ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The current coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unexpected pressure on medical supplies, interrupting supply chains and increasing prices. The supply of antiviral filters which form an essential part of the ventilator circuit have been affected by these issues. Three-dimensional (3D) printing may provide a solution to some of these issues. METHODS: We designed and tested 3D printed heat and moisture exchange (HME) and antiviral casing. For each casing we tested two different filter materials derived from a sediment water filter cartridge or 1.5-µm glass fiber filter paper. A polyurethane sponge was used for the HME. Each design was tested for circuit leak, circuit compliance, peak inspiratory pressure and casing integrity using methylene blue dye. RESULTS: We designed, produced, and tested two different types of antiviral filters with six different internal configurations. Overall, we tested 10 modified filter designs and compared them with the original commercial filter. Except for the combination of 1.5-µm filter paper and 5 mm sponge peak inspiratory pressure and circuit compliance of the filters produced were within the operating limits of the ventilator. All In addition, all filters passed the dye test. CONCLUSIONS: Our filter may be of particular importance to those working in low middle-income countries unable to compete with stronger economies. Our design relies on products available outside the healthcare supply chain, much of which can be purchased in grocery stores, hardware stores, or industrial and academic institutions. We hope that these HMEs and viral filters may be beneficial to clinicians who face critical supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Printing, Three-Dimensional , Ultrafiltration/instrumentation , Ventilators, Mechanical , Viruses , COVID-19/therapy , Coloring Agents , Equipment Design , Feasibility Studies , Humans , Pandemics , Paper , Peak Expiratory Flow Rate , Polyurethanes , Reproducibility of Results , Surgical SpongesSubject(s)
Barrett Esophagus/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Esophagoscopy , Gastroscopy , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Surgical Sponges , Triage/methods , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Deglutition Disorders/etiology , Esophageal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Humans , Middle Aged , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 is an international pandemic. One of the cardinal features is acute respiratory distress syndrome, and proning has been identified as beneficial for a subset of patients. However, proning is associated with pressure-related side effects, including injury to the nose and face. METHOD: This paper describes a pressure-relieving technique using surgical scrub sponges. This technique was derived based on previous methods used in patients following rhinectomy. CONCLUSION: The increased use of prone ventilation has resulted in a number of referrals to the ENT team with concerns regarding nasal pressure damage. The described technique, which is straightforward and uses readily available materials, has proven effective in relieving pressure in a small number of patients.