WARF TECHNOLOGIES

Radiology scanners have proven to be important tools in identifying and managing the treatment of patients with novel infectious diseases. When radiology scanners are used with an infected patient, the scanner itself can become a fomite, or point-source for transmission of infectious agents to other patients using the scanner. For this reason, thorough cleaning of the scanner after such patience is required. Unfortunately, cleaning of a scanner can be time-consuming, in some cases taking over one hour. This delay, preventing other use of the scanner during the cleaning process, increases medical costs and significantly reduces the availability of the radiology scanner, something that is particularly a problem in an Emergency Room (ER) setting, where immediate access to scanners can be critical. Additionally, some interventional procedures are carried out in the MR scanner, requiring sterile draping of the scanner. Existing drapes take a significant amount of manual labor and time to install and do not always stay in place well during a long procedure.

UW-Madison researchers have developed a specialized shield for radiology scanner bores employing a thin sheet of self-supporting, semi-rigid material. While thicker material of this type is not normally considered for disposable drapes, the ability to quickly and effectively place this material over the bore surfaces can make it more cost-effective than managing thinner fabric-like materials. Providing a specialized disposal bag with the shield accommodates the fact that the stiffer shield material is not as easily compacted for disposal.

For More Information About the Inventors

• Azam Ahmed

Tech Fields

• Medical Devices : Accessibility