Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Colombian Ministry of Science and Technology launched the call for research proposals MinCienciatón. The call invited researchers in different fields, including epidemiology and biomedical design, to present solutions that help mitigate the health emergency produced by the fast spread of the virus worldwide. Among other subjects of interest, the call encouraged researchers to present ideas for the isolation of infected patients and the protection of medical staff. In this context, the LAB[1] was selected to design and produce a Portable Epidemiological Isolation Unit. Product of the laboratory’s research in polyhedral geometry and ephemeral architecture, we designed a pneumatic structure which permits the treatment of infected patients in aseptic and well ventilated spaces – as well as the isolation of medical staff and equipment. In the event that the health system becomes saturated, the Portable Epidemiological Isolation Unit will allow the sanitary authorities to expand its hospital capacity when needed. It will also permit the installation of field hospitals in isolated areas of the national territory that do not count with the necessary infrastructure to cope with the sanitary crisis. [1] In compliance with the blind evaluation policy of the journal, this proposal does not mention the name of the laboratory in question nor its institutional bond.
Highlights
According to the information provided by the Ministry of Health (2020), the Colombian government established a four-phase strategy to respond to the contingency produced by the Covid-19 pandemic
The third and fourth phases correspond to critical situations, in which it is expected that the health system will become saturated, and patients will have to be treated in provisional facilities adapted to cope with the contingency
In response to the call MinCienciatón for research proposals launched in march 2020 by the Ministry of Science and Technology, we proposed the design and production of a Portable Epidemiological Isolation Unit
Summary
According to the information provided by the Ministry of Health (2020), the Colombian government established a four-phase strategy to respond to the contingency produced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking into account the aforementioned context, it is very likely that at some point of the sanitary crisis the health authorities will have to adapt large covered areas (sports centers, exposition halls, warehouses, etc.) to create temporary care centers In such spaces, it will be crucial to guarantee the appropriate spatial and functional conditions to treat infected patients and to prevent the spread of the virus. These features of the proposed system are of particular interest in the current context because they allow for an expedite and low-cost manufacturing process, a simple assembly procedure that does not require specialized workforce for installation and maintenance, and the possibility to transport the isolation units to any place within the national territory. We will present the project’s background, the design methodology and concepts underlying the development of PEIU, its materialization process, and the preliminary results and conclusions of production of the system
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