N.1 Cleanroom Coverall Aseptic Donning Improvement

Project Name: Cleanroom Coverall Aseptic Donning Improvement

Background/Problem/Need:

As a part of our product portfolio, we produce sterile cleanroom products used by workers producing products in controlled environments. Within most sterile cleanroom manufacturing environments, there are many considerations taken by the workers to maintain an aseptic environment and to minimize any risk of contamination. Often, the main intention of wearing protective apparel is to protect the manufacturing environment from human contamination (hair, skin, etc.). One of the major pain points during the usage of cleanroom protective apparel is the complexity of the donning process to minimize contamination (coverall touching the floor, touching the external of the coverall, etc.). 

Sterile cleanroom coveralls are often supplied to an end-user as individually packaged coveralls that have “inside-out folding” to ensure the exterior of the garment is not touched by the user. During the donning procedure, the user has to step into the coverall, which often ends with the garment touching the ground (or ripping). There is a need to develop donning aids and/or coverall design modifications to promote ease of donning with consideration given to the existing competitive patent landscape.

Concept:

Background work: understand aseptic donning procedure and current coverall patent landscape for donning aids. 

End Goal: Design cleanroom coverall designs that support a mechanism to promote easier aseptic donning and develop cleanroom coverall prototypes for user review and additional testing.

Design considerations:

The design research should be focused on garment design and opening/closure mechanisms to promote ease of donning. The design should not contribute to a negative impact on linting (Helmke Drum Linting testing per IEST-RP-CC003). The design should not include any openings or gapping where particulates or chemicals can enter of exit.

Desired student skills:

Experience with CAD or design/drawing/simulation software. Students with medical/healthcare experience/expertise preferred but not required. 

Proposed primary major:

Biomedical engineering, Material/Polymer Science, Design

Acceptable solutions/deliverables:

A prototype with supporting data that meets the desired criteria in Design Considerations.