ILC Dover has expedited the regulatory approval and manufacturing processes of a new Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) hood designed for healthcare workers attending to patients with COVID-19. The new infectious disease hood called Sentinel EZ BioHood is available for purchase.
In response to the severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to hospitals and frontline healthcare workers contending with the fast-spreading infectious disease, ILC Dover expedited the design, development, and manufacture of Sentinel EZ BioHood. The accelerated process was made possible by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which stepped up in a major way, expediting their typical month-long regulatory approval process to one week for the hood.
Sentinel EZ BioHood is NIOSH-approved as a loose-fitting hood designed to work with ILC Dover's Sentinel XL blower system. It features an Assigned Protection Factor (APF) of 1,000.
When compared to N-95 masks which offer an APF of 10, Sentinel EZ BioHood provides 100x the protection, providing wearers with superior respiratory protection.
In further contrast to N-95 masks, Sentinel EZ BioHood is supplied with clean filtered air, can be worn comfortably for long periods of time, and provides exceptional visibility, enabling healthcare workers to provide effective and continued care to patients.
"The team at ILC Dover, with critical support from NIOSH, has been working tirelessly to complete the regulatory approval and development processes of the Sentinel EZ BioHood, striving to provide relief to healthcare workers on the frontlines as quickly as possible," said Fran DiNuzzo, President and CEO at ILC Dover. "A core goal at ILC Dover is to safeguard people from hazardous conditions, so as a company, mobilising to develop and provide PPE solutions is our responsibility. But as individuals with an inherent desire to help others, working relentlessly to complete this development was an act of passion."
Unique features of Sentinel EZ BioHood make it effective, comfortable, practical. The hood's design is intuitive to use, compact to store, and workers do not need to be fit-tested to wear it effectively. The design provides comfort and visibility, plus allows for a stethoscope to be worn simultaneously with the hood. Other features include an internal head band, wrap-around clear visor, loose-fitting neck cuff, and lay-flat hood design/2D.