A numerical analysis of skin-PPE interaction to prevent facial tissue injury
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Jobanputra, Rikeen
Royyuru, Sravani
Hayes, Jack
Masen, Marc
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The use of close-fitting PPE is essential to prevent exposure to dispersed airborne matter, including the COVID-19 virus.
The current pandemic has increased pressure on healthcare systems around the world, leading to medical professionals
using high-grade PPE for prolonged durations, resulting in device-induced skin injuries. This study focuses on
computationally improving the interaction between skin and PPE to reduce the likelihood of discomfort and tissue
damage. A finite element model is developed to simulate the movement of PPE against the face during day-to-day tasks.
Due to limited available data on skin characteristics and how these vary interpersonally between sexes, races and ages,
the main objective of this study was to establish the effects and trends that mask modifications have on the resulting
subsurface strain energy density distribution in the skin. These modifications include the material, geometric and
interfacial properties. Overall, the results show that skin injury can be reduced by using softer mask materials, whilst
friction against the skin should be minimised, e.g. through use of micro-textures, humidity control and topical creams.
Furthermore, the contact area between the mask and skin should be maximised, whilst the use of soft materials with
incompressible behaviour (e.g. many elastomers) should be avoided.
The current pandemic has increased pressure on healthcare systems around the world, leading to medical professionals
using high-grade PPE for prolonged durations, resulting in device-induced skin injuries. This study focuses on
computationally improving the interaction between skin and PPE to reduce the likelihood of discomfort and tissue
damage. A finite element model is developed to simulate the movement of PPE against the face during day-to-day tasks.
Due to limited available data on skin characteristics and how these vary interpersonally between sexes, races and ages,
the main objective of this study was to establish the effects and trends that mask modifications have on the resulting
subsurface strain energy density distribution in the skin. These modifications include the material, geometric and
interfacial properties. Overall, the results show that skin injury can be reduced by using softer mask materials, whilst
friction against the skin should be minimised, e.g. through use of micro-textures, humidity control and topical creams.
Furthermore, the contact area between the mask and skin should be maximised, whilst the use of soft materials with
incompressible behaviour (e.g. many elastomers) should be avoided.
Date Issued
2021-08-10
Date Acceptance
2021-07-29
Citation
Scientific Reports, 2021, 11 (16248), pp.1-10
ISSN
2045-2322
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
11
Issue
16248
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-95861-3
Subjects
Computer Simulation
Face
Finite Element Analysis
Friction
Humans
Masks
Skin Diseases
Skin Physiological Phenomena
User-Centered Design
Face
Humans
Skin Diseases
Masks
Finite Element Analysis
Friction
Computer Simulation
Skin Physiological Phenomena
User-Centered Design
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-08-10