Optimized mechanism for fast removal of infectious pathogen-laden aerosols in the negative-pressure unit

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Infectious Disease Control
• Aerosol Science

Background:

• Highly contagious respiratory pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, spread via micro-aerosols (< 5 μm).
• Hospital environments, especially negative-pressure rooms, require effective ventilation to prevent pathogen transmission.
• Rapid removal of airborne pathogens is crucial for infection control in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an optimized ventilation mechanism and design for rapid removal of pathogen-laden aerosols.
• To quantitatively evaluate the aerosol removal performance of various ventilation configurations.
• To identify key airflow structures for efficient pathogen clearance.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were employed to model airflow dynamics and aerosol transport.
• Various ventilation configurations, including different air exhaust and supply duct arrangements, were analyzed.
• Aerosol removal efficiency was quantitatively assessed for each configuration.

Main Results:

• The study identified that a coherent, preferentially upward airflow structure is essential for effective aerosol removal.
• This airflow structure effectively surrounds and directs the respiratory flow containing pathogen aerosols.
• Optimized ventilation configurations significantly enhance the speed of pathogen-laden aerosol discharge.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight the critical role of airflow structure in designing efficient ventilation systems for pathogen removal.
• The proposed ventilation mechanism and design principles are applicable to various negative-pressure facilities.
• This research contributes to developing high-efficiency infection control strategies in healthcare environments.