employing one or a combination of current airflow characteristic variables for said current airflow characteristics from a group of current airflow characteristic variables measured by said sensors, including: a room length of said operating room, a room width of said operating room, a height of a roof of the operating room, a location of the airflow inlet, a size of individual air particles within said exiting airflow, a position of a light fixture within the operating room, a current temperature within the operating room, and a location of an air flow outlet from the operating room.

6. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 2, additionally comprising: employing one or a combination of the airflow characteristic variables for said current airflow characteristics from a group of airflow characteristic variables measured by said sensors, including: a room length of said operating room, a room width of said operating room, a height of a roof of the operating room, a location of the airflow inlet, a size of individual air particles within said exiting airflow, a position of a light fixture within the operating room, a current temperature within the operating room, and a location of an air flow outlet from the operating room.

7. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 1, additionally comprising: configuring said user graphic interface to limit said current airflow characteristics said user can input to: a current airborne particle size; a current indoor air temperature; a position of a light fixture above an operating room table relative to the head and foot of the operating room table; and a location of the air flow outlets.

8. The system for maintaining the optimal airflow within the operating room of claim 5, additionally comprising: configuring said user graphic interface to limit said current airflow characteristics said user can input to: said size of said airborne particle size; the current temperature within the operating room; the position of the light fixture within the operating room; and the location of the air flow outlet from the operating room.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 is a simplified depiction of a conventional operating room having length, width, and height characteristics and lighting and equipment positions where the airflow is monitored and adjusted by the system herein using CFD analysis.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a depiction of medical personnel underneath an incoming airflow which is directed to position the personnel and the patient and showing a plurality of airflow outlets with sensors operatively positioned.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a box chart of steps in the system herein for ascertaining current air conditions of the operating room and adjusting the HVAC to optimize them for the airflow of a predetermined optimal CFD model for that operating room.

(4) FIG. 4 depicts other preferred steps in the system for optimizing operating room air.

(5) FIG. 5 depicts an example of the provided graphic user interface communicated from the service provider to the local personnel for the input of currently measured variables or airflow characteristics which are employed in a comparison of the current CFD model to the optimal CFD model to thereby calculate required airflow changes to render current operating room airflow substantially equal to that of the optimal CFD model.

(6) FIG. 6 depicts a conventional computer generated model of operating room air flow using CFD software and the variables noted herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(7) Referring now to the method and system 10 herein shown in simple format by the depictions of FIGS. 1-6, as noted above, software operating to the task of performing each step or task in the system 10 for optimizing the air in an operating room 12 will operate on network-connected computers having such software operatively running thereon.

(8) In FIG. 1 is shown a simplified depiction of a conventional operating room 12 for which the system 10 operates to optimize air within the operating room 12. Initially, each operating room 12 will preferably be subjected to a survey to determine the physical characteristics thereof and the variables or characteristics in airflow, such as speed or flow rate generated by the HVAC fans, to calculate an optimal CFD model for each respective operating room. A different optimal CFD model is initially calculated and stored in electronic memory in a relation to each respective operating room.

(9) Such physical characteristics or variables employed for both the optimal CFD calculation and subsequent CFD calculation, may include the length, width, and height of the operating room 12 to ascertain the air volume therein. Also included, preferably, are air flow variables, such as the location of the airflow inlets 14 from the HVAC system. Additionally included in both the originally calculated optimal CFD computer model for each respective operating room are the air flow characteristics or variables the user or local personnel will be allowed to adjust by remote input into a graphic user interface.

(10) Currently, the user adjustable variables which, in experimentation, have been found to most affect the current operating room airflow and the adherence to the desired optimal CFD model include the sensor determined particle size in a range between 0.1 to 2.5 microns, the position of the light fixture 15 over the operating room table 19 relative to the head 21 and foot 23 of the operating room table 19, the current determined room temperature from temperature sensors, and the location of the air flow outlets 16 in the respective operating room.

