Medical Professional and Health Care Worker Barrier
I wish to draw your attention to an engineered flexible barrier screen that could be used, without PPE if unavailable, as a means to protect health professionals in face-to-face medical interactions with patients potentially with COVID-19.
The device is a fully transparent polymer film screen incorporating long-sleeve gloves, that is installed at a key interface and barrier between medic and patient, creating a CLEAN SAFE ZONE for the examining medical professional. The CLEAN zone remains clean at all times and therefore does not need decontaminating after every medic/patient interaction. Very quickly after the last patient is examined, the next patient may be presented to the barrier for medical examination with minimal decontamination under anticipated conditions.
A comprehensive range of needed medical procedures have been shown to be readily conducted through the barrier screen, including SATS, BP, Temperature, Throat swab, phlebotomy, and palpation. Other possible procedures have not yet been tried. UPDATE (8/4) - We have just completed successful trialling of the barrier in the DENTIST setting and we are exploring application in the PHARMACY setting.
The barrier screen was designed and fabricated in less than 8 hours and can be manufactured in advanced manufacturing facilities straight away. Manufacturing capacity is available and is scalable in multiple ways.
The principles incorporated in the barrier screen are those that have been proven to be highly effective in environments where workers need protecting when handling high hazard substances such as toxic and highly potent active pharmaceuticals (HPAPIs). The technology has been proven many times over many years in R&D and manufacturing work environments.
Design and functionality changes could readily be implemented in very short order, with application to a wide range of medical and clinical settings.
Please look at your professional networks and identify pathways that could bring this approach to bear. Time is of the essence.
This is not being done as a commercial exercise. Note, we have to be able to manufacture at scale and quickly! We have manufacture which is scalable vertically and horizontally ready to go right NOW. Together we can make a difference.
A one-page description of the barrier and its application can be found at this link:
Videos of the device in action can be seen at:
New Dentistry videos can be seen at the Videos button above.
Stay safe.
Justin