Modular operation theatre components: what to specify, part by part

Wall and ceiling panels

Panels form the sealed envelope of the room. Ask for the core and facing materials, thickness, surface finish and how joints are made, because cleanability depends on fewer, flush joints. Request information on fire behaviour, impact resistance, and compatibility with the disinfectants you use.

Specify whether the panels must carry loads. Ceiling-mounted lights and pendants need a defined structural path to the building, not to the panel system alone, as explained in our guide to surgical light installation. Stipulate reinforced zones in the ceiling for each service point.

Laminar flow ceiling and ventilation

The supply canopy delivers filtered air over the table. Ask for the canopy size, filter class and the design basis for airflow and pressure relationships, and check it against the standard your project follows. Confirm how the canopy accommodates lights, pendants and arms, since they sit in the air stream.

Low-turbulence light heads help preserve the flow. For example, Q-Flow lights state a turbulence intensity of 15.9 % per DIN 1946 for 700 mm heads, as described in our article on laminar airflow and surgical lights.

Doors, floor and finishes

Operating room doors are typically automatic, hermetic or sliding types, with control from touch-free sensors. Request door dimensions, sealing method, opening speed, interlocks and emergency override. Floors should be seamless and conductive or dissipative if the project requires it; ask for the standard applied.

Ask how wall-to-floor and wall-to-ceiling junctions are finished, because coved or rounded junctions are easier to clean than sharp corners.

Pendants, lights and monitor arms

Pendants supply medical gases, power and data, and carry equipment. Lojer Solido pendants are built to order as surgical or anaesthesia pendants and state a supply of 100 to 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, up to 2000 W per socket, IP20 and a noise level below 35 dB in the OR (Solido pendants). MZ Liberec TAURUS offers rotating arms of 450 to 1350 mm, an arm load up to 500 kg for a single 850 mm arm, and four-sided rails taking shelves up to 60 kg (TAURUS).

Lights and monitors hang on suspension arms, such as Q-Flow SOLO, DUO, TRIO and QUAD (Q-Flow suspension). Ask for each equipment item's mass, reach, rotation and the clearances between items, and verify the pendant and light layout on a ceiling plan.

• Panels: core, facing, joints, fire and impact behaviour
• Air: canopy size, filter class, pressure design
• Doors: type, size, seals, interlocks
• Pendants: gases, power, data, arm length, loads
• Lights: output, colour rendering, camera readiness
• Control panel: lighting, ventilation, timers, communication

Control panel, gases and electrics

A wall control panel typically manages lighting, temperature, timers and communication, and can be part of a wider integration system. Specify the functions and the interfaces with ventilation controls and the building management system.

For medical gases and electrics, list the number and type of outlets per pendant, alarms, isolated power systems if required and emergency supply. Follow standards such as ISO 7396-1 for gas pipelines and IEC 60601-1 for equipment safety, and confirm local requirements with the relevant UAE authorities.

Specification checklist and next steps

Turn this list into a table in your tender: component, performance requirement, standard, test method, documentation and acceptance criteria. Add a testing and commissioning section so the room is verified before handover. Our companion article on how to evaluate manufacturers covers supplier questions.

Beckfinity can help you specify the pendants, lights and suspension systems in your modular theatre. Send your drawings through the contact page for a quote.