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Updated: Dec 17, 2025
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Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
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Airborne pathogen projection during ophthalmic examination.
Basak Bostanci Ceran1, Alp Karakoç2, Ertuğrul Taciroğlu3
1Faculty of Medicine, Ophthalmology Department, Okan University, İstanbul, Turkey. drbbostanci@gmail.com.
Summary
Microscopic droplets carrying coronaviruses (CoV) can spread during eye exams. Even with shields, droplets travel far, necessitating larger protective barriers to prevent ophthalmologist infection.
Area of Science:
- Aerosol science
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious disease transmission
Background:
- Microscale droplets carrying coronaviruses (CoV) pose an airborne transmission risk.
- Close-contact procedures like ophthalmic examinations are particularly vulnerable to viral spread.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the projection of CoV-laden droplets during biomicroscopy.
- To determine necessary precautions for ophthalmic practice to mitigate viral transmission.
Main Methods:
- A coupled fluid-structure system using smoothed particle hydrodynamics and the finite element method was employed.
- Simulations modeled droplet projection based on varying exit flow velocities from an infected individual.
Main Results:
- During exhalation (1000 mm/s), droplets traveled an average of 200 mm horizontally, reaching up to 500 mm.
- Coughing/sneezing (12,000 mm/s) resulted in an average horizontal distance of 1300 mm.
Conclusions:
- Droplet spread during ophthalmic exams exceeds the proximity of current protective shields.
- Larger shields (minimum 18 cm radius) are recommended to reduce viral transmission to ophthalmologists.
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