Surgical Suites

The CORAD system’s primary function is to provide ultra-clean air over the sterile field. The CORAD system has been scientifically designed to meet the stringent ventilation requirements of today’s contemporary operating rooms. The concern for minimizing and controlling HAI is a universal on-going effort. Of the approximately 110,000 annual deaths attributable to nosocomial infections in the U.S. about 18,000 are due to airborne infections.

The most frequent source for these airborne infections is in the air handling of the surgical environment. Older, upper wall, linear slot diffusers are often the culprit. Replacement of the linear slot diffuser with over the table vertical laminar flow systems provides a major step in reducing infection. Not only does the CORAD system satisfy this requirement, it does so with a high degree of comfort and economy. The CORAD system diffuser grilles and diffusers are 304 brushed stainless steel.

Optional indirect UVGI can be positioned at critical locations on the upper walls of the operating theater to achieve upper room sterilization of ambient air eliminating dead air spaces. The indirect UV-C is never in contact with operating room personnel, thus eliminating any potential harmful UV-C direct radiation exposure to operating personnel. NIOSH has now recognized and confirmed ultraviolet-C, when properly specified, is an extremely effective defense against airborne nosocomial (secondary) infections.

CORAD A – (for class A surgical suites) A state-of-the-art, air delivery system that moves high volumes of positive pressure air at low velocity equally and uniformly over the operating table. The HEPA (certified 99.99%) filtered air is dispersed by the laminar flow diffuser above the operating table which flows downward toward the surgical site. This places a blanket of pathogen free air above and over and away from the table, which is then vented to return grilles on the lower wall. Either model AS500C or AS900C APS units are used and either two or four unit configurations to create the correct ACH based on the total room air volume. A continuous, all digital, room pressure monitor confirms the correct positive pressure which insures no outside air containing pathogenic contamination enters the room.

CORAD B – (for class B surgical suites) Indirect upper room UVGI is incorporated into the CORAD A system described above. Because particulates in air move upwards as heat rises, the contaminants come in contact with the ultraviolet-C irradiation. This exposure fractures the DNA and RNA of the pathogens in such a way as that they can not re-combine, thus, destroying the microbe’s activity. Upper room UVGI creates a one to three foot area of upper atmosphere lethality for airborne pathogens thereby, negating active pathogens from causing secondary infection by being sucked downward towards the operating table. This replaces the older, direct, irradiation UV-C systems once popular for orthopedic surgery suites. The more contemporary concept is to use the indirect systems. The CORAD-B system is an economic approach for orthopedic applications.

CORAD C – (for class C surgical suites) Same as CORAD B with Air Curtains: Added to the CORAD B above, is an all stainless steel module which provides an air curtain entirely around the surgical table. This prevents pathogens from entering the sterile field by an in-ceiling linear slot diffuser which places a 360 degree radial curtain of HEPA filtered air around the operating table. This air curtain is designed so that the same volume of air is supplied equally and dispersed to all quadrants of the surgical table.

Class C (Class I)	Containing a maximum of 1 bacterial particle per cubic foot of air “For orthopedic, organ transplant and major surgery”
Class B (Class V)	Containing a maximum of 5 bacterial particles per cubic foot of air “For general & arthroscopic surgery”
Class A (Class XX)	Containing a maximum of 20 bacterial particles per cubic foot of air“For minor surgery”

Air Delivery System Design

On the last page of this description of the CORAD systems you will find what we describe as a “Surgical Grid Sheet and Questionnaire.” This sheet is designed to provide Medical Air Solutions’ engineering department with the precise information to optimize the placement and layout of a CORAD system of your choice for the primary intent of that particular surgical suite. It is important to draw to scale the outline, in detail, of the suite in question as well as completing the additional information on the second page. It is frequently necessary to ask the facility manager or engineer to help complete this second page.

Once this information is faxed to us we will draft a detailed proposal along with specifications and a formal quotation for you to use in planning your upgrade or to present to administration for budget evaluation.