Experimental study of thermal comfort by variable temperature and velocity air supply system in operating room

Abstract

In operating room, conventional unidirectional air supply system with constant supply temperature and velocity cannot satisfy the thermal comfort need of the surgical team. Therefore, a novel variable temperature and velocity air supply system is introduced. Indoor thermal environment and thermal comfort parameters through simulated surgical experiments were tested, where thermal sensation changes, skin temperature and thermal comfort of medical staff with different duties under different air supply conditions were analyzed. Thirty-five experimental personnel were recruited as medical staffs with five different roles. It is shown that there are significant differences in the perception of thermal comfort of medical staff under the conventional unidirectional air supply system. The thermal comfort of medical staff can be improved with variable temperature and velocity air supply system. Especially the comfort conditions of the surgeon and the anesthesiologist has been significantly improved. The proportion of medical staff feeling comfortable with variable temperature and velocity air supply system reaches 64.0%, while it is only 42.7% with conventional unidirectional air supply system. By adjusting the air supply temperature and velocity in different zones, the thermal sensation of the personnel in the critical operating zone tends to be moderate, which reduces the occurrence of local discomfort. This study shows that enough attention should paid on the thermal comfort condition of medical staff during the design and operation of the operating room. The variable temperature and velocity air supply system could be a promising solution to improve thermal comfort level in operating room.