Design and development of a PPE-assisted removal device for enhanced infection control in healthcare settings

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for effective infection control measures, particularly for healthcare professionals who are at high risk of exposure. This study presents the design and development of a personal protective equipment (PPE)-assisted removal device aimed at minimizing contamination risks during the removal process. The device integrates a motor-driven folding mechanism and a negative pressure adsorption system to automate PPE removal, thereby reducing direct contact between healthcare workers and contaminated surfaces. Experimental results showed that the device significantly reduced contamination rates across key body areas compared to manual methods, with hand contamination dropping from 9.37 to 1.88% and forearm contamination decreasing from 7.12 to 1.21%. Testing parameters included fluorescent agent simulations and evaluations of infection rates on various body parts. The findings support the adoption of PPE-assisted removal devices in healthcare settings as a critical tool for enhancing infection control and protecting healthcare workers. Medical protective clothing effectively isolates viruses and bacteria, significantly reducing the risk of infection. In the current medical environment, there is still great potential for the application of medical protective clothing, especially in the protection against specific infectious diseases and high-risk medical procedures. The achievements in this paper were discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic when, under extremely high infectious disease protection requirements, the project team members, based on practical experiences from repeatedly donning and doffing protective clothing, identified the problem. The demand is real and urgent, aiming to solve the issue of cross-contamination during the process of donning and doffing protective clothing. The paper proposes the innovative method of "removing the cap vertically first, followed by fanning the cap, and removing the cap and chest flap together." This method effectively resolves the issue of cross-contamination caused by the rebound of the brim of the cap and the chest flap during the removal process. This paper introduces an automated assistive device for the removal of protective clothing, which effectively addresses difficulties arising from unskilled movements or excessive body size, making the removal process challenging. The device has been verified to improve the removal process. The device is cost-effective, easy to deploy, and holds significant potential for production and widespread adoption.