A new design for protecting medical personnel has been developed by a professor at Northern Michigan University.
Human-centered design professor Peter Pless and emergency medicine physician Dr. Scott Hagle led a team from the Upper Peninsula Health System-Marquette and the community on the work.
The result is a clear plastic canopy that goes over the patient in a hospital bed, with openings to allow medical staff access to the patient.
“Dr. Hagle explained to me that even though patients may be sedated, they can still have a cough reflex that disperses particulates into the air and onto surfaces,” Pless is quoted in a release from NMU.
The campus studio Pless runs is producing about 21 canopies using stock material and cutting tools.
“It’s amazing to see our community and our various interests and abilities come together in such a short time to help us protect patients and staff during such difficult times,” Hagle and Pless said.
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