Design and development of a low-cost powered air-purifying respirator for frontline medical workers for COVID-19 response

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of lives around the world. The availability of personal protective equipment at a low cost has been an important factor in determining the well-being of frontline health workers who are integral to the global response to COVID-19. This paper discusses the design and development of a low-cost open-source powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) for medical professionals which costs approximately INR 10,000. We detail the assembling process for this respirator using widely available components that allows for easy scale-up and replication in any country, thereby ensuring the safety of frontline health and sanitation workers who are at an elevated risk of contracting COVID-19. We worked with doctors at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences to test the prototype for airflow under varying battery life conditions and found it to provide 10 CFM airflow (1.7 times the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) airflow requirements) for over 7 hours without any long term effects due to noise from the actuators.

Elucidating the role of environmental management of forests, air quality, solid waste and wastewater on the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2

“…Air filters have been recommended to be positioned to face less cleaner air, regularly disinfected or discarded with medical waste, replaced according to expert or manufacturer advice, and to be used with UV lamps, face masks and ventilation ( Zhao et al, 2020b ; Cilhoroz and DeRuisseau, 2021 ; Curtius et al, 2021 ; Feng et al, 2021b ; Lindsley et al, 2021 ; WHO, 2021a). HEPA filters could also be used for low-cost respirators amongst frontline workers and can function uninterruptedly for up to 8 hours ( Jayan et al, 2020 ). Concepts of the circular economy have also been adopted to develop indoor air filters with clay ( Shishkin et al, 2021 ).…”

Innovating Respirators: PPE Lessons for Global Catastrophic Biological Risks

“…53 Cheap PAPR prototypes exist in the academic literature. 54,55,56,57,58 One of the prototypes costs below USD 200 per piece, less than 15% of the price of established-brand products. As with the development of high-quality prosthetics for amputees in LMIC, 59 innovation in reusable PPE with a focus on low-budget, competitive products could be promising from a global health as well as a business perspective.…”