thank you for all this info @wbaker. This recent PNAS paper is another interesting read on the pandemic-associated plastic waste and its impacts: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/47/e2111530118
I share this SAEM Pulse Article as evidence to support this PPE waste thread, as well as reveal some of the awakening amongst the medical community regarding healthcare's effects on climate and vice versa.
@Patricia and @kpopovich45 Thank you for your work in this area of addressing PPE waste. I had advocated for employing reusable elastomeric respirators "officially" early in COVID, but hospitals were concerned due to potential risks of infection from the user/healthcare worker to others via the exhalation valve. @mcarney 's OSR addresses "source control" via exhalation through the filter media. The Envo mask is a NIOSH approved 1/4 face respirator that has source control. Now, the "big companies" (including 3M, MSA, GVS) have NIOSH approval for reusable elastomeric respirators with source control. Some (like Envo, MSA, GVS) employ Matt's strategy of employing the same filter(s) for inhalation and exhalation filtration (and removes the 1-way inhalation valve from their original respirators and eliminates the exhalation valve). 3M employs a different strategy: maintain original design of inhalation/exhalation valves while adding an optional exhalation filter .
Hospitals are now issuing these source control respirators, in large part due to economic considerations: in the long run, they are cheaper. I have used the MSA Advantage 290 for as long as 9 hours continuously. It is certainly more comfortable than the disposable N-95's that I have used in the past, on par with other reusable elastomeric valved respirator that I've used. Communications is a serious concern while wearing valved reusable respirators. The MSA that I use has better voice transmission than the valved respirators that I've used. The disadvantage that I've identified is that there is condensation within the mask with prolonged use. I also don't know what the implications are of exhalation on P-100 filter life.
Willie BTW: about SAEM.org
Dang, missed this; didn't realize medialab email rerouted while I was walking in the woods.
I walked another 240 miles through the WA woods in Sept, much of it burn zone.
Curious about the outcomes of this call?
We recently published an article in SAEM Pulse This group's work is featured in the article with links to several of the projects (shout out to @alfonso @jakeread @zfredin 's work) on this GitLab site. We are also attempting to start an innovations interest group within SAEM (with our UCSF colleagues from that article and others)
From pandemic to literal fires -- I've been approached with a similar question to the one that led to the formation of this group, asking about rapid-prototyping responses to help with the urgent needs of fire-fighting and fire-fighters. Given the potential overlap I'm announcing here an exploratory meeting that we're going to have 12:30P EDT Tue Sept 28 in:
meeting ID: 5596119354, password: 1234
can connect via browser: http://ng.cba.mit.edu/neil/video
or: https://zoom.us/j/5596119354
or app: https://zoom.us/download
or phone: +1 (669) 900-6833
This will present a range of requirements, and discuss potential projects.
Camron Blackburn (f8a03f43) at 12 Jul 22:04
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Zach Fredin (6d40a0f1) at 12 Jul 22:02
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Zach Fredin (75ddb8ce) at 12 Jul 21:59
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Neil Gershenfeld (0247e55a) at 24 May 12:36
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Further to last Tuesday's meeting, this event by Public Invention Lab may be of interest (I mentioned it in the discussion after Neil left)...
https://www.pubinv.org/respicon/
May 28th from 8am PDT
The conference is dedicated to the long-term relief of the COVID-19 crisis in India... "a free, 4-hour virtual mini-conference on technology and policy of free-libre open source mechanical respiration support and oxygen support, specifically in the context of COVID-19. The first track will feature demos and technical discussions aimed at the maker, engineer, and inventors, but is sure to be interesting to policy makers. The second track features policy discussions, first-hand accounts, and panels of informed experts to help us all understand how to address the global pandemic as effectively as possible".
Here is the video of today's rapid-prototyping response session: https://vimeo.com/552154065
Neil Gershenfeld (066aa1c7) at 18 May 23:46
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Neil Gershenfeld (f4b3fbc6) at 18 May 14:22
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Neil Gershenfeld (d0d740b6) at 18 May 14:17
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Neil Gershenfeld (ed2639be) at 18 May 12:43
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Reminder, we are doing a rapid-prototyping response session 10:30A EDT Tue May 18 on projects and needs in India, along with checking in on a few other topics, via:
meeting ID: 5596119354, password: 1234
can connect via browser: http://ng.cba.mit.edu/neil/video
or: https://zoom.us/j/5596119354
or app: https://zoom.us/download
or phone: +1 (669) 900-6833
Neil Gershenfeld (8a4dba84) at 17 May 11:48
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Neil Gershenfeld (ef726ac2) at 15 May 14:04
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Neil Gershenfeld (dabbe17b) at 12 May 12:13
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Neil Gershenfeld (3b31efae) at 12 May 12:09
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