Saf-T-Drape: Sterile Drapery Shielding for Radiological Scanners

Abstract: Saf-T-Drape: Sterile Drapery Shielding for Radiological Scanners Current drapery solutions for MRI, CT, and PET scanners are inconvenient to install, prone to failure during use, and can impede image-guided procedures. Our new Saf-T-Drape shielding will have an impact in 3 areas: minimally invasive image-guided surgery; mitigation of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI), and increased efficiency for diagnostic radiology. To date, the number of procedures requiring a sterile field in the scanner has been relatively small, and practitioners have largely overlooked the inconvenience. However, the number of image-guided neurosurgical procedures is growing, and improved drapery is one of several improvements that could significantly reduce the barriers for more widespread adoption. Furthermore, Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) is a large and growing problem. About one in 31 hospitalized patients has at least one HAI, with rates up significantly since 2020, according to the CDC, which reports direct medical costs of HAIs >$28.4B annually. Recent large increases in rates for Candida auris and Clostridioides difficile highlight the need for mitigating surface-based infection sources. HAI have profound implications for affected patients, as well as adversely affecting hospitals’ financial and reputational standing. A 2017 study found that 4% of patients passing through an Emergency Room CT scanner contracted a HAI associated with that scanner. The International Society for Infectious Disease recommends use of a disposable plastic barrier changed between each patient as a best practice for preventing infectious in the radiology department. No commercially available drapery product makes implementing this practice feasible. Scanner cleaning following a highly infectious patient takes 20-30 minutes, but total down time can be much longer, since facilities frequently wait for 30-120 minutes for the specially trained cleaning team. Since MRI and CT scanners typically generate $3k-$6k per hour, even a 15 minute interruption can be very expensive. Simple measures to greatly reduce or eliminate scanner downtime can be extremely cost-effective. Scanner down-time translates directly into lost revenue, and the absence of an important diagnostic tool. Saf-T-Drape was created in response to a neurosurgeon’s complaints about the ad-hoc nature of current drapery solutions, which included the difficulty and time to install, frequent sagging enough to interfere with visibility and equipment, and easily becoming dislodged, especially by larger patients. We conceived the Saf-T-Drape concept of a semi-rigid liner for the scanner bore that is easily installed, easily disposed, economical for single-patient use, robust against patient movement, and does not interfere with procedures. A patent has been applied for Saf-T-Drape’s novel fastening mechanism, which does not interfere with the scanner bed movement. We propose several straight-forward measurements to characterize Saf-T-Drape, which will assure potential collaborators and investors that it is safe, it does not degrade image quality, it is compatible with current MRI and CT scanners, and is likely to be effective in mitigating transmission of infectious diseases.