RAPID: Polyelectrolyte Coatings as an Approach to Extend N95 Respirator Usage Lifespan

该项目将解决目前在2019新型冠状病毒（COVID-19）大流行前线的医疗专业人员面临的N95呼吸器口罩严重短缺的问题。该研究将利用研究人员的专业知识，开发一种简单有效的方法，以延长N95呼吸器口罩和类似个人防护设备（PPE）的使用寿命。研究人员将探索商业上可获得的聚电解质（具有重复带电单元的聚合物）作为掩模上的薄膜涂层的应用。这些涂层可以潜在地灭活包膜病毒，如SARS-COV-2，增加对病毒颗粒渗透的屏障，并在基于溶剂的灭菌方案后保持性能完整性。一个独立的实验室将根据美国国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）N95标准评估改良后口罩的性能。临床专业人员在山。纽约市的西奈医学院目前是感染率最高的地区，该学院将测试原型口罩，并与调查人员合作完善涂层程序。该项目的成果将是使用无毒成分的涂层协议，最终用户可以在医院环境中应用于采购的口罩。调查结果将通过预印本服务器、开放科学框架等公共存储库和社交媒体平台立即向公众提供。因此，社会可以共同努力，减轻PPE短缺的影响，并尽量减少通过临床医生-患者接触的进一步感染。该项目的总体目标是开发一种简单有效的后处理步骤，以涂覆制造的非织造聚丙烯材料，例如，N95口罩过滤器，在消毒液中。预期这将赋予薄的、均匀的保形涂层，其表现出半永久性电荷。该涂层将延长现有医疗PPE用品的使用寿命，使使用共同的消毒程序。防病毒涂层还可以通过增强材料过滤效率和/或提供新的抗病毒活性来增强PPE的保护能力。研究人员将评估和优化涂层程序，医疗保健人员可以直接应用于使用商品聚合物获得的PPE。将探索在涂层中掺入烷基卤化物和聚合物交联以产生高功能和弹性涂层。扫描电子显微镜将用于表征涂层均匀性、材料纤维结构的变化和所得孔径分布。将通过测量面罩的空气渗透来评估聚合物涂层后的透气性，并将通过使用模型生物安全性II级包膜病毒的细胞病变和空斑形成试验来研究病毒灭活能力。一个独立的商业实验室将进行NIOSH认证前测试，以评估相对于N系列呼吸器标准的颗粒过滤。在Mt的伙伴。西奈伊坎医学院将在真实的时间内测试和实施原型流程，以解决PPE短缺问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will address the critical shortage of N95 respirator masks currently facing medical professionals at the front lines of the evolving novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The research will leverage the expertise of the investigators to develop a simple and effective approach for extending the usable life of N95 respirator masks and similar personal protective equipment (PPE). The investigators will explore the application of commercially available polyelectrolytes (a polymer with a repeating charged unit) as thin film coatings on the masks. These coatings can potentially deactivate enveloped viruses such as SARS-COV-2, increase the barrier to penetration by viral particles, and maintain performance integrity after solvent-based sterilization protocols. An independent laboratory will evaluate the performance of the modified masks relative to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) N95 standards. Clinical professionals at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, a region currently battling the highest infection rate, will test prototype masks and work with the investigators to perfect the coating procedure. The outcome of the project will be a coating protocol that uses non-toxic components and can be applied by end users in a hospital setting on procured masks. Findings will be made immediately accessible to the public through pre-print servers, public repositories such as the Open Science Framework, and social media platforms. Accordingly, society can work together to mitigate the impact of the PPE shortage and minimize further infections through clinician-patient contacts. The overall goal of the project is to develop a simple and effective post-processing step to coat manufactured nonwoven polypropylene materials, e.g., N95 mask filters, in polyelectrolyte solutions. This is expected to impart a thin, uniform conformal coating exhibiting a semi-permanent charge. The polyelectrolyte coating will extend the usable life of existing medical PPE supplies by enabling use of common sterilization procedures. The polyelectrolyte coating may also augment the protective capabilities of PPE by enhancing material filtering efficiency and/or providing novel antiviral activity. The investigators will evaluate and optimize a coating procedure that healthcare personnel can directly apply to acquired PPE using commodity polymers. Incorporation of alkyl halides in the coating and polymer cross-linking will be explored to yield highly functional and resilient coatings. Scanning electron microscopy will be used to characterize coating uniformity, changes to material fiber structure, and resulting pore size distribution. Breathability after polymer coating will be assessed by measuring air permeation through the mask, and viral deactivation capabilities will be investigated through cytopathic and plaque formation assays with a model Biosafety Level II enveloped virus. An independent commercial laboratory will conduct NIOSH pre-certification testing to assess particle filtration relative to N-series respirator standards. Partners at the Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine will test and implement prototypical processes in real time to resolve the PPE shortage.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.