Abstract: A patient care room, and method of treating a patient includes a patient treatment area that is configured to accept a patient support and an airflow system in said patient care room. The airflow system has an air discharge outlet mounted above the patient support. The outlet has a plenum with at least two laterally outside portions that are aligned with opposite perimeters of the patient support. Each outside portion has at least one large opening that is adapted to direct a curtain of air toward the perimeter of the patient support. The plenum has at least one laterally inside portion within the perimeter of the patient support. A cover over the plenum has small openings distributed over the cover that are smaller than the large opening. The outside portions are adapted to each produce a curtain of air that is passed outside a perimeter of the patient support at a higher flow than air inside the perimeter of the patient support.

Abstract: A patient care room and method of treating a patient in a patient care room includes a patient treatment area that is configured to accept a patient support, such as a bed, and a waste containment room that is walled from said treatment area. The waste containment room has a toilet and a door that selectively separates the waste containment area from the treatment area and a decontaminating unit. The decontaminating unit is capable of killing common pathogens. An airflow system discharges air from the waste containment room to outside of the patient care room thereby creating a negative pressure in the waste containment room with respect to the treatment area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for intermittent administration of supplemental oxygen to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients programmed for specific oxygen needs for each patient. Patient's arterial blood oxygen level is measured while supplying oxygen to determine the time required to reach a desired level and it is again measured without supplemental oxygen to determine the time required to diminish to a second, lower particular level. These two time intervals are applied as a program to apparatus connected to a supply of oxygen having valve and time controls to provide a regulated flow of supplemental oxygen to a nasal cannula for a preset time and to shut off the flow for a preset time sequentially and repetitively. The apparatus is powered by the energy of the gas itself either directly by gas powered controls and valves or indirectly with electrically powered controls and valves with gas power operating an electric generator to supply the necessary electrical power.