De novo Powered Air-Purifying Respirator Design and Fabrication for Pandemic Response

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Public Health
• Open-Source Technology

Background:

• COVID-19 highlighted critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs).
• Limited information on PAPR design and performance criteria hindered the development of alternative supply sources.
• The Greater Boston Pandemic Fabrication Team (PanFab) aimed to address these challenges through open-source product development.

Approach:

• Designed and prototyped modular PAPR components, including filter cartridges and blower units.
• Developed two distinct designs: a fully custom version and one utilizing commercially available variants.
• Validated engineering performance and safety using NIOSH-equivalent tests and conducted user testing with clinical and research staff.

Key Points:

• The PanFab Custom PAPR received high user ratings (4-5/5) for comparison to existing PPE, clinical security, and comfort.
• Alternative designs incorporating commercial components also performed favorably (3-5/5).
• Engineering tests and user feedback confirmed the PanFab designs as viable alternatives offering improved comfort, mobility, and security.

Conclusions:

• Open-source development of PAPRs can enable alternative supply chains and foster innovation in respiratory protection.
• The PanFab PAPR designs present a promising solution for enhancing protection during medical emergencies.
• A nonrestrictive licensing model encourages broader adoption and further development of respiratory protection technologies.