HEPA filtration and vertical laminar airflow in the hospital operating rooms have become the standard to reduce or eliminate contaminants in the operating room. This article shows how these two are not enough to ensure the safety of patients, who are already at greater risk of infection than the healthy. This article explains how vertical laminar airflow can be unpredictable, and how air curtain systems help optimize airflow for attaining the “one pass then out” ideal.

Units: Dual