GB1558622A - Prefabricated room unit - Google Patents

Description

(54) A PREFABRICATED ROOM UNIT (71) We, MEssERscHMITr-BdLKow- BLOHM GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, of 8000 Munchen, German Federal Republic, a Company organised and existing under the laws of the German Federal Republic, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particll- larly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a prefabricated rcom unit primarily to provide a c!ean, sterile room for medical operations or other activities requiring a controlled environment.

According to this invention there is provided a prefabricated room unit formed from a number of preformed structural units assemb!er in situ to form an operations room which is hermetically sealed from the environjnent access into the room being provided through at least one air lock via an ante-room, wholly or partially surrounding the operations room and sealed off therefrom. This arrangement provides a hermetically sealed space in which air movement from outside to inside or vice versa can be prevented whereby transport of bacteria through the air can be avoided at least to the greatest possible extent. An entrance and exit may be provided with separate air locks. It is possible to establish and ensure a one-way traffic path through the operations room by suitable arrangement of the air locks.The oneway traffic path provides a further means for keeping the operations room sterile.

The air locks may be evacuated, flushed or ventilated and personnel and materials may be sterilized by ultra-violet radiation means.

By the term ante-room is meant an adjoining auxiliary room or chamber which is preferably an integral part of the construction of the room unit. The operations room is formed as a clean room and the ante-room housing all apparatus necessary for the operation, including measuring or indicating devices which can be viewed through glass from the operations room.

In the operations room only instruments which are connected by cables, flexible shafts, flexible tubes and the like to the measuring or indicating and supply apparatus in the ante-room are provided.

All connecting means are formed so that movement of bacteria from the ante-room to the operations rcom and vice versa is prevented. Since the ante-room is hermetically sealed from the operations room no especial precautions need be taken to isolate the ante-room. This means that maintenance and repair work may be carried out in the ante-room without difficulty, even during an operation.

An embodiment according to the invention is shown by way of an example in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a medical operations unit with an ante-room, and Figure 2 shows a plan view of an installation embodying the unit of Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 1 the unit 1 has walls 2, a floor 3 and a ceiling 4 defining an operations room 10. The structural elements 2, 3 and 4 are preferably built-up from prefabricated slabs. They also hermetically seal the interior of the room 10 from the environment. A door 5 and an access hatch 6 in the rear wall of the room 10 are provided. Both openings 5 and 6 are provided with air locks of known construction. In the middle of the room 10 an operating table 7 is provided connected to the floor 3 by a support 8.

Lighting units 9 are suspended from the ceiling 4.

The room 10 is separated by the right hand wall 2 and ceiling 4 from an anteroom 11 which together with the operations room 10 forms the complete unit 1. Only the room 10 is arranged as a "clean room" and the adjacent ante-room 11 need have no air locks. All the equipment 12 and apparatus 13 that may be required during an operation, but which is not necessarily required to be present in the room 10, is accommodated in the ante-room. Access to the equipment and apparatus in the ante-room is effected through sealed entrances in the wall 2, Whereby a germfree environment is maintained. In the wall 2 are controls 14 and monitoring means 15, by which the functioning of equipment can be adjusted and measurements taken can be observed. The door 16 of the ante-room 11 may be an ordinary door to permit quick access to this room in the case of any repair necessary during an operation.The ante-room is hermetically sealed from the operations room by the wail 2 and the ceiling 4.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the operations unit arranged centrally with respect to further adjacent rooms arranged so that for personnel and material there is a oneway path with increasing levels of cleanliness up to the operations room. The movement paths are indicated in Figure 2.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A prefabricated room unit formed from a number of preformed structural units assembled in situ to form an op era- tions room which is hermetically sealed from the environment, access into the room being provided through at least one air lock via an ante-room, wholly or partly surrounding the operations room and otherwise sealed-off therefrom.

2. A room unit according to Claim 1, wherein an access hatch is provided into the room, the hatch including an air lock.

3. A room unit according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein an entrance and exit are included each having a separate air lock.

4. A room unit according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the air locks have ventilating or evacuating means.

5. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein the air locks have ultraviolet radiating means.

6. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein a number of air locks are provided.

7. A room unit according to Claim 6, wherein prearranged direction of movement through the air locks is effected by adapting the air locks to a predetermined one way passage.

8. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein the ante-room is adapted to include equipment and measuring apparatus with indicating and control means therefor within the operations room.

9. A room unit according to Claim 8, wherein the equipment and apparatus in the ante-room is operable from the operations room through air tight apertures through the wall.

10. A prefabricated room unit for effecting operations within a sterile environment constructed substantially as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. hand wall 2 and ceiling 4 from an anteroom 11 which together with the operations room 10 forms the complete unit 1. Only the room 10 is arranged as a "clean room" and the adjacent ante-room 11 need have no air locks. All the equipment 12 and apparatus 13 that may be required during an operation, but which is not necessarily required to be present in the room 10, is accommodated in the ante-room. Access to the equipment and apparatus in the ante-room is effected through sealed entrances in the wall 2, Whereby a germfree environment is maintained. In the wall 2 are controls 14 and monitoring means 15, by which the functioning of equipment can be adjusted and measurements taken can be observed.The door 16 of the ante-room 11 may be an ordinary door to permit quick access to this room in the case of any repair necessary during an operation. The ante-room is hermetically sealed from the operations room by the wail 2 and the ceiling 4. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the operations unit arranged centrally with respect to further adjacent rooms arranged so that for personnel and material there is a oneway path with increasing levels of cleanliness up to the operations room. The movement paths are indicated in Figure 2. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A prefabricated room unit formed from a number of preformed structural units assembled in situ to form an op era- tions room which is hermetically sealed from the environment, access into the room being provided through at least one air lock via an ante-room, wholly or partly surrounding the operations room and otherwise sealed-off therefrom.

2. A room unit according to Claim 1, wherein an access hatch is provided into the room, the hatch including an air lock.

3. A room unit according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein an entrance and exit are included each having a separate air lock.

4. A room unit according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the air locks have ventilating or evacuating means.

5. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein the air locks have ultraviolet radiating means.

6. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein a number of air locks are provided.

7. A room unit according to Claim 6, wherein prearranged direction of movement through the air locks is effected by adapting the air locks to a predetermined one way passage.

8. A room unit according to any preceding Claim, wherein the ante-room is adapted to include equipment and measuring apparatus with indicating and control means therefor within the operations room.

9. A room unit according to Claim 8, wherein the equipment and apparatus in the ante-room is operable from the operations room through air tight apertures through the wall.

10. A prefabricated room unit for effecting operations within a sterile environment constructed substantially as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.