Enhancement to Leak Free Non-Invasive Ventilation Mask for Infectious Patients

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT A large number of patients with infectious respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and SARS require respiratory support. Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NPPV) via a mask is an appropriate treatment for many patients that can lead to better outcomes than intubation. Additionally, the equipment used for NPPV (such as CPAP machines) is widely available, making NPPV well suited for responding to outbreaks and pandemics. Unfortunately, NPPV masks increase the risk of disease transmission by spreading contaminated aerosols leaking from the mask seal. This exposes health care workers and other patients to increased risk and can hamper efforts to contain outbreaks of infectious diseases. The objective of this program is to develop an innovative NPPV patient interface that eliminates the leakage of contaminated aerosols through the mask seal. We propose to enhance Creare's novel leak-free mask technology to make it easier and more practical to use in a critical care setting. Our device will be cost effective and integrate easily with existing CPAP machines widely used in hospitals. This will enable widespread use of NPPV therapy on infectious patients while protecting health care workers and other patients. This technology will be a critical tool for treating patients while preventing the spreading of infectious respiratory diseases in a hospital setting. In the Phase I program, we will demonstrate the viability of our enhanced technology through building and testing laboratory prototypes.