Purifying air over the operating field with a new mobile laminar airflow device to reduce the possibility of airborne contamination.

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of a mobile laminar airflow (LAF) device designed to reduce both airborne particles and lint fibers within the sterile field during cataract surgery.

Setting: Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Design: Prospective case series.

Methods: The number of airborne particles sized 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, and 1.5 μm were measured at different locations and times during 116 routine phacoemulsification procedures with and without the use of a mobile LAF device. In a companion study, the presence of lint fibers in 99 eyes undergoing cataract surgery with a mobile LAF device was compared with 50 eyes in the control group. Lint fibers were differentiated as either falling onto the ocular surface or being carried into the sterile field by an instrument.

Results: A statistically significant reduction (P < .0005) occurred in all 3 particle sizes measurements when the LAF device was used: 79.0% (93.6 ± 16.1 vs 445.3 ± 30.9), 81.7% (11.30 ± 1.98 vs 61.85 ± 5.34), and 90.8% (0.241 ± 0.056 vs 2.624 ± 0.362) in the 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm and 5.0 μm particles, respectively. Lint fibers were identified in 18% (9/50) of eyes in the control group and 16.16% (16/99) of eyes in the LAF group. Although the number of lint fibers carried into the sterile field was similar in each group, the incidence of lint fibers falling onto the sterile field was reduced from 6% (3/50) to 0% (0/99) when the LAF was used (P = .014).

Conclusions: The mobile LAF device was highly effective in reducing the number of particulate matter and lint fibers within the sterile surgical field when used during cataract surgery.