Rapid prototyping and clinical testing of a reusable face shield for health care workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
Preprint
- 15 April 2020
- preprint
- other
- Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Abstract
Due to supply chain disruption, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care professionals. Local fabrication based on 3D printing is one way to address this challenge, particularly in the case of simple products such as protective face shields. As a consequence, many public domain designs for face shields have become available. No clear path exists, however, for introducing a locally fabricated and unapproved product into a clinical setting. In a US health care setting, face shields are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); similar policies exist in other countries. We describe a research protocol under which rapid iteration on an existing design, coupled with clinical feedback and real-world testing in an emergency department, allowed a face shield to be implemented by the members of the incident command team at a major academic medical center. We describe our design and testing process and provide an overview of regulatory considerations associated with fabrication and testing of face shields and related products. All designs, materials used, testing protocols, and survey results are reported in full to facilitate the execution of similar face shield efforts in other clinical settings. Our work serves as a case study for development of a robust local response to pandemics and other health care emergencies, with implications for healthcare professionals, hospital administrators, regulatory agencies and concerned citizens.Keywords
Other Versions
- Published version: Version Med, 1, preprints
This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
- Terminal sterilization of medical devices using vaporized hydrogen peroxide: a review of current methods and emerging opportunitiesJournal of Applied Microbiology, 2019
- Designing Biomaterials for 3D PrintingACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2016
- Hospital incident command: First responders or receiving centers?American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 2016
- Face shields for infection control: A reviewJournal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2016
- Building Community Disaster Resilience: Perspectives From a Large Urban County Department of Public HealthAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2013
- Efficiency of 42 brands of face masks and 2 face shields in preventing inhalation of airborne debris.1991