Johns Hopkins and DuPont have signed license and collaboration agreements allowing DuPont to sell a disease-fighting garment with features from the university in Baltimore.
The garments aim to protect health care workers and others during disease outbreaks. DuPont intends to have the first of these garments available during the first half of 2016.
The collaboration began in response to the humanitarian need identified by the U.S. Agency for International Development during the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
In this region, the Ebola virus infected more than 28,000 patients and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths. Harsh climates and ill-equipped health systems have led to tough working conditions that made it particularly difficult to keep the infections at bay.
As the disease spread, many nurses, doctors and others were fatally infected by the patients they were treating. The World Health Organization has confirmed more than 800 Ebola cases among health workers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, leading to more than 500 deaths.
In December, the federal agency selected a new Johns Hopkins prototype protective garment, made of a DuPont advanced material, as one of the first five projects to receive funding to address the health care challenge posed by Ebola.
The prototype garment was developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID), with input from global health partner, Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins affiliate.
Incorporating some elements from the Johns Hopkins prototype, the garment design from DuPont will feature a rear zipper and a “cocoon-style” removal, process that requires far fewer steps to reduce risk. The DuPont garment may include an integrated hood with a large clear visor.
Health care workers in this country have also pointed out the difficulties of putting on and taking off the protective gear that is currently available.
For more than 40 years, Du Pont has been providing such apparel to help protect the safety of industrial and healthcare workers.
Under the agreements, Johns Hopkins will assist DuPont in evaluating prototype garments produced by DuPont and will aid in the preparation of information for users. DuPont will be responsible for all aspects of commercialization. Further terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
