Safety on demand: A case study for the design and manufacturing-on-demand of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study for the design and manufacturing-on-demand of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Yoav Sterman, Ofer Berman, Yuval Gur, Haim Parnas, Rami Tareef, Shmuel Arwas, Ezra Tarazi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the difficulties of countries and healthcare systems in preparing for major emergency situations. In the first month of the pandemic there was a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), thereby causing a rise in infection cases and deaths among healthcare workers (HCWs) in some countries. Moreover, the PPE used in hospitals today is not designed for prolonged use, and causes problems such as headaches and vision difficulties. To address these problems, a case study of an active PPE system for HCWs that is based on 3D printing and the use of ready-made parts is presented here. This case study demonstrates a new approach toward the design and manufacturing of PPE in emergency situations that relies on rapid development and domestic manufacturing of products through 3D printing technologies. The system was developed during the first months of the pandemic under restrictive quarantine conditions, and was fabricated and then tested by HCWs at several hospitals. Apart from sterilization difficulties, the system received positive feedback in user testing.
Original languageAmerican English
Article number105162
JournalSafety Science
Volume136
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2021

Keywords

  • 3D printed PPE
  • COVID-19
  • Emergency situations
  • Medical device 3D printing
  • PPE design
  • Personal protective equipment

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
  • Safety Research

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