The current state of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been in need of help for a while now. The parts are complex, time consuming, and not user-friendly, which often results in reduced patient interaction while increasing exposure risk. An alternative may be on its way.
An EP teams up with a fashion designer to imagine the next phase in personal protective equipment
The current state of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been in need of help for a while now. The parts are complex, time consuming, and not user-friendly, which often results in reduced patient interaction while increasing exposure risk. An alternative may be on its way.
The prototypes have yet to be produced, but emergency physician Keith Raymond and designer Victor Stapelberg are in the process of proposing a Biosafety IV suit that will address the many weaknesses they seen in current PPE. The design – dubbed Total Personal Protective Equipment (or TPPE) – is reusable, can be donned and doffed by the individual without assistance, and minimizes exposure and time to care. It’s also designed with comfort in mind.
The use and care of the TPPE suit are designed to be self explanatory – and essentially idiot proof. Taking cues from current scuba dry suit technology, military grade materials, and existing decontamination anterooms, it’s a single garment suit. Two distinct designs are in the works.
This article originally appeared in Issue #15 of Emergency Physicians International. Read the entire article on EPI Journal.
