Surgical helmets can be converted into efficient disinfectable powered air-purifying respirators

Area of Science:

• Medical device engineering
• Respiratory protection technology
• Infection control

Background:

• Filtering facepiece respirators (FFPs) often lack adequate protection due to poor fit.
• Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) present challenges for healthcare personnel (HCP) regarding design and disinfection.
• Surgical helmets (SH) offer no respiratory protection, and previous modifications have not met safety standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a filter adaptor to transform surgical helmets into efficient, safe, and disinfectable PAPRs.
• To enhance respiratory protection for HCP in healthcare environments.
• To improve preparedness for events requiring advanced respiratory protection.

Main Methods:

• Investigated total inward leakage of particles, CO2 concentrations, intra-helmet differential pressure, and automated disinfection.
• Evaluated performance against regulatory requirements.
• Tested filter durability through 50 sterilization cycles.

Main Results:

• Achieved average total inward leakage of 0.005% and 0.01% in independent tests.
• Observed lower CO2 concentrations compared to original SH.
• Demonstrated positive differential pressure and maintained filter performance after repeated sterilization.

Conclusions:

• Modified SH effectively function as safe, efficient, and disinfectable PAPRs.
• The enhanced PAPRs are suitable for HCP, particularly in operating rooms.
• This modification offers a viable solution for future respiratory protection needs.