Mobile Clinic with PPE Verification and Segmented Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 2014-2015 West African Ebola outbreak highlighted operational challenges such as inadequate medical facilities, lack of trained personnel, and cumbersome personal protective equipment (PPE), making it difficult to control the infection effectively.
Innovation Solution
A mobile clinic system comprising an intermodal container with a partition wall and access control device to verify PPE donning, along with computing devices for data management and training programs, collapsible structures for quick deployment, and a solar purification system for water treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional medical facilities are used during Ebola outbreaks, then patient treatment can be provided, but infection control becomes difficult and personnel safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile clinic is divided into distinct functional zones (treatment room, anteroom, buffer zone) separated by partition walls and air curtains. This segmentation allows independent control of air flow and infection risk in each zone, enabling effective infection control while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
An anteroom serves as an intermediary space between the treatment room and the external environment. This buffer zone with air curtains and controlled access prevents direct transmission of pathogens, enhancing infection control without requiring complex facility designs.
2Reliability
If comprehensive infection control procedures are implemented, then patient safety is improved, but operational efficiency decreases due to cumbersome procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-sterilizes medical supplies and prepares the treatment environment before patient arrival. Personal protective equipment is donned in the anteroom before entering the treatment room, and air curtains are activated in advance. These preliminary actions ensure patient safety while streamlining operations during actual treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile clinic incorporates self-sterilizing capabilities through UV-C lighting and automated air purification systems that operate autonomously between patient visits. This reduces the manual labor required for infection control while maintaining high safety standards.
3Reliability
If fixed medical facilities are constructed, then comprehensive treatment capabilities are achieved, but deployment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile clinic transitions from a static, fixed facility concept to a dynamic, deployable structure. The intermodal container design allows the clinic to be transported to outbreak locations and quickly assembled, providing comprehensive treatment capabilities within hours rather than months, while maintaining reliability through controlled environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile clinic integrates multiple functions (patient treatment, supply storage, waste management, personnel changing) into a single intermodal container. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple separate facilities, reducing deployment time while maintaining comprehensive treatment capabilities.
4Reliability
If personal protective equipment is made more protective, then personnel safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anteroom is specifically designed with local quality features including air curtains, controlled lighting, and designated donning areas. This localized optimization provides enhanced protection at the critical interface between safe and contaminated zones, while keeping PPE procedures manageable through clear spatial organization and visual guides.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the invention provides a mobile clinic including: an intermodal container defining at least a first opening and a second opening; a partition wall located within the intermodal container, the partition wall separating the intermodal container into an anteroom and a treatment room; and an access control device programmed to prevent passage from the anteroom into the treatment room until a user's donning of personal protective equipment is verified. Another aspect of the invention provides a collapsible structure including: a rigid base; a rigid roof; one or more collapsible walls extending between the floor and the base; and an erector system comprising four cross-bars. Another aspect of the invention provides a crate including: a bottom panel; a top panel; and a plurality of walls, wherein at least two of said plurality of wails including one or more conduits.