Operating theatres

Claim 2

In an operating theater that comprises a chamber having side walls surrounding an operating table and associated equipment, means at the upper end of the chamber for discharging sterile air with substantially uniform flow downwardly within the chamber comprising a plurality of side-by-side tubes of porous textile material, each extending transversely across the chamber and connected to a source of sterile air under pressure, said tubes each and having a lower wall section of appreciably greater air permeability than the remaining wall, said lower wall section of each tube extending about one third the circumference and providing directional outlet flow of the major volume of sterile air.

Claim 3

In the operating theater defined in claim 1, said lower wall section of each discharge tube being a longitudinal strip of open Mesh knitted fabric.

Claim 4

In the operating theater defined in claim 1, said lower wall section having a unit area permeability about 5 - 10 times that of the remaining tube wall.

Claim 5

An operating theater comprising means defining a suspended sterile air providing plenum chamber providing a ceiling for said theater, means including a fan mounted on said plenum chamber for drawing surrounding air into said plenum chamber, a plurality of rails secured upon the bottom of said plenum chamber defining means and defining the perimeter of the theater enclosure, a plurality of vertical panels suspended from said rails cooperatively defining the side walls of said theater enclosure, one of said panels being vertically smaller than the others and having a curtain suspended therefrom for access to said enclosure, and means for directionally downwardly discharging said sterile air into said enclosure comprising a plurality of discharge tubes extending laterally across the upper part thereof and connected to receive sterile air from said plenum chamber under pressure derived from said fan, said discharge tubes being of porous fabric of the type wherein the pores are of changing size depending on the air pressure therein and having a lower wall section of appreciably greater air permeability than the remaining wall, said lower wall section of each tube extending about one third the circumference and providing directional outlet flow of the major volume of sterile air.

Claim 6

An operating theater comprising means defining a suspended sterile air providing plenum chamber providing a ceiling for said theater, means including a fan mounted on said plenum chamber for drawing surrounding air into said plenum chamber, a plurality of rails secured upon the bottom of said plenum chamber defining means and defining the perimeter of the theater enclosure, a plurality of vertical panels suspended from said rails cooperatively defining the side walls of said theater enclosure, one of said panels being vertically smaller than the others and having a curtain suspended therefrom for access to said enclosure, and means for directionally downwardly discharging said sterile air into said enclosure comprising a plurality of discharge tubes extending laterally across the upper part thereof and connected to receive sterile air from said plenum chamber under pressure derived from said fan, said discharge tubes being of porous fabric of the type wherein the pores are of changing size depending on the air pressure therein and having a lower wall section of appreciably greater air permeability than the remaining wall, said lower wall section of each tube extending about one third the circumference and providing directional outlet flow of the major volume of sterile air.

Claim 7

In the operating theater defined in claim 4, said plenum chamber being suspended from and closely adjacent a ceiling wall, and said tubes extending closely adjacent to each other and to said ceiling wall and said panels.