Barrier Tent From Medical University of Warsaw Protects Against Pathogens

And, says Dr. Marcin Kaczor, the brains behind it, the device is simple, easy to use, disposable, costs only PLN 200 and can be widely used in medical care.

He said: “The concept of creating a barrier tent was born at the Medical Simulation Centre of the Medical University of Warsaw and resulted from our experience in conducting training on the safe use of personal protective equipment.

“It is intended to be used in situations where it is not yet known if the patient has been infected with coronavirus and when the infection has already been confirmed.

'We believe that its use can be quite extensive, it can apply to both inpatient care and hospitals, including operating rooms, intensive care units, hospital emergency department, it can certainly be used in hospital transport, possibly also in computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging laboratories and, importantly, by emergency medical services.”

The tent makes it possible to perform many medical procedures, such as punctures, intubation, secure connection to a ventilator and extubation of the patient (intubation tube removal). It can also separate an infected patient from the external environment in conditions that require direct contact with his respiratory tract and aerosols in the air he exhales. This happens, for example, when the patient needs to be intubated, connected to a ventilator, during extubation and respiratory rehabilitation.

The prototype tent is made of 0.3 mm thick, high translucency film with two sleeves allowing the insertion of hands in the area of the patient's head. The sleeves are fitted with elastic tapering at the distal end and the device frame consists of two flexible roll bars on which the plastic cover with sleeves is spread. The solution is similar to that used in small tourist tents. The device also has a ground stabilizing system, which would also be a tight separation from the environment, for example adhesive tape as an integral part of the device.

Dr. Kaczor said: “The cost of producing one barrier tent is less than PLN 200. The idea is completely Polish, the devices will be sewn from Polish materials, in Polish factories. The initial order of the Ministry of Health is for 8,000 units. A similar solution is currently not available on the medical market.”

The device is intended for intensive care units, operating rooms, hospital emergency departments, Air Ambulance, ground medical rescue teams, internal and external hospital transport. (PAP)

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tr. RL