Coronavirus is Straining Hospitals. Here's How Innovators Are Helping. | NYT News

Health workers around the world are asking for help. "What do you want?" "PPE." "When you need it?" "Now." They desperately need more PPE, also known as personal protective equipment. Stocks of critical equipment are disappearing during the

coronavirus

pandemic. Doctors say they are rationing gloves, reusing masks and raiding hardware stores. The C.D.C. He has even said that scarves or bandanas can be used for protection as a last resort. “I met the doctors and talked to them every day. “I think t

here

’s an interesting challenge

here

in that there is such a need right now that if they had something, they would implement it.” Cries for help are mobilizing a wide range of

innovators

, some of them even joining forces through online messaging platforms like Slack.

These are engineers, doctors and even high school students from all over the world. They come from all walks of life, but say their goal is the same. “It's surprising because no one asks you what country you are from. They say, how can I help? What do you need?" They are crowdsourcing designs for masks, face shields, and even ventilators that could be replicated around the world. This is Nick Moser. He is an active player in one of the creator groups. His day job is in a design studio. He is now designing replicable face masks. “We are focused on three products: a face shield, a cloth mask and an alternative to N95-rated respirators.

The face shield is the first line of defense for medical workers. "It protects against droplets. If a patient coughs, they'll hit the face shield instead." Some designs are produced using 3D printers or laser cutters. "There you go." Healthcare workers then test the prototypes in the field. Even some university labs are experimenting with DIY techniques: A group at Georgia Tech is working with open source designs from the Internet to develop products. “My lab works in the area of ​​frugal science and we build low-cost tools for areas with limited resources. And now we've realized that I don't have to go that far.

It's in our backyard, right? We need it now. So this is a plastic sheet I have, not much different than what you would get from a 2 liter Coke or a soda bottle. I actually bought this at an art store. They are just PET sheets, so we can cut them out. We call this an origami face shield and it is level 1 protection. Here is an idea. “There are several different prototypes.” “This headband can be reused, and a doctor or nurse could basically rip it off and basically put another one on. “We are hearing that in some cases they do close to 2,000 of these a day.” With the need growing so quickly, manufacturers are also thinking about how to increase their production. “So how can we get something that someone made at home with a laser cutter or a 3D printer and then get it into the hands of thousands of doctors and frontline workers?” They are working with mass manufacturers who can take their proven designs and replicate them on a larger scale. “We have been talking on the phone with several suppliers, material suppliers.

So I think one of the interesting things we've done is not just the design, showing that it can be manufactured quickly, but also trying to secure all the supply chains.” This is Dr. Susan Gunn, whose hospital system in New Orleans has even started her own initiative to 3D print equipment. “So it all starts with an idea. We put the idea into action. And then we make sure it's professional level first. Infection control is looking at it and we are making sure we use the right materials that would be approved by the CDC. and the World Health Organization.

Dr Gunn says the equipment is a safe alternative for those who would otherwise face shortages. "We're creating face shields and these different PPE, and we're getting them into the hands of those who feel they need them." Another critical piece of equipment is the N95 mask, and supply is dwindling rapidly. Nick and his team are designing a robust alternative to this mask that can contain any filter material and be mass produced. “It is easily printable. This is used in medical situations where there is an actively infectious patient. So nursing homes or obviously ICU. The units would be the objective to receive them.” “These are really difficult objects to make because you're going to give them to a nurse, and then I want to be really sure that she won't let a virus through, right?” This equipment is not approved by federal agencies, but designers are testing the safety of their respirator prototypes. “That was basically the first, almost the first question that was asked.

Can we do something that is actually safe and useful? Some manufacturers are pursuing even more ambitious projects. An engineer named Stephen Robinson in New Haven, Connecticut, is working on designing ventilators to help patients breathe. Countries are facing a serious shortage of life-saving machines. At this time, these DIY fans are still prototypes. "So really, this should be considered the seed of an idea that could potentially be developed with, and would absolutely require, the medical and technology communities." But they could become key if critical supplies run out. "We are in very uncertain times and I see explorations and projects as a kind of insurance policy that could be relied on if extreme circumstances occurred." Health care workers are hopeful these efforts can prevent an even worse outcome. “We don't want anyone, let's be clear, to use a scarf to protect themselves.

I hope we never get to the point where we have to wear a handkerchief. And I don't think that with this initiative we will get there.” For

innovators

like Saad, the challenge is personal. "I just can not stop. I have to do things. And then I'm currently in a hospital. That's why I have this uplifting little floral portrait. We are expecting a baby and what do we tell him when he is older about what we did when society needed us?