(11) Such user adjustable variables or characteristics, once communicated to the service provider through the provided graphic user interface, are input to CFD software operating to the task of computing required local changes in the volume, and/or speed, and/or temperature of incoming air to cause the operating room to again substantially equal the optimal CFD model for that respective operating room.

(12) One or a plurality of exhaust flow characteristic sensors 18, such as particle sensors and/or humidity sensors and/or temperature sensors and/or airflow speed sensors, and other sensors, as required, are located to receive and measure the exhaust airflow characteristics through each airflow outlet 16. As noted, these sensors 18 are preferably electronic and configured with network communication ability to communicate the discerned exhaust air flow characteristics or variables over a network to a video display viewable by local personnel or users and/or to the computer or server of the system provider. The user in turn can then input the discerned user adjustable variables or airflow characteristics into provided input positions on a graphic user interface communicated to them by the system provider.

(13) Once the user or local personnel have input the adjustable variables into the graphic user interface, such are communicated to the computer or server of the system provider. Thereafter, CFM or other software configured to the task of determining airflow and any temperature adjustments needed at the local operating room to change the current operating room 12 airflow characteristics substantially to that of the originally determined optimal CFD model for that operating room.

(14) Such changes, for example, primarily would be causing the HVAC system to change the volume and speed of the incoming air communicated to the airflow inlets 14, as well as the temperature and humidity of the incoming air from the HVAC system. In one mode of the system herein, such sensors 18 can be portable and thereby moveable between operating rooms or clean rooms, or they can be mounted in a fashion adapted to monitor the air in the manner herein.

(15) As depicted in simplified format in FIG. 3, in the system 10, an initial survey 20 is performed upon each operating room to be monitored as to physical characteristics and above noted airflow variables and geographic location. Additionally, for each surveyed operating room an operating room identifier is assigned 22. Such an assigned identifier 22 is preferably associated with each respective operating room 12 to be monitored and continuously optimized by the system 10.

(16) For each operating room 12 to be optimized by the system 10, sensors, as noted, are positioned to ascertain the airflow variables or the exhaust airflow characteristics 24. The sensors 18, so positioned, as noted, preferably, are in network communication with the computer server of the system provider to thereby communicate the real time information thereto concerning the current exhaust flow characteristics 24 of the identified operating room over a network, such as the Internet or another electronic network. These real time exhaust flow characteristics 24 are concurrently communicated to a display viewable by the local users.

(17) In another preferred step, the local personnel or user is provided with a graphic user interface, such as in FIG. 5, to enable them to communicate the user current adjustable variables which are displayed from the senors 18. While all of the above noted airflow characteristics or variables could be displayed for user input, it has been found in extensive experimentation that user input of one to four of such displayed characteristics or variables provides sufficient information for the system to calculate changes in airflow to optimize the operating room in question. This is because users need not become confused or overworked by inputting the entire group, noted above, of such air flow characteristics or variables.

(18) Thus, currently, the system in a step provides the user with a graphic user interface 26 which enables the user to input sensed values for current airborne particle size, the current indoor air temperature, the position of the light fixture 15 over the operating room table 19 relative to the head 21 and foot 23 of the operating room table 19, the location of the air flow outlets 16 in the respective operating room walls.

(19) As noted, the provided data to the user is provided by the appropriate one or plurality of sensors 18 which are placed in or adjacent the airflow outlet 16. The sensors 18 will generate an electronic signal output of a current particle count and size from a particle counter sensor. The current temperature can be determined from a thermostat in the operating room and the position of the light 15 and airflow outlets 16 are viewable by the user.

(20) Using the input by the user from the graphic user interface 31, the system will employ the input variables and current airflow characteristics in a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to ascertain a current CFD model for the operating room being reviewed 28.

