Hospital trust becomes first to introduce pioneering respirator hoods for staff treating coronavirus patients

H
hoods corridor cropped

University Hospital Southampton has become the first healthcare provider in the country to widely introduce a pioneering protective respirator hood for staff treating patients with coronavirus (COVID-19).

The equipment, designed by researchers at the University of Southampton and the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre in collaboration with clinicians at UHS, was developed into a prototype in just a week, tested on wards and manufactured at scale in less than a month.

Known as PeRSo, it consists of a fabric hood which covers the wearer’s head and a plastic visor to protect their face.

It delivers clean air through a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter with belt-mounted fan pack, can be worn continuously for eight to nine hours and is reusable after appropriate cleaning.

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/AboutTheTrust/Newsandpublications/Latestnews/2020/April/Hospital-trust-becomes-first-to-introduce-pioneering-respirator-hoods-for-staff-treating-coronavirus-patients.aspx