IT looks just like an ordinary see-through plastic box.
But this clinical cube, designed by Formula One engineers, is now saving lives at Oxford hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
The box is designed to protect doctors and nurses when they put breathing or feeding tubes into patients.
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It was designed by some of the team from the Silverstone Technology Cluster – F1 engineers who put racing car tech to use in other industries.
They gave it to staff at the John Radcliffe and other hospitals in Oxfordshire to test out and, after a trial period, they are now using it regularly and say it is the best device of its kind.
It has even now been christened 'the Oxford Box'.
Bianca Tingle, a consultant anaesthetist at Oxfordshire hospitals, was involved in the development of the cube.
She said: "We believe the Oxford Box is the best aerosol shield available and we predict it will be used beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It is unique because it is completely collapsible, easy to stow away – space is a precious commodity in hospitals – and is much easier to clean than other similar devices being developed, which helps enormously with infection control.
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"These were the key features we were looking for."
She added: "It adds a vital layer of protection for clinical staff.
"Removal of PPE (‘doffing’) is the riskiest moment for us, but keeping aerosols inside the Oxford Box greatly reduces contamination of us and the surrounding area."
Ms Tingle and her colleagues are now using the Oxford Box at the four hospitals run by Oxford University Hospitals trust – the JR, Churchill and Nuffield in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
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It is appropriate as it was partially developed at Oxford University's Oxford Simulation, Teaching and Research (OxSTaR) centre.
Weighing just 7kg, the Oxford Box’s light, flat-pack construction enables the device to be swiftly re-allocated in an emergency, stored away easily and sterilised more effectively.
The device has also been developed with environmental sustainability in mind, with studies showing it could be manufactured in large numbers from recycled plastics.
A prototype paediatric version of the device specially for children is currently being assessed.
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