Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, 3900 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
School of Dentistry, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., B-307, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Sensors (Basel). 2021 Jun 7;21(11):3928. doi: 10.3390/s21113928.
Human exposure to infectious aerosols results in the transmission of diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and COVID-19. Most dental procedures generate a significant number of aerosolized particles, increasing transmission risk in dental settings. Since the generation of aerosols in dentistry is unavoidable, many clinics have started using intervention strategies such as area-filtration units and extraoral evacuation equipment, especially under the relatively recent constraints of the pandemic. However, the effectiveness of these devices in dental operatories has not been studied. Therefore, the ability of dental personnel to efficiently position and operate such instruments is also limited. To address these challenges, we utilized a real-time sensor network for assessment of aerosol dynamics during dental restoration and cleaning producers with and without intervention. The strategies tested during the procedures were (i) local area High-Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) filters and (ii) Extra-Oral Suction Device (EOSD). The study was conducted at the University of Washington School of Dentistry using a network of 13 fixed sensors positioned within the operatory and one wearable sensor worn by the dental operator. The sensor network provides time and space-resolved particulate matter (PM) data. Three-dimensional (3D) visualization informed aerosol persistence in the operatory. It was found that area filters did not improve the overall aerosol concentration in dental offices in a significant way. A decrease in PM concentration by an average of 16% was observed when EOSD equipment was used during the procedures. The combination of real-time sensors and 3D visualization can provide dental personnel and facility managers with actionable feedback to effectively assess aerosol transmission in medical settings and develop evidence-based intervention strategies.
人类暴露于传染性气溶胶中会导致流感、结核病和 COVID-19 等疾病的传播。大多数牙科操作会产生大量气溶胶化颗粒，增加牙科环境中的传播风险。由于牙科中气溶胶的产生是不可避免的，许多诊所已经开始使用干预策略，如区域过滤单元和口腔外抽吸设备，尤其是在最近大流行的限制下。然而，这些设备在牙科治疗室中的效果尚未得到研究。因此，牙科人员有效地定位和操作这些仪器的能力也受到限制。为了解决这些挑战，我们利用实时传感器网络评估带有和不带有干预措施的牙科修复和清洁生产过程中的气溶胶动力学。在程序中测试的策略是：（i）局部区域高效空气粒子过滤器（HEPA）和（ii）口腔外抽吸设备（EOSD）。该研究在华盛顿大学牙科学院进行，使用了一个由 13 个固定传感器组成的网络，这些传感器位于治疗室内，一个可穿戴传感器由牙科操作人员佩戴。传感器网络提供时间和空间分辨的颗粒物（PM）数据。三维（3D）可视化告知了治疗室内气溶胶的持久性。研究发现，区域过滤器并没有显著改善牙科办公室的整体气溶胶浓度。当在程序中使用 EOSD 设备时，观察到 PM 浓度平均降低了 16%。实时传感器和 3D 可视化的组合可以为牙科人员和设施管理人员提供可操作的反馈，以有效地评估医疗环境中的气溶胶传播，并制定基于证据的干预策略。
