Electrical Engineering Design for Office-Based Surgery

Outpatient settings such as a private OBS have become increasingly accepted by patients and providers alike due to clinical innovations that are allowing many surgical procedures to be done safely, privately and conveniently in outpatient settings.

Whether you are renovating, undertaking new construction, or retrofitting, the electrical distribution for your OBS and the Operating Room entails many considerations.

Programming

A careful review of the services you intend to provide in your OBS is very important, as the similarities with ASCs can lead to gray areas in code interpretation, and confusion in the categorization and design. The codes categorizing your OBS space are a key factor in determining the electrical system design.

Alternate Power Source for the OBS

The category of patient care you are providing in your OBS will determine the requirement for your alternate power source, and the duration that source is required to supply power. OBS space typically falls into category 3 and 4 patient care and does not require a type 1 essential electrical system (EES). However, a minimum requirement is the availability of 120 minutes of emergency power, which can be supplied by a backup battery.

Electrical Power in the Operating Room of an OBS

Operating rooms are considered wet procedure locations, and require special protection measures to be taken against electrical shock to the patient. Ground fault panels or circuit interrupters can be used to limit potential ground-fault current. Isolation panels may not be utilized for emergency power in an OBS.

Emergency power in an OBS can be provided either by a portable battery pack or a wall-mounted unit which is on the circuit of outlets. If a power outage is detected the battery will automatically power the outlets and the operating room lights for a minimum of 2 hours. Emergency lighting should be able to provide interim lighting before the EES or battery reestablishes power. Anesthesia monitors and machines have their own internal battery backup, which may last for up to an hour and a half.