Four devices designed using engineering ingenuity to tackle COVID-19
From disinfecting robots to reusable face masks, engineering researchers are building innovative new tools and techniques to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
The projects are being funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which supports collaborative research among faculty members and industry partners.
The NSERC Alliance COVID-19 Grants have been awarded to aerospace engineering professors Kazem Fayazbakhsh and Fengfeng (Jeff) Xi, along with Xiao-Ping (Steven) Zhang and Naimul Khan of the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering.
As governments around the world try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, contact tracing has become an essential method to prevent more infections. Used by public health departments, contact tracing involves identifying people who may have come in contact with the virus and asking those individuals to self-quarantine. Khan and Dapasoft Inc. have teamed up to develop a multifunctional wristband that when paired with a smartphone, helps manage self-isolation with audible notifications and automated symptom tracking.
With innovative technology, detecting the virus in a person could be as straightforward as analyzing the sound of their breathing. Zhang and AltumView Systems Inc. are developing a COVID-19 screening method that uses microphones and an AI algorithm to analyze respiration patterns. This technique would allow large numbers of people to be screened in a short period of time.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including N95 masks, are critical for health care workers to defend themselves against the virus. However, like most PPE, N95 masks are currently designed for one-time use only. In collaboration with APC Filtration Inc., Fayazbakhsh and his team are designing and manufacturing reusable N95 face masks that can be produced in large volumes. They will also examine waste management challenges, including sterilization processes in hospitals and their effects on the mask’s structure.
As more businesses, workplaces and public spaces begin to reopen, the need to regularly clean these areas without exposing workers is crucial. To help keep workers safe while adhering to rigorous cleaning protocols, Xi and Engineering Services Inc. are designing a disinfecting robot and exploring sanitization through either blue light or heated air.