Several activities are under way at LLNL to provide the medical community with additional protective measures so they can be better equipped to serve the public’s needs.
Emergency alternatives to hospital ventilators
- To address concerns about potential shortfalls in emergency room ventilators, we are actively researching and developing prototypes for how alternative equipment could be repurposed to meet excess demand. Download the COVID-19 Ventilator Brochure.
Methods for emergency cleaning and re-use of limited-supply personal protective equipment
- To address current shortfalls in new personal protective equipment, such as N95 masks and face shields, we are exploring rapid and effective decontamination procedures to enable temporary and emergency re-use of existing critical medical supplies.
- LLNL researchers have authored an accelerated publication: Quantitative form and fit of N95 filtering facepiece respirators are retained and coronavirus surrogate is inactivated after heat treatments
Rapid manufacturing capacity for critical consumable supplies to support diagnostics
- Sample collection swabs are among the scarce supplies that limit nationwide capabilities to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. LLNL is evaluating and validating multiple swab designs produced by different 3D printing approaches and materials.
- LLNL is participating in a working group of multiple other Department of Energy laboratories by using 3D printing to prototype and rapidly transition to manufacturing additional consumable components such as sample vials and replacement parts for critical equipment.