Tan Justin Kok Soon, Song Shang Wei, Zeng Jialiu, Lo Chih Hung
Department of Biomedical Engineering National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore.
The N.1 Institute for Health National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore.
Bioeng Transl Med. 2022 Sep 29;8(5):e10411. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10411.
In COVID-19, fomite transmission has been shown to be a major route for the spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to its ability to remain on surfaces for extended durations. Although glove wearing can mitigate the risk of viral transmission especially on high touch points, it is not prevalent due to concerns on diversion of frontline medical resources, cross-contamination, social stigma, as well as discomfort and skin reactions derived from prolonged wearing. In this study, we developed FlexiPalm, a hand-targeted auxiliary personal protective equipment (PPE) against fomite transmission of viruses. FlexiPalm is a unique palmar-side hand protector designed to be skin-conforming and transparent, fabricated from medical-grade polyurethane transparent film material as a base substrate. It serves primarily as a barrier to microbial contamination like conventional gloves, but with augmented comfort and inconspicuousness to encourage a higher public adoption rate. Compared to conventional glove materials, FlexiPalm demonstrated enhanced mechanical durability and breathability, comparable hydrophobicity, and displayed a minimal adsorption of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and virus-like particles (VLP). Importantly, FlexiPalm was found to bind significantly less viral protein and VLP than artificial human skin, confirming its ability to reduce viral contamination. A pilot study involving participants completing activities of daily living showed a high level of comfort and task completion, illustrating the usability and functionality of FlexiPalm. Moreover, we have demonstrated that surface modification of FlexiPalm with microtextures enables further reduction in viral adsorption, thereby enhancing its functionality. An effective implementation of FlexiPalm will bolster PPE sustainability and lead to a paradigm shift in the global management of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in general.
在新冠疫情中，由于严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）病毒能够在物体表面长时间存活，经物体表面传播已被证明是该病毒传播的主要途径。尽管佩戴手套可以降低病毒传播风险，尤其是在高频接触点上，但由于担心一线医疗资源的分流、交叉污染、社会污名化，以及长时间佩戴带来的不适和皮肤反应，手套的佩戴并不普遍。在本研究中，我们开发了FlexiPalm，一种针对手部的辅助个人防护装备（PPE），用于防止病毒通过物体表面传播。FlexiPalm是一种独特的手掌侧手部保护器，设计成贴合皮肤且透明，以医用级聚氨酯透明薄膜材料为基础基材制成。它主要起到与传统手套类似的微生物污染屏障作用，但具有更高的舒适度和不显眼性，以鼓励更高的公众采用率。与传统手套材料相比，FlexiPalm表现出更强的机械耐久性和透气性、相当的疏水性，并且对SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白和病毒样颗粒（VLP）的吸附极少。重要的是，发现FlexiPalm与人工皮肤相比，结合的病毒蛋白和VLP明显更少，证实了其减少病毒污染的能力。一项涉及参与者完成日常生活活动的初步研究显示出高度的舒适度和任务完成度，说明了FlexiPalm的可用性和功能性。此外，我们已经证明，对FlexiPalm进行微纹理表面改性能够进一步降低病毒吸附，从而增强其功能。FlexiPalm的有效应用将增强个人防护装备的可持续性，并总体上导致全球新冠疫情及其他传染病管理的范式转变。
