During the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic, there is an imperative need to protect the medical team, for their own sake as well for the patients who need their care.
The Air-Shade, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health care workers in the corona aisles. Which will significantly increase the protection without impeding and maybe improve the function of the health care workers taking care of SARS-Cov2 positive patients. Furthermore, there is a need to find a way to overcome two additional problems- The steam that forms on the visor and risk for hypoxia or hypercapnia as a result of breathing with a mask for a long time. The better protection as well as better function while wearing this PPE will help health care workers to perform their tasks during the overload of the medical system.
The concept of the system is to create a stream of filtered air flowing in front of the face of the health care worker, using a headband with nozzle vents. Air flows over the user's face and creates a positive air pressure shield that prevents contaminated particles from reaching the user's face. The headband connects with a tube to a filter and blower unit. The unit hung with a belt on the pelvis of the user.
Developing such a system during the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to learn how to work uniquely, from an emergency-sprint design process that counts only on available products and supplies to a design team that never sat down together in the same room.
Today the system is going throw commercialization and has been tested in three different hospitals in Israel and one in New Jersey, USA.
Programs: Solidworks, Fusion 360, HP SmartStream 3D Build Manager, Simplify 3D.
Manufacturing methods: 3D printing, readymade.
Manufacturing machines: HP Multi Jet Fusion 580 3D printer, 3DP Workbench 300pro FFF 3d printer.
Team: Prof. Ezri Tarazi, Prof. Haim Parnas, Dr. Shmuel Aroes, Yoav Shterman, Ofer Berman.
Role: Develop team and head of manufacturing.