As healthcare facilities continue to evolve, catheterization labs (cath labs) have become an essential part of modern hospitals. These specialized spaces play a crucial role in cardiovascular care, providing both diagnostic and interventional procedures. Hospitals are heavily investing in state-of-the-art cath labs for several reasons such as improved patient outcomes, competitive advantages and economic benefits. As professional engineers, our role is to help design reliable systems, so these vital spaces operate safely, efficiently, and effectively. However, designing an efficient and effective cath lab isn't easy; it requires careful planning and expertise to meet the unique challenges involved. Let's dive into some of the key factors that make cath lab design such a complex and critical aspect of hospital infrastructure.
Space Constraints: The Ultimate Challenge
One of the most significant hurdles in cath lab design is maximizing functionality within limited space. Every square foot must be optimized to accommodate a wide array of equipment while ensuring smooth workflow and patient safety. This challenge affects all disciplines involved in the design process:
Mechanical Systems: Air Circulation and Limited Space
Stringent code requirements demand precise air circulation and filtration. Diffuser selection and placement over the operating table is crucial to patient safety and infection control.
Designing ductwork and diffuser layouts in conjunction with imaging equipment is a challenge. Ceiling mounted imaging equipment plays a large role in these spaces and must be close to the operating table. Coordination of imaging equipment, diffusers and lighting is paramount to the effectiveness of the space.
Electrical Systems: Power and Redundancy
The imaging equipment in cath labs requires significant normal and emergency power systems. In addition, other medical devices and tools in the lab must be identified and included in the electrical design.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and emergency power systems are essential to ensure procedures can be completed during power outages.
Careful coordination is necessary to ensure all critical systems and equipment have redundancy.
Lighting: Balancing Function and Space
Proper lighting is critical for both general illumination and specialized task lighting during procedures.
Illumination over the operating table is important, but ceiling-mounted equipment often competes for space with lighting fixtures, requiring innovative solutions that provide the necessary illumination with a minimal footprint.
Another challenge in imaging spaces is finding a lighting system that works well with the visual screens needed for the procedures. Glare on the imaging screens can hinder the medical team during delicate procedures.
Innovative Solutions for Space Optimization
To address these challenges, several strategies have proven successful in our experience
Grid system:
Modular ceiling systems are common in cath labs because they provide interchangeable locations for diffusers, lights, ceiling supports and imaging equipment. They also give the flexibility to modify the locations in the future with equipment upgrades or room modifications and minimize the number of penetrations in the monolithic ceilings to achieve a more seamless appearance.
Green lighting and tunable lighting:
With the implementation of new lighting technology, the color of the lighting can now be customized by the medical team. Green lighting is gaining popularity in cath labs due to its glare reduction on imaging screens when compared to standard lighting. Green light also influences the appearance of blood and heightens the medical team’s ability to recognize the substance. Tunable lighting allows the medical team to change the color of the lighting for different tasks or personal preferences.
Integrated lights and diffusers:
Another innovative solution is an integrated supply diffuser and light fixture. By combining the two devices, the lighting and airflow over the table can be delivered in a smaller space footprint.
