In the medical field, the sterile operating room plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of surgeries and the safety of patients, and the purification system within it is at the core. Understanding the principles, components and functions of the sterile operating room purification system is of great significance for in-depth recognition of this important facility that safeguards life and health.

The sterile operating room purification system mainly relies on air filtration to remove pollutants such as dust particles and microorganisms. By using different grades of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and Ultra-Low Penetration Air (ULPA) filters, these filters can intercept tiny particles in the air. HEPA filters can effectively filter out particles larger than 0.3 microns with a filtration efficiency as high as 99.97%. ULPA filters have an excellent filtering ability for particles ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 microns, with an efficiency of over 99.999%. When the air passes through these multi-layered filtering devices, the impurities in it are gradually removed, thus achieving the purpose of purifying the air.

To maintain the clean environment in the operating room, airflow organization plays a key role. Generally, two forms of airflow are adopted, namely laminar flow and turbulent flow. Laminar flow can be further divided into vertical laminar flow and horizontal laminar flow. In vertical laminar flow, the filtered air is sent vertically downward from the ceiling into the operating room at a uniform speed. The air forms a stable and clean airflow area around the operating table, which can effectively carry away the dust and bacteria generated during the operation and prevent the intrusion of polluted air from the outside. Horizontal laminar flow means that the air is sent horizontally into the operating room from one side and discharged from the other side. This method is applicable to some specific types of surgeries or operating room layouts. In the turbulent flow system, the air is sent into the room through multiple air supply outlets, forming a complex airflow path in the room. Although its cleanliness is not as high as that of laminar flow, it is still used in some surgical areas with relatively lower cleanliness requirements.

The sterile operating room purification system prevents the entry of polluted air from the outside by controlling the indoor pressure. Usually, the pressure inside the operating room is higher than that of the adjacent corridors and auxiliary rooms, forming a positive pressure environment. In this way, when the door is opened, the clean air inside the room will flow outward, preventing the unpurified air from the outside from flowing in, and ensuring that the air quality in the operating room remains in a sterile or low-bacteria state.

The air handling unit is one of the core equipment of the purification system. It is responsible for pre-treating the air entering the operating room, including operations such as filtering, heating, cooling, humidifying and dehumidifying the air. The interior of the unit usually contains primary filters, medium-efficiency filters, fans, heat exchangers, humidifiers and other components. The primary filter can remove large particles of dust and impurities, and the medium-efficiency filter further intercepts medium-sized particles. After these pre-treatments, the air then enters the high-efficiency or ultra-high-efficiency filters for fine filtering.

The high-efficiency air filter is a key component for ensuring the air quality in the operating room. As mentioned above, HEPA and ULPA filters can effectively remove tiny particles and microorganisms in the air. These filters are usually installed at the end of the air handling unit or at the air supply outlets of the operating room, performing the final filtering on the pre-treated air to ensure that the air sent into the operating room meets extremely high cleanliness standards.

The air supply and return system includes air supply outlets and return air inlets. The air supply outlets are responsible for evenly sending the purified air into the operating room. Their design and layout should be determined according to the airflow organization form of the operating room to ensure that the air can form a good flow state in the operating room. The return air inlets are used to extract part of the air in the operating room, which will be recycled or discharged outdoors after treatment. A reasonable air supply and return system can effectively maintain the balance of temperature, humidity and cleanliness in the operating room.

In addition to air filtration, disinfection and sterilization equipment is also an important part of the sterile operating room purification system. Ultraviolet lamps are a common type of disinfection equipment. By irradiation, they can destroy the DNA structure of microorganisms, thus achieving the purpose of sterilization. In addition, there are also some devices that adopt chemical disinfection methods, such as ozone generators. They can conduct a comprehensive disinfection treatment on the air and surfaces when the operating room is not in use, further reducing the risk of microbial contamination.

The automatic control system is used to monitor and control the entire purification system. It can monitor parameters such as the temperature, humidity, pressure and air quality of the operating room in real time, and automatically adjust the operating states of equipment such as the air handling unit and the air supply and return system according to the set standards. For example, when the indoor temperature is too high, the automatic control system will instruct the cooling equipment in the air handling unit to start to maintain a suitable temperature environment. Meanwhile, the automatic control system can also record and store the data of these parameters, providing a basis for system maintenance and fault diagnosis.

The primary function of the sterile operating room purification system is to ensure that the operating area is in a sterile or low-bacteria state. Through efficient air filtration, reasonable airflow organization and strict disinfection and sterilization measures, it can effectively remove bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms in the air, greatly reducing the risk of surgical infections and providing a powerful guarantee for the safety of patients' surgeries.

The success of a surgery depends to some extent on stable environmental parameters. The purification system can precisely control parameters such as the temperature, humidity and airflow velocity in the operating room. Appropriate temperature and humidity not only make the surgical staff feel comfortable, but also are beneficial to the stable physiological state of the patients, reducing the occurrence of surgical complications caused by environmental factors. A stable airflow velocity helps to maintain the air cleanliness and prevent the accumulation of dust and microorganisms in the operating area.

During the operation, medical staff stay in the operating room environment for a long time. The purification system creates a relatively healthy working environment for them by removing harmful substances and microorganisms in the air, reducing their exposure to pathogenic microorganisms and lowering the incidence of occupational health problems caused by long-term exposure to a polluted environment.

Since the sterile operating room purification system creates good environmental conditions for surgeries, reducing the risk of infection and the interference of environmental factors on surgeries, surgeries can be carried out more smoothly. This is particularly evident in complex and high-difficulty surgeries, helping to improve the success rate of surgeries and promote the postoperative recovery of patients.

In conclusion, the sterile operating room purification system is an indispensable and important part of modern medical facilities. Its scientific principles, complete components and crucial functions jointly lay a solid foundation for the safety and success of surgeries and make positive contributions to the cause of human health.