A novel box for aerosol and droplet guarding and evacuation in respiratory infection (BADGER) for COVID-19 and future outbreaks
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Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected millions and killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide as of December 2020. Healthcare providers are at increased risk of infection when caring for patients with COVID-19. The mechanism of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is beginning to emerge as airborne spread in addition to direct droplet and indirect contact as main routes of transmission. Here, we report on the design, construction, and testing of the BADGER (Box for Aerosol and Droplet Guarding and Evacuation in Respiratory Infection), an affordable, scalable device that contains droplets and aerosol particles, thus minimizing the risk of infection to healthcare providers. A semi-sealed environment is created inside the BADGER, which is placed over the head of the patient and maintains at least 12-air changes per hour using in-wall vacuum suction. Multiple hand-ports enable healthcare providers to perform essential tasks on a patient’s airway and head. Overall, the BADGER has the potential to contain large droplets and small airborne particles as demonstrated by simulated qualitative and quantitative assessments to provide an additional layer of protection for healthcare providers treating COVID-19 and future respiratory contagions.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2020.05.09.20096032: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement Consent: The need for approval and consent from the Institutional Research Board of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were waived because the study was considered a quality improvement project.
IRB: The need for approval and consent from the Institutional Research Board of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were waived because the study was considered a quality improvement project.Randomization not detected. Blinding Volunteers, who have previously completed a respirator fit test and were able to detect the bitter taste, were asked by a blinded test administrator to detect any bitterness while breathing by mouth for 7 minutes while the sample was nebulized … SciScore for 10.1101/2020.05.09.20096032: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement Consent: The need for approval and consent from the Institutional Research Board of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were waived because the study was considered a quality improvement project.
IRB: The need for approval and consent from the Institutional Research Board of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were waived because the study was considered a quality improvement project.Randomization not detected. Blinding Volunteers, who have previously completed a respirator fit test and were able to detect the bitter taste, were asked by a blinded test administrator to detect any bitterness while breathing by mouth for 7 minutes while the sample was nebulized continuously into the BADGER. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Table 2: Resources
No key resources detected.
Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:There are several limitations of this study and of the BADGER. It is foreseeable that in situations involving a difficult or obstructed airway, the device could limit access to the patient. In this scenario, the device could be easily lifted up and removed to restore complete exposure. The clear polycarbonate material allows for easy visualization of the patient’s airway by the anesthesia provider, and intubation could be performed by either direct laryngoscopy or videolaryngoscopy. However, the BADGER can still make procedures more difficult in critical situations. We recommend standardized, simulated training for those who will use this device before implementing in a clinical setting. We found that most users became very comfortable after 2-3 hand-on practices. The optimal effectiveness of the box to limit aerosol dispersion is dependent on operating conditions including the flow rate of the vacuum suction and negative pressure generated. We have not tested the BADGER using portable vacuum pumps. Since portable vacuum pumps might not have a pressure regulator, thus limiting our ability to control outflow rate and prevent filter damage, this might limit the use of the BADGER to the settings where an in-wall facility-generated vacuum suction course is available. We have not extensively tested the BADGER using all tubing sizes and filter configurations at different vacuum levels. Although ideal outflow rate Q for laminar, isothermal, non-compressible gas can be estimated base...
Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
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