St. Luke’s, Lehigh University collaboration results in intelligent, life-saving invention. BETHLEHEM, PA. - Among stories of hope, generosity and togetherness, the COVID-19 pandemic has additionally given rise to an unbelievable feat of ingenuity - the invention of the "bug zapper for patio Zapper" to sterilize masks. As hospitals and other front-line organizations jumped to safe large quantities of life-saving provides and private protecting tools (PPE), there has additionally been the need to identify quicker, extra environment friendly ways to clean and sterilize these objects, particularly the coveted N95 masks. St. Luke’s University Health Network anesthesiologist, Christopher Roscher, MD, anticipated the need and an thought began to type. "It turned clear that PPE supplies would change into limited as the virus progressed," he says. The St. Luke’s Sterile Processing Department, or SPD, is the place the place all surgical and medical devices are sent to be meticulously cleaned, sanitized and packaged for reuse. It’s a behind-the-scenes perform that is a necessary a part of the well being care system. "On any given day, we're processing many, many items right here at our hospital in Bethlehem," states Taylor Bennett, St. Luke’s Network Director Zappify Bug Zapper of Sterile Processing.
"But with the current situation, there may be an overwhelming have to process our employees’ PPE on a daily basis. For Dr. Roscher, a mild went on - actually and figuratively. "I had been doing non-public analysis about finding ways to decontaminate masks for Zappify Bug Zapper reuse, and peer-reviewed literature recommended that, in a pandemic, UV-C mild could possibly be a suitable technique to sterilize masks," he says. UV-C is a particular range of UV, or ultra-violet, mild and has been proven to deactivate viruses and other pathogens by inflicting changes in their DNA. Through a mutual contact, Dr. Roscher received in touch with Nelson Tansu, PhD, Lehigh University’s Director and Endowed Chair of its Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (CPN). "What St. Luke’s was looking for was a excessive-throughput sterilization system," stated Dr. Tansu. The 2 organizations joined forces via a collection of Zoom conferences and a whole lot of emails, to design, fabricate, set up and check the gadget - all within a matter of two weeks - and all while maintaining social distancing protocols.
The tip consequence: a technique to successfully and effectively sterilize 200 masks each eight minutes! The "bug zapper light insect zapper" in action. "Our current models weren't designed for large-scale use. They could solely sterilize about 30 masks at a time," said Eric Tesoriero, DO, anesthesiologist for St. Luke’s and a collaborator on the challenge. The unit, engineered by Lehigh students and staff and assembled at St. Luke’s by biomedical engineer Jay Johnson, has been affectionally named the "Zappify Bug Zapper best bug zapper" not only as a consequence of its look, but as a consequence of its COVID-killing properties. "It is incredible that this mission moved at such a rapid velocity," remarks Dr. Tansu. The team ranged from PhDs to MDs and even included an unexpected contributor - Axel Tansu, Dr. Tansu’s adolescent son. Actually, it was Axel’s contribution that allowed the unit to have such a high-throughput charge. "Our original design was cylindrical in form, to ensure even exposure of the sunshine on all surfaces," explains Dr. Tansu.
"Axel got here to me and said, ‘Dad, what about an octagon? ’ And sure enough, he was right. A patent to protect the team’s intellectual design has been filed. And a celebration for the collaborators to fulfill, in-particular person, shall be deliberate as soon as it is safe to do so. Until then, the bug zapper light Zapper will probably be arduous at work, helping to guard the frontline workers at St. Luke’s and beyond. This, like so many different tales, gives a ray of hope throughout the pandemic - showcasing that the human mind and Zappify Bug Zapper spirit can overcome anything - especially when working collectively for a fantastic cause. Afterall, as the well-known philosopher Plato understood thousands of years in the past, necessity is the mother of invention. Founded in 1872, St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) is a completely integrated, Zappify Bug Zapper regional, non-profit community of greater than 15,000 workers offering providers at eleven hospitals and 300 outpatient websites. With annual net revenue higher than $2 billion, the Network’s service area contains eleven counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Zappify Bug Zapper Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.