Computational and experimental investigation of an aerosol extraction device for use in dentistry

Medical procedures carry a high risk of pathogen transmission from patients to healthcare providers, the clinic environment, and subsequent patients. While measures such as patient mask wearing can help to reduce this danger, they may not always be possible, especially in dental treatments that need access to patients’ airways. A protective device was designed and built to effectively confine airborne particles during medical procedures without interfering with medical operations. The device is evaluated and its working principles discussed.

The device resembles a dome and comprises of four primary mechanisms to inhibit the spread of potentially infected aerosols during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) in dental surgery: (i) a physical barrier; (ii) air curtains; (iii) an extraction point; (iv) a sustained airflow ingress. Evaluation is carried out using experiments in laboratory and clinical settings, as well as high-resolution numerical simulations.

Results of the numerical simulations of the prototype device show over 99% capture in its design configuration. The results from experiments also report high efficiency. A detailed analysis of the device and recommendations for future development are provided. The results from tests in the clinical setting will be provided in detail in another paper.