Cavity eater from Sweden makes surgeries even safer

Instrument table with Laminar Air Flow device

Mobile device for outpatient and hybrid operating rooms

Hospital germs can become a serious threat to patients, especially when the bacteria belong to strains that have become resistant to antibiotics. Those undergoing surgery in the operating room generally expect absolute sterility. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of people in German hospitals become infected each year with dangerous germs, and thousands die from it. Bacteria that are largely insensitive to antibiotics are an increasing problem in hospitals and medical practices. Mobile instrument tables with integrated HEPA filters now ensure maximum sterilization of instruments even during surgery in the operating room.

The operating rooms are usually equipped with a so-called supply air ceiling designed to keep the germ level in the OR as low as possible. However, many existing operating rooms have a supply air ceiling that is too small, so adequate protection cannot be guaranteed. This is especially true for the part of the instruments and implants stored outside this protected area. Instruments and implants outside this protected zone quickly lose their sterility, and dangerous bacteria can settle on the instruments. This can lead to wound infections in older and immunocompromised patients. An additional problem is the handling of sterile instruments outside the operating rooms, which can cause the instruments to lose their sterility before they are used. The germ level can even increase with the duration of the operation, sometimes with fatal consequences for the patient. With the increasing number of older and immunocompromised people on one side and the rise of resistant bacteria on the other, the risk of infection in the operating room is also increasing.

Sterility is guaranteed

In Sweden, instrument tables have been developed that ensure the sterility of instruments even during surgery. These special instrument tables are equipped with a special filtration system of highly efficient HEPA filters. The instruments and implants are protected from dangerous germs by a filtered, sterile airflow. In this way, they are almost completely (99.995%) cleaned of bacteria. Bacteria are generally between 0.5 and 5 microns in size (1000 microns equal 1 mm). These filters, however, can even filter out the tiniest microorganisms with a size of 0.3 microns, thus guaranteeing that no bacteria can settle on the instruments and implants. The instruments and implants are thus protected and remain sterile even during very long surgeries. (1) Another advantage of these sterile instrument tables is their mobility, allowing users in the operating room to handle sterile instruments outside the protected zone without risking contamination of the patient or compromising sterility.

Meets DIN 1946-4 protection standards

These instrument tables are medical devices classified as Class 1 and are available in various sizes. The sterile instrument tables are easy to operate and also feature an electric height adjustment. The device filters 400 cubic meters of air per hour through a sterile cover without creating cold air currents or turbulence. The instrument table is also suitable for use in preparation rooms, where staff prepare instruments and sterile materials for surgery. Instruments can be prepared in a separate room before surgery, reducing setup times between procedures. The sterile instrument table is thus also an ideal solution for instrument processing outside the actual operating room. The devices are mobile and can easily be moved from room to room. By using "sterile air" strategically, the risk of infection can be reduced and additional treatment costs avoided. These devices have been successfully used in Swedish clinics for many years. Studies at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, at Marienhospital Hamm, and at Südharz Hospital in Nordhausen show that they meet the protection standards of DIN 1946-4. In Germany, this technology is already used in numerous hospitals. The operating table with HEPA filter is of great interest to hospitals and outpatient surgical centers. Risks of infection related to surgery can be significantly reduced. The devices are distributed in Germany by the company Normeditec.

(1) A. Kramer et al.: Infectiological significance of air conditioning systems (RLTA) in operating and intervention rooms. Zentralbl. Chir. 2010; 135(1): 11-17.