Negative-Pressure Dome with Flexible Flaps for Aerosol Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical procedures, such as dental work, face challenges in mitigating the spread of pathogen-carrying aerosols while maintaining access and visibility of the oral or nasal cavities, as traditional masking and social distancing are not feasible.

Innovation Solution

A negative-pressure dome with a transparent, rigid plastic domed shield, a flexible skirt, and a hose attachment port, featuring access openings and optional light sources, creates a controlled environment with negative pressure to contain aerosols while allowing unobstructed visibility and tool access, using a vacuum pump and filter arrangement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a filtering mask is worn to mitigate pathogen spread, then pathogen transmission is reduced, but access to the oral cavity is obstructed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepathogen transmissionVSAvoidaccess to oral cavity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The protective system is segmented into two separate components: a filtering mask worn by the patient to contain pathogens, and a transparent domed shield worn by the provider to protect against aerosols. This segmentation allows the patient to be protected without obstructing access to the oral cavity, as the provider can see through the transparent shield while the patient's mask handles filtration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If social distancing is implemented to mitigate pathogen spread, then pathogen transmission is reduced, but close proximity required for dental work cannot be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepathogen transmissionVSAvoiddistance between provider and patient

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A transparent domed shield acts as an intermediary barrier between the provider and patient. This shield allows close proximity to be maintained for effective dental work while physically separating the provider's breathing zone from the patient's aerosol-generating activities, thus mitigating pathogen transmission without requiring social distancing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a transparent domed shield is used to maintain visibility and access, then access to oral cavity is improved, but pathogen containment is reduced compared to full enclosure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility and accessVSAvoidpathogen containment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pathogen containment function is segmented between two components: the patient's filtering mask that contains aerosols at the source, and the provider's transparent shield that protects the provider. This segmentation allows the shield to remain transparent with access openings for visibility and tool access, while the patient's mask handles the primary containment function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of operation

If access openings are made large to improve tool access, then ease of operation is improved, but negative pressure maintenance becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool accessVSAvoidnegative pressure maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The access openings are made dynamic through the use of flexible flaps that can open and close. These flaps remain closed during normal operation to maintain negative pressure, but can be opened when tools need to pass through. This dynamic behavior allows large potential openings for tool access while maintaining pressure integrity when access is not needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively contains pathogen-carrying aerosols, providing clear visibility and access during medical procedures without obstructing the oral or nasal cavities, while ensuring the safety of personnel and environment from airborne pathogens.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNegative pressure: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

using a vacuum pump and filter arrangement

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 3

A filter arrangement at the hose attachment port prevents contamination of the parts downstream from the hose attachment port

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS20220233380A1Negative-pressure dome

Publication Date: 2022.07.28 FLEXSYS

AI summary

A negative-pressure dome includes a transparent domed shield, a flexible skirt attached to the perimeter of the domed shield, a hose attachment port formed on the domed shield; and access openings in at least one of the domed shield and the flexible skirt. The transparent domed shield consists of a clear rigid plastic. The access openings may be at least partially occluded by flexible flaps that are deflectable to increase an open cross-section of the access openings. In a first configuration, the access openings are disposed in the domed shield sized to cover a face and are sized to have a cross-section between 3 cm2 and 200 cm2. In a second configuration, the access openings are disposed in the flexible skirt and are sized to have a cross-section between 30 cm2 and 200 cm2, while the domed shield is sized to cover head and chest of a subject.