The staff members of Shriners Hospitals for Children are always looking for ways to innovate, so they can help improve treatment options for kids and contribute to the global body of medical knowledge. This doesn’t stop during a pandemic.
Here are two examples of our innovative research efforts during this difficult time.
Dr. Bernstein models the medical mask made with face-scanning technology.
OUR PORTLAND HOSPITAL IS DEVELOPING A NEW MASK made especially for medical use. Lee Taylor, M.D., anesthesiologist at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland, has designed a 3D-printed, hard-shell N95 mask using face-scanning technology. The mask has two parts: a hard outer shell and an inner medical-grade silicone liner, which provides the fit and comfort.
Dr. Taylor is currently working on the mask’s CAD version, in which the silicone part (shown in gray) is smaller. This version is also made from a scan of the user’s face, so each one has a custom fit.
The pediatric orthotics and prosthetics (POPS) staff at the hospital have worked on construction of the mask prototype with a personalized fit, an important feature when wearing a mask during long medical procedures. Dr. Taylor and Robert Bernstein, M.D., chief of staff of the Portland Shriners Hospital, are collaborating with a consortium that includes staff of the Georgia Institute of Technology to identify filter materials to increase the protective efficiency of the mask.
The screening tool helps track symptoms of COVID-19 within the hospitals.
AN ELECTRONIC COVID-19 SYMPTOM SCREENING SURVEY TOOL was developed by Coleman Hilton, research data manager in the corporate research department at Shriners International Headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and Jeanine Ann-Marie Scholl, corporate director of nursing excellence, also at headquarters. The survey is accessible on mobile devices or desktop computers. It provides employees a daily pass or notifies leadership of reported symptoms using advanced tools for tracking data related to potential COVID-19 exposures in the workplace. The screening survey is active at headquarters and throughout our health care locations system-wide
