Coronavirus and Innovation

The coronavirus is one of the most serious and dangerous pandemics in recent history. For most of the population, people can stay safe by self-isolating and practicing social distancing to minimize the risk of coming into contact with a carrier of the virus. However, the people on the front line- medical workers, first responders, essential workers- don’t have that luxury. They put themselves in danger almost constantly to help others, protected by a dwindling supply of face masks, face shields, and respirators. This problem, that of an increasing lack of protective supplies, is one that needs to be solved quickly and effectively, and a number of innovators in various fields have taken up this challenge, coming up with creative solutions. While the manufacturing part of these designs is a little trickier to solve (it needs to be as rapid as possible and requires mass supplies), the thinking and ideas behind them are important steps forward.

One of the premier figures innovating to create better protection for healthcare workers is Helpful Engineering. This organization is volunteer-based, with 3,400 engineers, scientists, and doctors worldwide helping come up with devices and products to fight the virus. Whether their solutions involve 3D-printed and laser-cut masks and shields or origami-style foldable products, websites or ventilators, they are continuously trying to find ways to help combat Covid-19 and keep people safe. The efforts come from outside of the non-profit area as well, as universities such as Georgia Tech are focusing heavily on researching and innovating products to fight the spread of the virus. Similar to Helpful Engineering’s work, Georgia Tech is also developing cheap and accessible medical devices, with open-source designs meant to increase the speed of production. To date, they have been focused on face shields, producing upwards of a thousand shields, but also have been trying to figure out ways to more easily produce hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, respirator masks, and ventilators. A part of this challenge is the depleted supply chain of equipment and materials for the products that the Georgia Tech team are trying to make, but they are working around that by trying to find alternatives and creating a website to quantify their needs and ask for materials (https://pwp.gatech.edu/rapid-response/). One problem that both of these organizations face is that of safety. Obviously, the mass production of masks and shields would be helpful, but without the proper safety certificates and assurances, they would be rendered useless and even harmful. Although there have been some changes in the standards required of medical products, these teams are both working the the CDC and FDA on creating the most effective devices possible. As soon as these innovators can come up with effective solutions for the lack of health care gear, the people on the front line will be greatly benefitted and will be better equipped to fight the virus and help people.

Source:

https://www.controleng.com/articles/universities-developing-diy-medical-devices-ppe-to-combat-coronavirus-spread/

https://gatech.edu

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007046207/coronavirus-innovative-equipment.html