Personal Protective Equipment: For Healthcare Applications

Personal Protective Equipment:
For Healthcare applications

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Problem Definition

3.0 Concept Design and Evaluation

4.0 Prototype Development and Evaluation

5.0 Financial and Market Analysis

6.0 Discussion and Conclusion

Links

1.0 Introduction

Stemming from the recent international outbreak of SARS-CoV in 2003, a number of concerns have been raised regarding facial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare applications the adequacy of safety measures, availability of healthcare applicable protective equipment, the science behind selection, and confusion regarding approval criteria. In response, a research initiative has been undertaken in association with the University of Toronto's department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

Objective

The proposed objective is to develop a healthcare specific facial PPE to prevent exposure to airbourne and droplet spread transmission of present and emerging respiratory pathogens.

Approach

Our focus will be to identify the lessons learned from the 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak and use this case as a model for future epidemics. Several industrial facial PPE's are commercially available, however healthcare specific units for this application are limited.