IT Sligo PPE
IT Sligo and Sligo University Hospital Working Together on Vital COVID19 Solutions.
Volunteers working hard to provide essential Personal Protective Equipment, Reagents and Ventilators to Sligo University Hospital
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IT Sligo has responded to requests from Sligo University Hospital and the HSE for support on a number of issues linked to the current COVID 19 world pandemic. With a worldwide shortage of Personal Protective Equipment, Reagents and Ventilators, volunteers from IT Sligo with partners in research and innovation has stepped-up at this hour of need.
Unprecedented decisions have been made by the Institute under requests by the HSE to respond to Covid19. The institute has recruited over 140 volunteers among its workforce to assist the HSE on clinical and administrative assistance including Contact Tracing.
The institute also offered the campus to the HSE and donated all of its PPE equipment to Sligo University Hospital.
URL: https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0403/1128390-sligo-university-reagents/
The institute also offered the campus to the HSE and donated all of its PPE equipment to Sligo University Hospital. Head of Faculty of Science at IT Sligo, Dr Jerry Bird said:
“We provided a variety of equipment including about 400 masks, 300 Forensic Science overalls, 10,000 gloves, 100 sets of lab glasses, respirators, shoe covers, full face protective visors among other Personal Protective Equipment.”
With the worldwide shortage of reagents needed for urgent testing, Sligo University Hospital turned to IT Sligo for help in producing a batch as a stop-gap before new supplies arrive.
Dr Bird said: “We received a request from Sligo University Hospital as to whether IT Sligo could provide support for the Hospital in the current crisis. They requested if we could make any of the ingredients for two vital reagents for Covid- 19 testing in stock, which are very difficult to obtain globally. There is a severe shortage of some materials for the Covid virus diagnostic test all over the world as the main suppliers run out of materials.”
With some diligent working of contacts here in Ireland including colleagues at GMIT and Athlone IT, they were able to order small quantities of the scarce materials to supply Sligo University Hospital with two of the reagents used in the testing for the virus – a Lysis Buffer and a Viral Transport Medium.
Following Centre for Disease Control procedures and in constant dialogue with the Sligo Hospital Laboratory staff, to ensure standards of quality control and good practice, the IT Sligo science staff produced a quantity of Lysis Buffer that was validated by the Hospital.
Dr Jerry Bird said; “Since then we have been supplying as much Buffer as the limited stocks will allow until more industrial quantities of the Buffer can be produced for the HSE nationally at the end of this month. We are also supplying a second reagent – a Viral Transport Medium and are awaiting results of validation on their pilot batch.”
Ventilators & PPE
A team of volunteers from the Faculties of Engineering & Design and Science have come together to build ventilators and face visors in the fight against Covid19.
A team of engineers, scientists, designers along with medical staff from Sligo University Hospital with input from partners in research, innovation & manufacturing from across the region worked collectively on producing a prototype ventilator made from parts readily available including electrical components from computers and mechanical car parts. The team of volunteers have begun production of the ventilators with targets of 5 per week in the event of growing needs during an emergency.
Úna Parsons, Head of Faculty of Engineering & Design and spokesperson for the Ventilator group said:
“Over two weeks ago Sligo University Hospital asked could we help in designing and making ventilators in case needed in an emergency situation. We put a call out to staff to get involved and the response has been fantastic.”
Many staff from IT Sligo volunteered across all disciplines and functions in the college from academic, technical, researchers, administration and has now linked in with the community and local manufacturing companies and suppliers. The Students Union are also providing support as needed.
Úna Parsons says the requests for further support are being met by the Institute and volunteers; “We are providing PPE to the hospital and local nursing homes, linking with manufacturers regarding making face shields and have set up mini production line of PPE in the college. We are also making available any argon/oxygen bottles that we can provide and we started making partitions for the hospital so they can cordon off areas. The latest request is to modify and alter gowns for both acute and community needs.
The Ventilator designed by volunteers in IT Sligo in collaboration with contacts in Limerick has gone from a rough prototype to a production unit in just over a week. This has been a steep learning curve for all involved;
“We initially made a support ventilator and now aim to make at least five per week and hopefully many more in the weeks to come. We are fortunate to be located right next door to the hospital that the intensivist has visited our workshops a few times and given inputs on the designs. We hope these may never be used and are only here as a last resort for the hospital. However, these could save lives if needed.”
The group have also produced hundreds of full-face visors, vital in the protection of front-line services over the coming weeks and months. Hundreds of these have been delivered to Health Care Workers across the Northwest region this week and will continue to do so until as long as necessary.
