Acoustic guide for specialist areas

Meet strict acoustic and hygiene demands in advanced environments

Specialist areas in healthcare place high demands on both the physical environment and the people working within it. These spaces often involve advanced medical equipment, complex procedures, and critical decision-making, where clear communication and a controlled sound environment are essential for patient safety, staff performance, and wellbeing.

At the same time, strict hygiene requirements apply in specialist areas such as operating rooms, intensive care units and laboratories, where surfaces must withstand frequent and rigorous cleaning to prevent contamination. Noise from medical equipment, alarms and ventilation systems can contribute to elevated sound levels, increasing cognitive load and stress for staff, while also disturbing patients’ rest and recovery.

Good acoustic design in specialist areas helps support accurate communication between healthcare professionals, reduces unnecessary noise, and creates calmer conditions for patients during and after treatment.

Acoustic challenges

• Decreasing high sound levels in technically demanding environments
• Shortening reverberation time to support clear communication
• Improving speech clarity between staff during critical procedures
• Reducing disturbance from medical and technical equipment
• Supporting rest and recovery for patients

Hygiene challenges

• Type of contamination: Dust, stains and microbial contamination
• Cleaning frequency: Frequent or daily
• Type of cleaning: Dry cleaning, wet wiping, disinfection and steaming
• High demands on air quality and hygiene performance on surfaces

Solutions

• Use a sound-absorbing ceiling with suitable hygienic properties for critical and specialist care
• Apply wall absorbers to further reduce noise and improve speech clarity
• Combine acoustic performance with materials and systems designed for frequent cleaning and high hygiene demands

Product recommendations

• Ecophon Hygiene Meditec™ A, E
• Ecophon Hygiene Protec™ A, Ds, Air
• Ecophon Hygiene Performance™ A, Ds, B, Plus A, Care wall
• Ecophon Hygiene Advance™ A, Wall
• Hygiene Lavanda™ LED