Hygienic design shapes cleanroom environment

The importance of good hygiene in hospitals and other healthcare facilities has long been recognised and, increasingly, for healthcare designers, engineers and staff has become a key concern.

Ideally, operating theatres and laboratories should be designed as cleanrooms, yet also have a decorative and aesthetically pleasing environment. Furniture, furnishings and equipment all need to be extremely hygienic and bacteria-free.

Phase 1 of the new hospital and surgical centre at the Julius Maximilian University in Wurzburg is a good example. It was designed by German architects Schuster Pechtold Schmidt, a practice that specialises in the design of new hospitals and medical facilities as well as the upgrading of existing healthcare buildings.

The 22,500m2 surgical centre is designed for major operations and local emergencies and provides the very latest in medical technology. It is also claimed to be Bavaria’s most advanced surgical facility and one of the best in Europe. The second phase of the development is a similar-sized Medical Centre due for completion in 2009.

The Phase 1 Surgical Centre has 14 operating theatres, together with post-operative and other treatment rooms. For the design of these facilities, the architects worked with two other international specialists in the medical field: Maquet and Trespa.

Maquet is a long established supplier of medical products and services for operating rooms and intensive care units. Trespa International manufactures surface panels widely used for surfaces such as wall linings, sanitary cubicles and lockers, as well as laboratory furniture and worktops.

Specifying medical quality

The well-known surfacing material, Virtuon, is designed for horizontal applications to counteract the growing problem caused by infection spread through surface contact, contaminated equipment and infected airborne particles. Another similar Trespa product, TopLabPLUS, is widely used for horizontal applications offering worktop quality with excellent chemical resistance as well as antibacterial performance.

Wurzberg University Hospital required very stringent hygiene in the operating rooms, laboratories and other sterile areas. It was therefore, important for the architects to source building products that offered hygiene and cleanliness. “In reality, it was not a difficult choice,” said senior partner Constantin Schuster. “We are very familiar with Trespa’s products and especially with the hygienic performance of the Virtuon panel. Ninety-nine per cent of our work is in the healthcare sector so we regularly specify this surface for interior walls.”

At Wurzburg, Trespa Virtuon panels have been used to line the 4,000m2 of walls of the operating theatres and associated rooms. The panels were chosen because they offer exceptional performance, together with unique physical and hygienic properties and fine appearance.

Antibacterial properties

Importantly, the panel has a smooth, non-porous surface and core, which is impact- and scratch-resistant. The panel rejects dirt and is unaffected by organic, chemical or other stains. Trespa Virtuon does not support growth of micro-organisms. Bacteria stains will dry relatively fast on the surface, and the bacteria will not find any source of nutrition on the material. Independent tests show a reduction in bacterial growth of more than 99.99% after 24 hours (independent test conducted by independent test institute IMSL).

These antibacterial properties are incorporated in the product without the use of antimicrobial additives. This means that these properties will remain active throughout the product’s lifetime, even under extreme conditions such as regular and/or intensive cleaning. The surface is unaffected by heavy cleaning, especially by the cleaning agents and disinfectants preferred in hospitals and clinical areas. This ease of maintenance saves the university time and money.

Dodging the dust

Another key advantage of Trespa Virtuon is that it can be installed dry with a minimum of dust being released, thus reducing the risk of releasing airborne particles capable of transporting micro-organisms.

Trespa Virtuon FR panels meet the requirements of the German DIN 4102-1 B1 classification as well as the new European classification B-s2,d0 in accordance with EN 13501-1. The choice of aquamarine as the dominant colour throughout gives the operating rooms a fresh, restful and very attractive appearance, says Trespa.

The Virtuon panel is based on thermo-setting resins, homogeneously reinforced with cellulose fibres, and manufactured under high pressure and high temperature. This results in a tough and durable panel, with dimensional stability and workability similar to hardwood.

The panel was developed specifically for medical interior design applications such as wall cladding, and furniture. Many aesthetic variations are possible through the choice of colours, textures and metallic surfaces.

Trespa panels have a project guarantee of 10 years covering resistance against impact, moisture or chemicals and the effects of cleaning. The non-porous panels also deliver significant savings in cleaning costs without loss of performance and without creating cracks or wear that can harbour germs. The panels are fabricated in large sheet sizes to minimise or eliminate joints