Additively manufactured respirators: quantifying particle transmission and identifying system-level challenges for improving filtration efficiency

Bezek, Lindsey B.; Pan, Jin; Harb, Charbel; Zawaski, Callie E.; Molla, Bemnet; Kubalak, Joseph R.; Marr, Linsey C.; Williams, Christopher B.

doi:10.1016/j.jmsy.2021.01.002

Cited by 19 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Bezek et al 21 describe a lot of flaws in their AM-made mask respirators, without any concern about possible errors during the manufacture process. Afinia H800 3D printer (Afinia, Chanhassen, USA) was used in their research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is additive manufacturing a magic bullet to resupply lacking PPE? Producing respirators and face shields during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

et al. 2021

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused an increase in the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and disruptions in production chains, resulting in an acute shortage of PPE. A possible solution to this problem was additive manufacturing (AM) technology -allowing for a quick start of the production of PPE and potentially able to meet the demand until the production is restored. In addition, AM allows for the production of PPE prototypes with potentially greater comfort of use or degree of protection. In order to assess the production of PPE in AM during the COVID-19 pandemic, previously published articles in this field were analyzed. After analyzing abstracts and full texts, 30 original works were selected from the initially collected 487 articles. Based on the analyzed literature, it was found that there are not enough studies comparing traditional and AM PPE as well as not enough comparisons of the different types of AM PPE with each other. In many cases, researchers focused only on the subjective assessment of the comfort of using PPE, without assessing their effectiveness in preventing infections. Despite that, AM has a great potential to quickly produce lacking PPE. Respirators and shields made by AM were rated by the vast majority of users as comfortable to wear. Some of the respirators could be adapted to a specific user, by designing on the basis of a face scan or after warming up the finished print and modeling the shape.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…20 Bezek et al found that the application of an epoxy sealant to the Stopgap respirator (made of polylactic acid (PLA)) increased the filtration efficiency from ~55% to a peak of ~75%. 21…”

Section: Face Mask Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is additive manufacturing a magic bullet to resupply lacking PPE? Producing respirators and face shields during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

et al. 2021

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“…© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH efficiency towards COVID-19 virus. [225] Studies that use ceramic and metal-based active materials as 3D-printing medical components have not been undertaken yet. This might be due to the high cost involved in the 3D-printing of metals.…”

Section: (11 Of 17)mentioning

confidence: 99%

3D‐Printing to Mitigate COVID‐19 Pandemic

Kumar

Pumera

2021

Adv Funct Materials

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3D-printing technology provided numerous contributions to the health sector during the recent Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several of the 3D-printed medical devices like personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators, specimen collectors, safety accessories, and isolation wards/ chambers were printed in a short time as demands for these were rising significantly. The review discusses some of these contributions of 3D-printing that helped to protect several lives during this health emergency. By enlisting some of the significant benefits of using the 3D-printing technique during an emergency over other conventional methods, this review claims that the former opens enormous possibilities in times of serious shortage of supply and exceeding demands. This review acknowledges the collaborative approaches adopted by individuals, entrepreneurs, academicians, and companies that helped in forming a global network for delivering 3D-printed medical/non-medical components, when other supply chains were disrupted. The collaboration of the 3D-printing technology with the global health community unfolds new and significant opportunities in the future.

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“…We then simulated a benchmark contact with both infectious and susceptible individuals wearing a mask. Face masks can vary in their filter efficiency (FE, the proportion of particles filtered out) (Bezek et al (2021), Drewnick et al (2021)). This depends on the materials used, among others, and can range from as low as 20% for thin acrylic to more than 95% for N95 masks or vacuum bags (Pan et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Impact Of Interventions On Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

The multi-dimensional challenges of controlling respiratory virus transmission in indoor spaces: Insights from the linkage of a microscopic pedestrian simulation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission model

Duives

Chang

Sparnaaij

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Since its introduction in December of 2019, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, has rapidly spread across the world. Whilst vaccines are being rolled out, non-pharmaceutical interventions remain the most important tools for mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Quantifying the impact of these measures as well as determining what settings are prone to instigating (super)spreading events is important for informed and safe reopening of spaces and the targeting of interventions. Mathematical models can help decipher the complex interactions that underlie virus transmission. Currently, most mathematical models developed during the COVID-19 epidemic evaluate interventions at national or subnational levels. Smaller scales of transmission, such as at the level of indoor spaces, have received less attention, despite the central role they play in both transmission and control. Models that do act on this scale use simplified descriptions of human behavior, impeding a valid quantitative analysis of the impact of interventions on transmission in indoor spaces, particularly those that aim for physical distancing. To more accurately predict the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through a pedestrian environment, we introduce a model that links pedestrian movement and choice dynamics with SARS-CoV-2 spreading models. The objective of this paper is to investigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor spaces as it arises from human interactions and assess the relative impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions thereon. We developed a world-wide unique combined Pedestrian Dynamics - Virus Spread model (PeDViS model), which combines insights from pedestrian modelling, epidemiology, and IT-design. In particular, an expert-driven activity assignment model is coupled with the microscopic simulation model (Nomad) and a virus spread model (QVEmod). We first describe the non-linear relationships between the risks of exposure to the virus and the duration, distance, and context of human interactions. We compared virus exposure relative to a benchmark contact (1.5meters for 15 minutes): a threshold often used by public health agencies to determine at risk contacts. We discuss circumstances under which individuals that adhere to common distancing measures may nevertheless be at risk. Specifically, we illustrate the stark increase in exposure at shorter distances, as well as longer contact durations. These risks increase when the infected individual was present in the space before the interaction occurred, as a result of buildup of virus in the environment. The latter is particularly true in poorly ventilated spaces and highlights the importance of good ventilation to prevent potential virus exposure through indirect transmission routes. Combining intervention tools that target different routes of transmission can aid in accumulating impact. We use face masks as an example, which are particularly effective at reducing virus spread that is not affected by ventilation. We then demonstrate the use of PeDViS using a simple restaurant case study, focussing on transmission between guests. In this setting the exposure risk to individuals that are not seated at the same table is limited, but guests seated at nearby tables are estimated to experience exposure risks that surpass that of the benchmark contact. These risks are larger in low ventilation scenarios. Lastly, we illustrate that the impact of intervention measures on the number of new infections heavily depends on the relative efficiency of the direct and indirect transmission routes considered. This uncertainty should be considered when assessing the risks of transmission upon different types of human interactions in indoor spaces. The PeDViS case study shows the multi-dimensionality of SARS-CoV-2 that emerges from the interplay of human behaviour and the spread of respiratory viruses in indoor spaces. A modelling strategy that incorporates this in risk assessments can be an important tool to inform policy makers and citizens. It can empower them to make better design and policy decisions pertaining to the most effective use of measures to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and safely open up indoor spaces.

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Additively manufactured respirators: quantifying particle transmission and identifying system-level challenges for improving filtration efficiency

Cited by 19 publications

References 38 publications

Is additive manufacturing a magic bullet to resupply lacking PPE? Producing respirators and face shields during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

Is additive manufacturing a magic bullet to resupply lacking PPE? Producing respirators and face shields during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

3D‐Printing to Mitigate COVID‐19 Pandemic

The multi-dimensional challenges of controlling respiratory virus transmission in indoor spaces: Insights from the linkage of a microscopic pedestrian simulation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission model

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