LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., March 26, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every corner of the world, a 24-year-old pre-medical student teamed up with his father to design and manufacture the Mobile Pathogen Testing Unit (MPTU) to be used to combat this viral outbreak. Chase Berman, a current Infectious Diseases researcher at University of California Irvine, and his father, Christopher Berman, have brought forth a mobile unit converted from a 20-foot shipping container, capable of mass viral testing in a highly efficient manner.
“An overarching challenge the world is facing is the lack of access to COVID-19 testing centers,” says Chase. “There is an underlying subset of challenges within this scope, which the MPTU addresses: accessibility of tests to citizens in an organized fashion, ample workspace for healthcare workers to easily maneuver high quantity sampling, and staff protection from the environment and weather. The MPTU has a simplistic, ready to deploy design that is capable of tackling the COVID-19 testing challenges of today.”
After researching pathogen transmission in Southern California skilled nursing facilities, Chase Berman has emphasized design on reducing the contamination inside testing centers, thus limiting the spread of novel coronavirus between healthcare workers and those being tested.
These designs include surfaces that are easy to be cleaned and disinfected. The MPTU contains three easily accessed hand-wash stations. The interior of the MPTU is climate controlled, containing lavatory facilities to eliminate staff trips in and out of the unit.
“We recognize that the means of transport to testing centers will be by motor vehicle or by foot, and the MPTU addresses both of these,” adds Chase. “Healthcare workers can obtain swab samples through 2 access points: a walk-up window for swabbing citizens on foot, and an area set up for drive-thru car passengers. Both strategies allow for rapid testing turnover of a wide population, regardless of transportation means. In addition, a 40-foot unit variant has been designed, which has the ability to manage 2 drive-thru lanes simultaneously.”
The ultimate goal of human beings is the preservation of life and health to all of those around us. The MPTU carries the same sentiment in a dual-sided approach: to test as many symptomatic patients as quickly as possible, while attempting to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 beyond its current extension.
MORE INFORMATION:
Learn more at: http://www.granitetacticalvehicles.com/MPTU.html
For inquiries, please contact Chase Berman directly by email at chaseeberman@gmail.com.
*PHOTO links for media:
[1] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0326s2p-cb-drivethrucars-300dpi.jpg
[2] https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0326s2p-cb-drivethru-side-300dpi.jpg
*Photo caption: Chase Berman, a current Infectious Diseases researcher at UC Irvine, and his father, Christopher Berman, create a mobile unit converted from a 20-foot shipping container.
News Source: Chase Berman