Abstract

1. 1.96 m 1.94m 100 Fungal Flora in protected zone 2.04 m 90 Fungal Flora in room a b c d e 80 TMF in protected zone TMF in room 70 0.79 m 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Air-treatment chamber Treated Air Protected Zone Air inlet (B) (A) 250 164 ± 58 Hospital 1. Hospital 2. 200 CFU/m3 Room Bio-cleaning 150 CFU/m3 100 30 ± 50 17 ± 40 50 0 15 60 90 120 180 210 225 300 330 5 ± 4.3 Time (min) 0 0.1 ± 0.4 0 Corridor Room Protected Zone Evaluation of a novel mobile system for protecting immune-suppressed patients against airborne contamination 1.JL. Poirot, MD.,2.JP Gangneux, MD., 3.A. Fischer MD PhD, 3.M. Malbernard, RN, 3.S. Challier MD, 4.N. Laudinet, BS., 5.V. Bergeron, PhD. 1.Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Laboratoire de Parasitolgie-mycologie, Paris, France, 2.CHU Rennes Laboratoire de Parasitologie-mycologie, Rennes, France,3.Hôpital Necker, Service d’Immuno-Hématologie Pédiatrique, Paris, France4.AirInSpace SAS, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France, 5Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon,France, Financial disclosures:N.L reports being an employee of the manufacturer of the device under evaluation Abstract Background: Invasive aspergillosis, is one of the most lethal airborne dangers for immune-suppressed subjects. Providing patient protection from such airborne threats requires costly and high maintenance facilities. Here we evaluate a new self-contained mobile unit as an alternative for creating a patient protective environment. Methods: Airborne contamination levels were monitored for different simulated scenarios and under actual clinical conditions. Functional tests were used to challenge the unit under adverse conditions, and a preliminary clinical study with patients and staff present was carried out at two different French hospitals. Results: The functional tests demonstrated that the unit can rapidly decontaminate air in the protected zone created by the unit and in the surrounding room. In addition, the protected zone is not sensitive to large disturbances that occur in the room. The clinical study included four patients with 150 accumulated days of testing. The protected zone created by the unit systematically provided an environment with undetectable airborne fungal levels (i.e. less than 1 CFU/m3) regardless of the levels in the room or corridor (p<0.01). Conclusions:These tests show that the unit can be used to create a mobile protective environment for immune-suppressed patients in a standard hospital setting. Mobile room-in-a-room zoning protection against airborne contamination. Schematic of the mobile decontamination device used in these studies, A) folded for transportation, B) deployed for use. Results from the combined clinical study showing airborne contamination levels (CFU/m3) observed in the corridor, surrounding room and under the protected zone of the unit. For each location the average value (filled square symbol) and a standard deviation bar (boldface line) for the accumulated data set are plotted directly in the figure. For precise comparison these values are also reported alongside the corresponding data set for each sample location. Airrborne contamination levels (CFU/m3) versus test duration time (minutes). Time periods indicated directly on the figures by the letters a, b, c, d and e identify periods were the unit was operating at different air throughputs; a) corresponding to when the unit was off, b) and d) when it was operating at 640m3/hr and c) and e) at 540 m3/hr. Combined zoning and recycle provides a sas between the corridor and patient. Patient protection maintained in the protected zone even with large airborne contamination peaks in the room.