A Rapidly Deployable Negative Pressure Enclosure for Aerosol-Generating Medical Procedures

Anthony M. Chahal; Kenneth Van Dewark; Robert Gooch; Erin Fukushima; Zachary M. Hudson

The box was shaped to fit on a standard 66 cm (26 in) hospital stretcher while allowing both operators easy access to the patient. The ACE is 711 mm (28 in) wide at the patient's shoulders, comfortably accommodating a male patient with shoulder width in the 99 th percentile with space for any tubing, lines or equipment. 14 To better maintain a seal across beds of various sizes and to improve structural stability, two 12.7 cm (5 in) acrylic "feet" were attached along the bottom edge of the lateral walls of the box. The roof of the ACE was sloped to provide optimal visualization and space for intubation. There is adequate space to ramp the patient's head and shoulders to align the tragus and sternum prior to intubation. This configuration provides adequate space for manipulation of airway equipment, including suction catheters, bag-valve-masks (BVM), tubes, laryngoscopes, and a bougie. Detailed schematics may be found in the supporting information.