Research team looking at cost-effective ways to decontaminate PPE скачать в хорошем качестве

Research team looking at cost-effective ways to decontaminate PPE

The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically N95 masks, remains an issue globally. With the fall flu season compounding the current coronavirus pandemic, U.S. hospitals' supply will be further strained. A UW Medicine urologist and a radiology fellow are looking for a work-around. For the last six months, Drs. Thomas Lendvay and Tanner Clark have worked with Dr. James Chen, a Seattle neurosurgeon, examining the viability of disinfecting N95 masks so healthcare workers can reuse them safely. Industry-standard masks, including the N95, are designed as single-use devices. It is very difficult to sanitize them without destroying them or rendering them toxic to the wearer. Currently a few commercially available products and methods effectively disinfect PPE, but most require expensive equipment that many hospitals cannot afford or manage. Lendvay is studying whether methylene blue, combined with light, could disinfect PPE quickly, inexpensively, and without causing PPE to become ineffective or unsafe. Methylene blue is a readily available chemical, even in developing countries. It is used in the sterilization of blood plasma for transfusion and is also a topical method of sanitization once it encounters light or sunlight. If this solution is viable, it would significantly increase the volume of available protective gear worldwide. Lendvay started this work with a $100,000 Amazon Catalyst grant and funding from an anonymous donor in Seattle.