Project 8:

1. Project 8: Numerical Simulation of Pandemic Flu Dispersal in Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms (AIIR) Mentor: Urmila Ghia Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Lab (CFDRL) University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 45221 September 2010 - March 2011 Sponsored by: National Science Foundation (NSF) Academic Year - Research Education for Undergraduates (AY-REU) Program & University of Cincinnati

2. AY-REU Students • James Sullivan • 5thyear, Mechanical Engineering • Charles Ebersbacher • 2ndyear, Biomedical Engineering

3. MOTIVATION PANDEMIC FLU – FACTS: • A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which no vaccine is available. • The disease spreads easily from person-to-person, causing serious illness. It sweeps across the country, and the world, in a very short time. • Health care facilities can be overwhelmed, creating a shortage of hospital staff, beds, ventilators and other supplies. • Many states in the U.S have Pandemic Flu response plans. • Response plans advocate use of an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR), such as those used to isolate Tuberculosis (TB) patients. Pandemics Death Toll Since 1900 (As per CDC) 1918 – 1919 U.S. 675,000+ Worldwide 50,000,000+ 1957 – 1958 U.S. 70,000+ Worldwide 1 – 2,000,000 1968 – 1969 U.S. 34,000+ Worldwide 700,000+ ISOLATION ROOMS: • Purpose: • To constrain infectious airborne droplets, emanating from the flu-infected patient, to leave the room only through the exhaust vents. • Ventilation Configuration: • Air flow carries airborne flu droplets away from the heath care worker (HCW), towards the exhaust of the isolation room.

4. OVERALL OBJECTIVES • Develop a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the flow and dispersal of the Pandemic Flu in an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR) & a Patient room of a local hospital. • Assess the effectiveness of the ventilation controls in an Isolation Room and a Patient Room, operating with real-world conditions. • Develop and recommend new ventilation controls which reduce the HCW’s exposure to patient-generated aerosols in an AIIR environment. • Assess regular Patient room environment for the HCW’sprotection & effectiveness of constraining spread of patient-generated infectious aerosols.

5. OVERALL METHODOLOGY • Obtain a detailed layout of a typical patient room and an AIIR at a local hospital in Cincinnati, including: • elements of the existing ventilation (inlet and exhaust vent locations and dimensions), • size and positioning of major furniture & equipment that affect air flow distribution. • Measure the inlet and exhaust flow parameters (such as flow rate, presence of louvers at inlet and outlet) and room-to-hall pressure differential • Re-construct geometric models of Isolation and Patient rooms using measured data. • Simulate steady-state air flow in Isolation & Patient rooms. • Introduce patient cough - track transient dispersal of cough particles. • Conduct comprehensive interrogation of the results through graphical representations, and especially tracking the airborne infection droplets emanating from patient. • Use the results obtained to guide and recommend alternate ventilation arrangements.

6. OBJECTIVES OF PRESENT STUDY • Investigate dispersal of cough droplets of the following sizes, in the Isolation room and in the regular patient room: • Respirableaerosol (under 1-5 microns), • Heavier aerosol (5-100 microns), and • Large aerosol (larger than 100-microns, essentially, liquid droplets)

7. EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF PRESENT STUDY • Compare difference in dispersal of particles of various sizes in existing flow field in the Isolation room and in the regular Patient room. • Use results to recommend ventilation arrangements that will effectively contain dispersal/spreading of cough droplets within the room.