January 31, 2021 — The celebration of UP Manila’s Science and Technology Week 2020 featured the technologies developed by the UP Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory (SIBOL) in a forum held on December 7, 2020. SIBOL is a collaboration of not only multidisciplinary fields but of different UP campuses and other stakeholders to develop technologies that improve patient outcomes. 

In her opening remarks, Chancellor Carmencita Padilla said that the need for locally-made devices cannot be overemphasized for more accessibility to hospitals in the country.

UP College of Medicine Dean Charlotte Chiong, for her part, took this initiative as her administration’s flagship program with a 190-million grant from DOST-PCHRD. With the country’s frantic call to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, SIBOL quickly rose to the occasion and by March 22-23, 2020, it became the UP SIBOL-COVID Task Force.

With a renewed sense of mission, the program focused on three aspects— Protect, Disinfect, and Distance. Soon enough, new projects quickly blossomed to fill the gap between what the country needed and the lack of resources available at hand.

Here are the SIBOL COVID-19 projects presented during the first part of the forum: 

Personal Protective Equipment Projects
Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) by Dr. Samuel M. Grozman, Dr. Eng. Magdaleno R. Vasquez, Jr., and Engr. Miguel O. Aljibe, MD. This is a closed loop air purifying system with multiple sensors to monitor the user. They identified that existing respirators in the market were expensive, of high maintenance, and had issues with communication. Also, most PAPR in the market are open-loops or not adjustable and only provide filtered airflow. The SIBOL design is a closed-loop system that provides not only filtered air but also adjustable settings for more comfort and adequate airflow. 

PPE: Reusable Face Masks by Dr. Manuel C. Jorge II and Engr. Leslie Joy L. Diaz. The project’s goal is to produce a commercially viable mask that is certified to be of N-95 quality that fits the Filipino face and is ergonomic, reusable, and biodegradable. In collaboration with the UP Diliman College of Engineering’s Department of Mining and Metrological and Materials Engineering, they developed the biodegradable nonwoven nanofiber membrane. The UPD College of Fine Arts’ Department of Visual Communication designed the masks while the College of Medicine and PGH, the end-user of the masks, were tasked with field testing. The project has been approved by DOST-PCHRD for funding while the UP Manila Ethics Board has given its technical approval for the project. 

Disinfection Projects
Cleanintubate by Dr. Catherine S. Co, Dr.
Ma. Teresita B. Aspi, Engr. Jason Pechardo, and Engr. Eduardo R. Magdaluyo, Jr. This is an economical and less laborious way to disinfect a laryngoscope used for intubating a patient which is a high-risk activity for aerosol generation and virus transmission. More so, the laryngoscope is a critical equipment that requires a very high level of disinfection. The tedious process of cleaning and disinfection puts the medical personnel at great risk of contamination. Available disinfecting no-touch systems in the market are very expensive. Cleanintubate is a minimal touch design, automated, and triggered only by a single touch.

PPE Disinfection by Dr. Emmanuel P. Estrella, Dr. Eng. Magdaleno R. Vasquez, Jr., and Mark D. Ilasin. This project was also borne out of the shortage of masks for healthcare workers (HCWs). The team’s first prototype was a clear decontamination oven equipped with ultraviolet C and hydrogen peroxide vaporizer. Post-decontamination viability tests such as physical and chemical changes, filtering capacity, and fit test were conducted. What is very promising with this decontamination oven is its usefulness in disinfecting overalls, goggles, face shields, and other instruments. 

Telemonitoring Projects
E-Steth by Dr. Michelle Cristine B. Miranda and Engr. Charlestone M. Ambatali. An acoustic stethoscope is fundamental and imperative in diagnosing patients, but HCWs had to stop using this instrument as it requires physical contact between the patient’s chest and the HCW’s ears which may compromise the integrity of the hazmat suit. A commercial solution is an electronic stethoscope that  is expensive (with a price range of P40,000-50,000). The home-grown E-steth is a cost-effective hybrid of acoustic
and electronic stethoscope that can still deliver the same efficacy as the high-end product. 

Customized Pillow for Pregnant Patients with COVID-19 SARS Infection by Dr. Maria Antonia Habana, Engr. Louis Danao, Dr Julieta Germar, Dr. Angela Aguilar, Dr. Ruth Padua, and Dr. Albert Albay. This project was inspired by a pregnant COVID-19 patient admitted to PGH. Due to her big breasts and abdomen, the team of healthcare workers had a difficult time putting her in a prone position after intubation. The team had to stack pillows to protect her belly. Thus, the specialized pillow was created to allow for a comfortable and safe prone position for pregnant women. A second prototype has already been evaluated by simulation and will soon undergo proof of concept testing.

January Kanindot

Published in UP Manila Healthscape Special COVID-19 Issue No. 22