Comfortable Personal Protective Equipment
The third project focused on recreating a piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) so that it is more comfortable and ergonomic. Using casting, lay-up, acrylic bending, plastic forming, and sewing, we were to produce a wearable product that performed its protective duties while being comfortable and easy to move in.
The piece of protective equipment I focused on improving was lab coats, particularly their interaction with disposable gloves. The way in which I aimed to improve the design was to create elastic cuffs usable with any coat to protect the wearer's wrist and forearm from hazards.
Some lab coats have loose cuffs that result in a zone of little protection along the forearm.
Concept sketches of an elastic cuff (shown in red) to protect the wearer's wrists.
After creating concept sketches and getting my idea approved, I created a fabric prototype using a sewing machine and thread. The final product had two elastic rings to ensure a complete fit, and tapered to a larger diameter towards the user's elbow. It was worn with a glove and my personal lab coat to confirm its functionality in sealing the glove/sleeve interface.
Final product, with dual rings of elastic at the top wrist end and wide opening at the bottom forearm end.
Wrist cuff in use, palm facing up.
Wrist cuff in use, palm facing down.