(21) To calculate needed airflow changes to the operating room being examined, the system employs software operating to the task of comparing this current CFD model to the optimal CFD model stored in electronic memory 29 and based thereon will calculate any HVAC incoming air supply characteristic changes needed, such as volume, temperature, and speed, for the operating room based on the current CFD model to substantially match the optimal CFD model.

(22) For example only, this CFD analysis, using the communicated particle count signal representing such input by the user in the user current adjustable variables, of temperature, current airborne particle size, the current indoor air temperature, the position of the light fixture 15 over the operating room table 19 relative to the head 21 and foot 23 of the operating room table 19 and the location of the air flow outlets. Using software operating to the task, the system will calculate any changes needed to the incoming HVAC air supply which are required to optimize the air within an identified operating room 12 to substantially equal that of the optimal CFD model and in doing so will thereby be in compliance with CDC and/or other agency or required air standards.

(23) Subsequent to the CFD analysis 28 and the comparison 29, the system will communicate commands 30 over the network to the HVAC system of the identified operating room 12, which have been determined by the CFD analysis 28 and the comparison 29 to be required for the air entering the identified operation room to reach that of the optimal CFD model and thereby meet any of the regulating agency standards, such as ISO standard 14644-1.

(24) In such a CFD simulation, either for the optimal CFD model or the determined current CFD model, such as shown, for example only, in FIG. 6 and in no way limiting, a graphic representation of the operating room airflow 52 of the particles 54 at the size selected, based upon the current airflow in the operating room from the HVAC supply air 14 and exiting exhaust air 16 is generated.

(25) The data results generated from this electronic CFD graphic representation may also then uploaded into AWS or an equivalent cloud-based machine for the CFD comparison and adjustment determination. A learning app to learn and optimize a determined airflow from the HVAC to achieve the particle counts to be within 5% of the ISO standard may also be employed. Output from this comparison of the current CFD model and the optimal CFD model to reach an optimized CFD simulation will result in the communication of the commands 30 in a manual or electronic signal to the HVAC supply and exhaust fans to modify their airflow characteristics.

(26) With the HVAC of the identified operating room having implemented the communicated commands from the system, the system will continue to employ the sensors 18 to continue to ascertain the exhaust air flow characteristics to determine if the desired air optimization has been reached and/or continues.

(27) As noted above, the air optimization for operating rooms requires multiple complete air changes per hour. This air change requires the HVAC system to communicate air from outside the operating room and facility, where it is geographically located, into the operating room for a complete exchange of operating room air. To that end, the system 10 herein, as an optional step, may assemble and maintain a database of geographic locations and their respective known particulate content 34 as to type and size and other relative characteristics.

(28) During the comparison calculations 29 for air optimization, the particulate size, communicated as being contained in the exhaust air flow characteristics by the sensors 18, can be compared to the known particulate contained in the outdoor air of the geographic location of the respective operating room 36. Such will serve to eliminate concerns about some sensed particulate which is naturally present and to alert the system to particulate which is not naturally in the local geographic area. Thereafter, the system can either employ the comparison CFD analysis as to the HVAC operation changes to best minimize the known local particulate and to also identify particulate not known to be present in the geographic area where the operating room is situated.

(29) In another optional step, the system may assemble a relational database of individual respective operating rooms 38. Such will include the known physical characteristics of each separately identified operating room in this operating room database in association with their respective geographic location. Using this database of respective identified operating rooms 38, the system can compare the sensor determined variables or exhaust flow characteristics of an operating room monitored on an ongoing basis by the system 40 to those identified in the database of operating rooms 38 to ascertain a respective operating room in the database which is similar in physical characteristics, to ascertain what HVAC incoming air supply characteristics changes were implemented to such to reach the required air standards. Such previously changed air supply characteristics, used for operating rooms in the database thereof to reach the required air standards, may then either be implemented in a currently monitored operating room and/or be included in the CFD calculations for the currently monitored operating room.

(30) While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the operating room airflow assessment and redesign system have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features or steps of the disclosed system may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.