Company designs inflatable protective suit for paramedics

A Mexican company has invented an inflatable suit to protect medical personnel from the coronavirus. 

“What we wanted was for it to be completely hermetic. That was the first detail that interested us. And simultaneously we solved other problems that included, first, the heat and temperature in the summer sun, “says Fernando Avilés, director of  XE Médica, which created the suits. 

The silver suit includes a device that provides fresh air to the interior and a sensor that regulates air pressure. “Temperature is very important because people think better when they feel relaxed and cool,” said Avilés.

The battery that runs the system lasts eight hours, although the suit can also be plugged into an electrical outlet. Even if the suit tears, it won’t deflate and can continue to function until the problem is resolved. The suit does not require the use of a mouthpiece and the clear plastic face shield does not fog up. 

A medical equipment company that has been in operation in Mexico City for 20 years, XE Médica has also designed a 35,000-peso (around US $1,500) capsule to transport coronavirus patients. It hermetically isolates the patient from paramedics and uses HEPA filters to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. 

The company is made up of former paramedics and provides ambulance service in the city’s capital as well as specially engineered products for health personnel.

The inflatable suits will be made available to the public, XE Médica says, but it is unclear what they will cost.

Source: Yahoo Finanzas (sp), La Silla Rota (sp)