Validation of a Neutral Pressure Isolation Room

The principles behind a new design of isolation room are set out. The process ofvalidating the design is described using a range of physical modelling techniques. ACFD model was also constructed and compared to the basic operational mode.Characterisation of the internal airflow patterns was used to assess the level of mixingunder steady state conditions. The techniques were extended to cover the response ofthe design to various challenges such as door opening. There are two reasons forusing an isolation room the patient is a source of infection and the patient is at riskfrom infection. The concept of a protection factor is introduced as a measure of theeffectiveness in protecting staff or a patient against a source of infection. The PPVLisolation room provides a protection factor of 105 between the corridor outside and theisolation room (all doors closed) and a factor of 103 within the isolation room.