Scientists use Rolls-Royce’s advanced jet test cameras to make OT safe from COVID-19

The pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been well established in recent months. While the power of the virus has led to the postponement of optional surgical procedures around the world, some life-saving and emergency procedures on COVID-19 patients are inevitable. In groundbreaking research involving Rolls-Royce, scientists have found a new use for the state-of-the-art tests used by the automaker to evaluate its jet engines, making operating theaters safe using high-speed cameras.

The ongoing study, led by University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB), together with the automaker, is focused on understanding how droplets can be dispersed into the air during aerosol generation (AGP) procedures such as tracheostomies. For this, the research uses high-speed cameras that capture 8,000 frames per second to record the smallest droplet in the air.

“We test our engines and components to the limit, using high-speed cameras to capture incredible levels of detail. Working with patients instead of jet engines was very different from our daily work, but it’s great that we were able to apply our technology to help keep NHS staff safer while treating patients, ”said Eve George, Rolls-Royce Imaging Engineer, in a statement.

Make emergency procedures safer to perform

AGPs refer to procedures that generate droplets of liquids that spread through the air. These droplets may contain pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. One of the most common surgical procedures performed on COVID-19 patients is tracheostomy. The procedure involves creating an opening in the neck for the placement of a tube inside the patient’s trachea. This helps the air enter the lungs directly and helps the individual breathe.

“Many of the patients for this study have so many difficulties with breathing that they have been transferred to our intensive care unit and after a while it may become necessary to perform a tracheostomy to help the patient with breathing and this is particularly common in COVID – 19 patients, “said Dr. Bindy Sahota, lead researcher of the study.

Therefore, the research, known as Rapid Video Recording of Aerosol Generating Procedures (RVR-AGP), is aimed at finding out how far particles can travel and how long they can stay in the air. This can then help make operating rooms safer for all doctors involved in the procedure.

Advanced Jet Test method for safer operating rooms

RVR-AGP examines tracheostomy procedures using high-speed cameras and light diffusers that are manned by Rolls-Royce engineers and capture the maximum extent to which droplets travel through the air. This particular technology is used by the luxury automaker to conduct high-speed tests on jet engines.

With the ability to capture 8,000 frames per second, the camera helps the analyst create a more three-dimensional understanding of how far droplets in the air can travel. After a procedure is recorded, the data is shared with Lancaster University for further analysis. Dr Emma Stubington, Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University’s Medical School, examines all images. Then Dr Stubington converts the droplet diffusion pattern into figures to identify the changes.

“When you look at the images before I have started working on them, you can’t see anything because the droplets are so small and too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. The movement of the droplets can be identified by looking at the changes in the intensity of the light between each. photography. We’re looking for such small changes and there’s a lot of movement in surgery, so it makes things quite difficult, “explained Dr. Stubington.

Positive results

The study is expected to continue for at least a year before reaching any conclusions and improvements to the way operating theaters work. Thomas Stubington of UHDB said: “We aim to record enough procedures to be able to give us an idea of ​​droplet production and hopefully suggest which methods of performing the procedure are safer.”

Despite being in its early stages, the study produced positive results, said Dr. Owen Judd, co-lead of the study. “Preliminary results have already suggested that our adapted surgical technique to perform the tracheostomy reduced the aerosol generated in the standard technique,” he noted.