Formerly Communication in Infection Environments
Need
Healthcare professionals often communicate with portable devices, such as smartphones. However, when entering spaces with infectious contamination like rooms with patients harboring the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, these devices cannot be used. At the same time, healthcare professionals need to be available continuously, hence being reachable by phone is essential for uninterrupted operation of a hospital. Using these devices by healthcare professionals in an infectious environment risks surface contamination and export of infectious agents to the outside world, potentially putting healthy people at risk. Wiping the surfaces of these devices with a disinfectant is an option; however, it was shown that this way, infectious agents are not eliminated sufficiently (Murgier et al. 2016 Orthop Traumatol Surg Res). At the same time, portable electric devices also harbor opportunistic germs putting high-risk patients in danger (Kirkby et al. 2016, Adv Neonatal Care).
Goal
The PACID system aims to shield portable electronic devices (such as phones, pagers, etc.) from surface contamination while maintaining access to its features (touchscreen, buttons, microphone, loudspeaker). For this, the PACID system introduces a disposable plastic containment around the device before entering the contaminated space. After leaving the infectious environment, the plastic containment is removed from the phone with a bag opener and stored in a sluice until it is retrieved by the user.
More on the solution developed by this project: PACID
For inquiries on this solution, please contact: Daniel Kirschenbaum
Project and Team
- Daniel Kirschenbaum
Lead (medical) and product owner - Daniel Omidvarkarjan
Lead (engineering) and scrum master - David Ochsner
CAD - Daniele Cipriano
CAD - Harry Woodfin
Animations and Videos - Ralph Rosenbauer
Communications
Publication
Video Manual
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