Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) Hood Mount, an ultra low-cost respiratory protection system for doctors and health workers on the frontlines, has been designed by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

A PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator) is an air-purifying respirator that uses a blower to force air through filter cartridges into the breathing zone of the person wearing the respirator. This process creates an airflow inside a loose-fitting hood, providing a higher assigned protection factor (APF) than an N95 face mask. A PAPR can be used for protection during healthcare procedures in which hospital staff and doctors are exposed to greater risks of aerosolized pathogens like COVID-19.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has designed a prototype of a hood-mounted PAPR that delivers 4 cu ft/min air into the hood. We are actively working with doctors and pulmonary experts from the Amrita Hospital to further test and refine the prototype so that frontline medical workers who are providing care for COVID-19 patients can be protected.