Pilot study of aerosols visualized and evaluated in a radiotherapy room.

Health care institutions provide prevention strategies for coronavirus disease 2019 and non-infectious disease care. We investigated the characteristics of patient contamination in a radiotherapy room by examining the trajectory and number of airborne particles in the air when talking and coughing occurred and clarified the actual state of contamination in this closed space. Aerosols were visualized and evaluated in the vertical height and head-to-tail width directions when the participant was lying on the radiotherapy tabletop.

Expansion of droplets during speaking and singing in Japanese.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of infection clusters associated with choral singing have been reported. Singing generates droplets and carries the risk of spreading infection. However, no reports have explored droplet flight and aerosol production rates by singing and speaking in Japanese.

Preclinical Efficacy and Clinical Feasibility of a Novel Aerosol-Exposure Protection Mask for Esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Background/aims: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a novel aerosol-exposure protection (AP) mask in preventing coronavirus disease in healthcare professionals during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and to evaluate its clinical feasibility.

Methods: In Study 1, three healthy volunteers volitionally coughed with and without the AP mask in a cleanroom. Microparticles were visualized and counted with a specific measurement system and compared with and without the AP mask.

Dispersion of Aerosols Generated during Dental Therapy.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an urgent need to study the risk of infection from aerosols generated during dental care and to conduct a review of infection controls. However, existing studies on aerosol particles related to dental treatment have mainly evaluated only the scattering range. Few studies have been conducted on the specifics of the generation of aerosol particles in clinical settings, their mechanisms and patterns of distribution throughout open or enclosed spaces, the duration that they remain suspended in air, and the amount and size of particles present.

Understanding the formation and behaviors of droplets toward consideration of changeover during cell manufacturing.

Preventing the contamination of processed cells is required for achieving reproducible manufacturing. A droplet is one of the potential causes contamination in cell manufacturing. The present study elucidates the formation mechanism and characteristics of droplets based on the observation and detection of droplets on the base surface of the biological safety cabinet (BSC) where cell processing is conducted under unidirectional airflow.