SCREENswitch: Switchable Opacity Patient Isolation Systems Phase 2

新冠肺炎疫情已使社交距离成为医院的强制性行为。医护人员目前正在采取一系列措施来应对这一问题，包括卫生的隔断屏障。然而，这些屏幕要么完全不透明，要么完全透明，这是有限的。当患者需要隐私时，需要不透明的屏幕，但医院工作人员也需要看到患者，以便监控他们的健康状况。同样重要的是，患者能够看到他们病房的其他部分，而不是感到与世隔绝；这对心理健康的负面影响已经有了很好的记录(德克萨斯A&M大学)。为了应对这一挑战，一些医院使用一次性窗帘。但窗帘作为感染控制屏障是不够的，92%的窗帘在安装后一周内检测出污染阳性。此外，NHS医院使用的90%窗帘是由一次性聚丙烯制成的，每隔几个月就会被焚烧或填埋，这会破坏环境。SCREENSwitch以卫生、可伸缩的隔断屏幕的形式提供了一个集成的解决方案，只需按一下按钮就可以改变不透明度。SCREENSwitch利用尖端智能胶片技术，是一种有效的感染控制措施，让患者在隐私或可见性之间做出选择。作为一种多用途屏幕，它承诺比其他感染控制替代品对环境的影响更小。KuickScreen在设计和制造便携式、可伸缩的隔断屏幕方面拥有10多年的经验，主要用于医疗保健环境，销售到NHS的每一个信托机构。在该项目的第一阶段，我们证明了使用智能薄膜技术制造可伸缩屏幕是可行的。在第二阶段，我们将专注于五个主要技术领域：材料测试和开发、原型开发、医院内测试、制造工艺设计和环境影响评估。到这一阶段结束时，SCREENSwitch将准备好商业化并在医院使用。

The COVID-19 pandemic has made social distancing mandatory in hospitals. Healthcare staff are currently utilising a number of measures to answer to this, including hygienic partition screens. However, these screens are limited by being either solely opaque or solely transparent. Opaque screens are needed when a patient requires privacy, but hospital staff also need visibility over the patient in order to monitor their wellbeing. It's also crucial for the patient to be able to see the rest of their ward and not feel secluded; the negative mental health consequences of which have been well documented (Texas A&M University).To meet this challenge, some hospitals use disposable curtains. But curtains are not sufficient as an infection control barrier, with 92% of curtains testing positive for contamination within 1 week of being put in place. Furthermore, 90% of curtains used in NHS hospitals are made of disposable polypropylene, disposed of by incineration or landfill every few months, which damages the environment.SCREENswitch provides an integrated solution to all of these challenges in the form of a hygienic, retractable partition screen that can change opacity at the touch of a button. Harnessing cutting-edge smart film technology, SCREENswitch is an effective infection control measure that gives patients the choice over privacy or visibility. As a multi-use screen, it promises to be less impactful on the environment than other infection control alternatives.KwickScreen has over 10 years experience in designing and manufacturing portable, retractable partition screens, predominantly for healthcare environments, with sales to every NHS trust. In Phase 1 of the project, we proved that it was feasible to make a retractable screen using smart film technology. In Phase 2, we'll be focusing on five main technical areas: material testing and development, prototype development, in-hospital testing, manufacturing process design, and environmental impact assessment. By the end of this phase, SCREENswitch will be ready for commercialisation and use in hospitals.