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Research Article
Rikeen D. Jobanputra
Imperial College London
Corresponding Author
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The use of close-fitting PPE is essential to prevent exposure to dispersed airborne matter, including the COVID-19 virus. The current pandemic has increased pressure on the healthcare system, leading to medical professionals using high-grade PPE for prolonged times, resulting in device-insduced skin injuries. This study focuses on computationally improving the interaction between skin and PPE to reduce the likelihood of discomfort and tissue damage. A finite element model is developed to simulate the movement of PPE against the face during day-to-day tasks. Due to limited available data on skin characteristics and how these vary interpersonally between sexes, races and ages, the main objective of this study was to establish the effects and trends that mask modifications have on the resulting subsurface strain energy density distribution in the skin. These modifications include the material, geometry and interfacial properties. Overall, the results show that skin injury can be reduced by using softer mask materials, whilst friction against the skin should be minimised, e.g. through use of micro-textures, humidity control and topical creams. Furthermore, the contact area between the mask and skin should be maximised, whilst the use of soft materials with incompressible behaviours (e.g. most elastomers) should be avoided.
Keywords
airborne matter, COVID-19 virus, PPE, micro-textures
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This preprint is available for download as a PDF.
No competing interests reported.
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at Scientific Reports.
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Posted 20 May, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 05 Jul, 2021
Reviews received
Received 21 Jun, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 07 Jun, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 04 Jun, 2021
Editor assigned
On 04 Jun, 2021
Editor invited
On 19 May, 2021
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On 18 May, 2021
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On 14 May, 2021
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See the published version of this preprint at Scientific Reports.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
Rikeen D. Jobanputra
Imperial College London
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at Scientific Reports.
Version 1
Posted 20 May, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 05 Jul, 2021
Reviews received
Received 21 Jun, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 07 Jun, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 04 Jun, 2021
Editor assigned
On 04 Jun, 2021
Editor invited
On 19 May, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 18 May, 2021
First submitted
On 14 May, 2021
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Scientific Reports.
The use of close-fitting PPE is essential to prevent exposure to dispersed airborne matter, including the COVID-19 virus. The current pandemic has increased pressure on the healthcare system, leading to medical professionals using high-grade PPE for prolonged times, resulting in device-insduced skin injuries. This study focuses on computationally improving the interaction between skin and PPE to reduce the likelihood of discomfort and tissue damage. A finite element model is developed to simulate the movement of PPE against the face during day-to-day tasks. Due to limited available data on skin characteristics and how these vary interpersonally between sexes, races and ages, the main objective of this study was to establish the effects and trends that mask modifications have on the resulting subsurface strain energy density distribution in the skin. These modifications include the material, geometry and interfacial properties. Overall, the results show that skin injury can be reduced by using softer mask materials, whilst friction against the skin should be minimised, e.g. through use of micro-textures, humidity control and topical creams. Furthermore, the contact area between the mask and skin should be maximised, whilst the use of soft materials with incompressible behaviours (e.g. most elastomers) should be avoided.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
This preprint is available for download as a PDF.
No competing interests reported.
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