EnEff: OP-Luft

Energy-efficient ventilation of multifunctional operating rooms

Approximately 16.2 million operating procedures are carried out in Germany every year. About 225,000 cases of postoperative wound infections occur (1.9%) as a result of these operating procedures. To increase the patient’s health and the protection of the personnel against surgical smoke, a three-year research project on energy-efficient ventilation in multifunctional operating theatres is carried out at our institute.

The aim of the project is the development of integral protection concepts in operating theatres. Systematic pathogen potentials for airborne microbial contaminants, their propagation characteristics and pathways of their distribution are investigated. Concepts for contamination control, based on detailed analysis of the boundary conditions and workflow schemes, are developed. The goals are to minimize the risk of postoperative wound infections by minimizing the deposition rate of pathogens to the wound field, to improve occupational health and safety for the operating personnel as well as to minimize energy requirements.

A unique, modular research operating room has been set up to carry out experimental investigations. Discover and discuss questions and results from this project in our research blog!

Funding

Project Partners

Dr. Diestel GmbH

GHK Domo

Trox GmbH

BerlinerLuft. Technik GmbH

AAF International

Lindab

Gerflor

KLS Martin Group

Kampmann

Project termMarch 2017 to October 2022
Funding code03ET1454A
Project managementLukas Schumann