Amrita University has designed an ultra low-cost respiratory protection system for doctors and health workers on the frontlines. A PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator) is an air-purifying respirator that forces air through filter cartridges into the breathing zone of the person wearing the respirator. This process creates an airflow inside a loose-fitting hood, providing more protection than an N95 face mask.
A PAPR can be used for protection during healthcare procedures in which hospital staff and doctors are exposed to greater risks of airborne pathogens like COVID-19. Amrita University has designed a prototype of a hood-mounted PAPR that delivers 4 cu ft/min air into the hood. We are actively working with doctors and pulmonary experts from the Amrita Hospital to further test and refine the prototype so that frontline medical workers who are providing care for COVID-19 patients can be protected.
