Research

The Effects of Air Purification Technology on Clinical and Economic Outcomes

A conference presentation delivered at the Keystone Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2019, examining the effects of LifeAire’s advanced air purification technology on clinical and economic outcomes in an acute care hospital setting. The presentation represents early findings from the St. Luke’s University Health Network research program that culminated in the full 12-month retrospective cohort study of 8,255 patients published in the journal Surgery in September 2020, documenting a 39.5% reduction in patient length of stay, trending reduction in HAIs, and 23% improvement in per-bed economics. Presented at the Keystone Chapter, American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2019.

Research

Modeling of airborne embryonic volatile compounds (VOCs) in the IVF culture environment – their concomitant cytotoxic concentration within the growth media and embryo.

A peer-reviewed conference abstract published in Fertility and Sterility, Volume 112, Issue 3, presenting early modeling research on the behavior of airborne volatile organic compounds in IVF culture environments. Using equilibrium partitioning models, the study demonstrates how airborne VOCs partition from the air phase through the oil cover layer into water-based culture media and into or onto the embryo itself, reaching cytotoxic concentrations even at low ambient air concentrations. Seven VOCs — including acrolein, formaldehyde, phenol, toluene, acetaldehyde, ethanol, and isopropanol — were identified as of particular concern to embryologists and clinicians. This conference abstract preceded the full peer-reviewed publication in Reproductive BioMedicine Online in 2022. Published in Fertility and Sterility, 2019; 112(3):E122-E123. Authors: Worrilow, K.C.; Urrutia, A.R.; Huynh, H.T.; Fox, J.T.