Osaka University develops transparent capsule for moving COVID patients

The Yomiuri Shimbun

December 12, 2021

OSAKA — A transparent and airtight capsule for moving COVID-19 patients, developed by Osaka University, has been shown to the press.

When COVID-19 patients at Osaka University Hospital are transferred to another facility because their condition has stabilized, the bed they are lying in is covered with plastic bags to prevent spreading the virus. However, this method has been too confining for patients and made it difficult for doctors to check on their condition.

Doctors at the hospital’s Trauma and Acute Critical Care Center therefore decided to develop a transparent, airtight isolation capsule. The university raised about ¥18 million through crowd-funding from March to May this year, exceeding its target of ¥10 million.

The capsule is 200 centimeters long, 60 centimeters wide and 70 centimeters high. Its rounded cover is made of a highly transparent resin with a mount for a ventilator inside, and the bed can be adjusted to four different angles.

It cost ¥5 million to develop. The surplus funds will be used to manufacture spare covers.

“[The capsule] makes it easy to watch the patient inside, and it can be readily cleaned after use. Even if infections with the omicron variant spread, we can transport patients in thorough safety,” said Taro Irisawa, a doctor at the center.