NASA joins AV task force to develop COVID-19 solutions

theavtimes.com ^ | April 19, 2020 | NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

[BenLurkin]

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center partnered with Antelope Valley Hospital, the City of Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company, and Antelope Valley College to come up with innovative ideas to solve possible shortages of critical medical equipment.

One of their first efforts was to build a prototype oxygen hood that has now proven to work for doctors at Antelope Valley Hospital. The production of 500 will begin this week at The Spaceship Company’s Faith Facility in Mojave.

The device... is an oxygen hood for COVID-19 patients exhibiting minor symptoms and will minimize the need for these patients to use ventilators. The device functions like a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to force oxygen into a patient’s low-functioning lungs.

NASA engineer Allen Parker and the team at Armstrong designed a canopy that protects health care workers by safely covering COVID-19 patients while still allowing health care providers access to the patients to provide care.

“The patient will be located inside this canopy where aerosol viral contaminants will be vacuumed out through a viral filter located within the canopy. In doing so, the health provider can freely work around the patient outside the canopy with minimal risk,” Parker said.

To learn more about NASA’s efforts to aid in the national response to COVID-19, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/coronavirus.

[rktman]

Is the requisite number of moose limbs represented?

[gibsonguy]

Who is going to do the Muslim outreach if NASA doesn’t?

[Ouchthatonehurt]

Now we're talking... ...bio hazard cleanup on aisle 30.5928° N, 114.3055° E

[Sacajaweau]

those two little tubes in the nose work just fine...and cheap. Cost please..

[null and void]

We will find
sooner or later
if Achmed’ll pray
to a glowing crater

[bigbob]

Some evidence that O2 may be the best treatment of all

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*