Operating rooms archivos - ETKHO Hospital Engineering

All the keys to the correct design of an operating theatre

The correct design of the operating theatre is what will allow hospitals to have the most efficient operating theatres that are adaptable to the unstoppable innovation in health.

Hospitals, as a result of the social, economic and healthcare context we are going through, must optimise their resources more than ever. Efficiency, performance and innovation must go hand in hand in order to reduce healthcare spending without jeopardising increasingly patient-centred care.

Within the improvement of hospital facilities, surgical intervention areas are one of the areas where most elements have to be taken into account, and where at the same time more casuistry and problems can occur. Thus, one of the main tools for improving operating theatres is innovation in their design and conversion into modern units.

To address this issue from all angles, at ETKHO we have dissected the main keys that must be taken into account for the correct design of an operating theatre.

Equipment and facilities for haemodynamics operating theatre

Over the last two decades, the development of cath-lab rooms in hospitals has gone hand in hand with the profound transformation and innovation in hospital equipment, safety conditions and process improvement.

A profound transformation in which interventional procedures have become major players.

As new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have appeared in this type of hospital, the level of training of medical staff, as well as the human, technical and equipment requirements, have been modified.

Find out from ETKHO what haemodynamics operating theatres consist of and what systems and elements they should contain as a basic foundation for their optimal functioning.

The hybrid operating room: design, equipment and benefits

The hybrid operating room is a great advance in the field of surgery, since, in general terms, it allows multidisciplinary work by specialists from different areas and helps to perform complex surgeries faster, easier, safer and less invasively. But what exactly is a hybrid operating room?

It is a surgical room that is equipped with advanced medical imaging/radiodiagnosis devices, allowing different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be carried out simultaneously.

A hybrid operating room allows the insertion of catheters or endoscopes through small holes with which to view smaller anatomical regions, greatly facilitating the surgery process.

Alarm repeaters

Current alarm repeaters, in addition to their basic and logical use, which is to ‘snitch’ about an error or possible problem situation, have evolved to help medical personnel act. And it is that health workers have often considered this alarm as a necessary ‘nuisance’, seeing its required maintenance as a nuisance.

The fact is that, with some frequency, medical personnel have not known how to act in the face of these alarms. Or they simply did not know the risk situation that was taking place, especially in the alarms related to electrical safety.

But today, alarm repeaters not only provide additional information to medical personnel, but indicate what to do at all times to remedy the situation, or who to call. With them, touch screens also stand out on technical panels, for example in operating rooms, which allows the graphic display of the alarm with icons and colors.

Robotics in hospitals

Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), robots in the medical field are transforming the way surgeries are performed, the way patients are cleaned, cared for or disinfected.

Robotics for patient care and assistance in hospitals, to optimise all processes involving healthcare professionals and for the surgical operations themselves, is the present and the future of hospital technology.

Health centres nowadays have the option of having robots in practically any room, whether in the operating and surgical areas, waiting rooms, patient rooms, cleaning areas…

The adaptation of Artificial Intelligence and robotic surgery to the clinical industry is an unstoppable phenomenon. These devices, in the medical field, are transforming the way surgeries are performed, cleaned, cared for or disinfected. These robots, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been deployed throughout hospitals and clinics, delivering excellent performance.

The augmented reality in operating rooms

Augmented reality is revolutionizing the areas of medicine and surgery, especially for its innovative and supportive role in operating rooms.

In recent times, there has been a lot of talk about the possibilities of artificial intelligence and the most cutting-edge technological innovations applied to the healthcare environment.

One of the elements called to play a key role is Augmented Reality (AR), which has already meant a stark change in terms of possibilities, safety and efficacy in operating rooms.

8 ETKHO solutions for electrical safety in operating rooms

Electrical safety in medical centers, especially in critical hospital areas, is a matter that must be considered with the utmost seriousness.

Having a well-designed and complete electrical system is equivalent to taking all possible precautions beforehand and, therefore, facing the potential complications related to hospital electrical safety.

Not surprisingly, hospital units are contexts with high risks of electrical failures if they do not have an adequate electrical safety system. We are talking about failures that are not only limited to material equipment, but can cause damage and human loss.

At ETKHO, as experts in hospital electrical safety, we are specialized in the manufacture of electrical safety equipment and services for hospitals and operating rooms.

Operation of a surgery control room: key safety devices in supervision

The isolation watchdog and multi-repeater, together with the alarm repeaters, are fundamental elements in the security, control and supervision of operating rooms.

Safety in surgery and operating room control is one of the pillars for the proper functioning of the interventions, as well as to guarantee their success.

It is just as important that medical personnel know the characteristics, risks and security solutions as well as having the best devices and elements so that nothing interrupts an operation / intervention.

Isolation transformers for medical use

Medical-grade electrical transformers prevent system failures and protect patients and healthcare personnel from electrical shock.

Circuits that cannot withstand direct current load need protection. The isolation transformer provides that protection, increasing or declining the alternating currents before they reach the main equipment to which it is connected.

Therefore, isolation transformers separate a part of an electrical circuit from the main powers, guaranteeing the proper functioning of the unit. We are talking about transformers that are similar to any other type, but found in applications that have sensitive circuits.

The transformers for clinical use are manufactured to guarantee the maximum safety of hospital patients, managing to isolate the external electrical supply from the power supply of the different elements and machines used in medicine.

Hospital ground panels and electrical outlets: what they are, what they are for and benefits

In hospitals and health centers, each machine has its mission or objective. In the case of hospital ground panels and electrical outlets, they help prevent and avoid contact voltages within critical medical areas. The possibility of electrical shocks caused by poor equipment grounding is one of the great risks faced by patients and healthcare personnel.

For this reason, it is essential to have adequate health technology, especially with the devices that guarantee the perfect functioning of electromedicine.

Hospital earth panels and electrical outlets are essential to help prevent contact voltages within hospitals and, especially, in operating rooms, ICUs or, in general, critical hospital areas.