Historical Photo of the Month - September 2008

Operating Room Contamination Study
Photograph Number 211-4713Ac

The Civil Systems Project Office was established in 1970 with the goal of solving problems relating to medical engineering, public safety, urban land use, and transportation. Federal, state, and local needs were assessed to see how JPL's capabilities and technologies could be applied.

In 1972-73 two studies in Denver and Hollywood were undertaken to investigate the application of NASA clean room technology to orthopedic surgery. Operating rooms were modified to create an air flow in one direction over the operating field, and used high-efficiency particulate air filters developed for space applications. Plastic helmets prevented surgical personnel from contaminating the filtered air by breathing or shedding skin. Communication headsets allowed members of the surgical team to talk to each other. Significant reductions in contamination were attributed both to the room and the body exhaust system. Some of the work on this task was done by Martin Marietta Corporation, under a NASA contract.

For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: photo index; JPL Civil Systems, SP 43-1, March 1974; Universe, July 7, 1972.]