St. Luke’s, Lehigh University collaboration results in clever, life-saving invention. BETHLEHEM, PA. - Among stories of hope, generosity and togetherness, the COVID-19 pandemic has additionally given rise to an unimaginable feat of ingenuity - the invention of the "Bug insect zapper" to sterilize masks. As hospitals and different entrance-line organizations jumped to secure giant portions of life-saving supplies and private protective equipment (PPE), there has additionally been the necessity to identify quicker, extra environment friendly methods to clean and Zappify Bug Zapper sterilize these gadgets, notably the coveted N95 masks. St. Luke’s University Health Network anesthesiologist, Christopher Roscher, MD, anticipated the need and an thought began to form. "It became clear that PPE supplies would turn out to be restricted as the virus progressed," he says. The St. Luke’s Sterile Processing Department, or SPD, is the place where all surgical and medical instruments are despatched to be meticulously cleaned, sanitized and Zappify Bug Zapper packaged for reuse. It’s a behind-the-scenes perform that's an essential a part of the health care system. "On any given day, we're processing many, many objects here at our hospital in Bethlehem," states Taylor Bennett, St. Luke’s Network Director of Sterile Processing.

"But with the present situation, there is an overwhelming need to process our employees’ PPE on a daily basis. For Dr. Roscher, a gentle went on - actually and figuratively. "I had been doing non-public research about finding ways to decontaminate masks for Zappify Bug Zapper reuse, and peer-reviewed literature suggested that, in a pandemic, UV-C mild may very well be an acceptable strategy to sterilize masks," he says. UV-C is a specific vary of UV, or ultra-violet, mild and has been shown to deactivate viruses and different pathogens by inflicting adjustments of their DNA. Through a mutual contact, Dr. Roscher acquired in touch with Nelson Tansu, PhD, Lehigh University’s Director and Endowed Chair of its Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (CPN). "What St. Luke’s was searching for was a high-throughput sterilization system," stated Dr. Tansu. The 2 organizations joined forces by way of a collection of Zoom conferences and lots of of emails, to design, fabricate, install and test the device - all inside a matter of two weeks - and all whereas maintaining social distancing protocols.

The tip end result: a method to successfully and efficiently sterilize 200 masks each eight minutes! The "Bug Zapper" in action. "Our existing units were not designed for giant-scale use. They may only sterilize about 30 masks at a time," said Eric Tesoriero, DO, anesthesiologist for St. Luke’s and a collaborator on the challenge. The unit, engineered by Lehigh students and employees and assembled at St. Luke’s by biomedical engineer Jay Johnson, has been affectionally named the "Zappify Bug Zapper Zapper" not only because of its look, however as a consequence of its COVID-killing properties. "It is incredible that this project moved at such a rapid pace," remarks Dr. Tansu. The crew ranged from PhDs to MDs and even included an unexpected contributor - Axel Tansu, Dr. Tansu’s adolescent son. In truth, it was Axel’s contribution that allowed the unit to have such a high-throughput rate. "Our unique design was cylindrical in form, to make sure even exposure of the sunshine on all surfaces," explains Dr. Tansu.

"Axel got here to me and stated, portable bug zapper rechargeable bug zapper zapper ‘Dad, what about an octagon? ’ And sure sufficient, he was right. A patent to protect the team’s intellectual design has been filed. And a celebration for the collaborators to fulfill, in-particular person, can be deliberate once it's safe to take action. Until then, the indoor bug zapper insect zapper might be arduous at work, helping to guard the frontline employees at St. Luke’s and past. This, like so many different tales, offers a ray of hope throughout the pandemic - showcasing that the human thoughts and spirit can overcome anything - particularly when working collectively for a fantastic trigger. Afterall, as the well-known philosopher Plato understood hundreds of years ago, necessity is the mother of invention. Founded in 1872, St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) is a totally integrated, Zappify Bug Zapper regional, Zappify Bug Zapper non-revenue community of more than 15,000 staff providing companies at eleven hospitals and 300 outpatient sites. With annual internet revenue higher than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes eleven counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.

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Pub: 16 Aug 2025 20:34 UTC

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