RCICS

Rapid Contact Isolation Containment System (RCICS)

This is an attempt to design a system for Ebola infection containment which can be placed inside a door frame to support the Ebola crisis.

This is an offshoot of Michael Min's FlexContain project of Helpful Engineering, which pre-existed the current Bundibugyo strain outbreak of Ebola in the Congo (and a conatined outbreak in Uganda.)

Basic Ideas

1. Either shim something into the frame, or modify the door.
2. Create a "port module" which is standardized that can be used in any door-like structure.
3. Create a "tubing module" that goes near the hinge side that puts minimum motion on tubes passing through the door as it is opened or closed.

The August Design

An initial design what we can call the "August Design" is depicted above. It features:

1. Standard doors with a modular port cut 18" wide and 24" high in the door.
2. A polyethylene sheeting as a view window.
3. A "transfer chamber" made of 8" PVC tubing with two doors (end caps) which are never opened at the same time. Possibly this can decreased to 6.625" and or 4.5" OD, all of which are standard PVC sizes.
4. L-shaped metal bracket is mounted between the bottom bar and the transfer chamber to support the chamber’s weight and reduce mechanical strain. Metal retaining wires pass through the bracket and wrap around the transfer chamber to secure it firmly in place.
5. A medical tubing port with "cross-cut straw holes" and a vertical bend to create a torturous path for droplets. This port is on the hinge side to limit pulling on tubes.
6. Sheeting clamps consisting of rigid aluminum L-shaped beams to compress the poly sheeting against a gasket.
7. A "flange" (or two) which seal the circular holes of the transfer chamber and the tubing port.

Dimensions of the full design:

1. Portal width: 18"
2. Portal height: 24"
3. Transfer chamber diameter: 8" O.D.
4. Transfer chamber length: 18"
5. Medical tubing O.D.: 1"
6. Medical tubing length: 18" (but bent or shaped into strong vertical shape).

Photos of the Model

On August 29th, 2026, Rob made a 1/8th scale model depicted below based on ideas generated with Nagham, Courtney, and Jack. It is of course imperfect, but approximately accurately:

1. We commend "L"-beam extruded aluminum strips rather that flat bars as shown in the model.

2. The model has no gasket, but one is advised.

3. There is a bracket cut of foamcore holding up the transfer chamber; this would be a metal shelf bracket at scale.

4. The polyethelyne sheet is cut from a food storage baggie; a thicker material would be avisedly used.

5. The 8" PVC in the full-scale design is simulated with 1" PVC.

6. A drinking straw simulates the 1" PVC that forms the "medical tube port" for thin tubes, such as oxygen.

7. The door is to scale, but steel doors would likely be better than wooden doors. If a wooden door is used, it should be covered in plastic sheeting.

8. This model does not discuss the sealing of the "sweep" or the "jam" of the door.

   Note that the window if off-center; it should be placed closer to the hinge side of the door, so that opening and closing the door creates minimal motion of the tubes in the tube port.

This is a view of the "Clean side", where nurses may observe and interact with the patient. As would be typical, both "doors" of the transfer chamber are closed (these are the PVC caps.)

The infectious/patient side is depicted below. Strips of extruded metal are used to compress the polyethylene sheeting against a gasket pressed against the door with sheet metal screws drilled through the L-beam, gasket, polyethylene, and metal of the door.

A close-up of screws into the metal strip pressing the sheeting against the door (there is no gasket in this model).

A close-up of the "medical tubing port". Note a wire (brown cord) can be use for strain relief. This tube is intentional "bent" or curved so that droplets have to go upward against gravity to get through the tube. (This tube will also have "cross-cut straw holes" to mostly block fluid droplets.)

The Transfer chamber is sealed through the sheeting with a compressing fitting or "flange". In 1" PVC, this is a threaded screw, but in larger sized is would likely be slip-on bushing or bolted "flanges".

A side view, showing the patient side on the left and the clean side on the right.

The transfer chamber has two caps or "doors". These are simple PVC camps with a retaining wire, so that when they are removed the don't fall onto the floor.

The same retaining method is on the clean side.

Although the two open doors shouldn't be open at the same time, this shows that the chamber is open.

Here's a similar model: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/emergencies/initiate-idtm-technical-report_20231016.pdf?download

This is a WHO design for an isolation module for containment...it contains all the medical equipment that was passed through, so based on the document, I made a list of every single pass-through required:

• Respiratory Port: oxygen, ventilator, CPAP, BiPAP, HFNC/HFNO tubing
• Patient Fluid Port: IV infusion, medication, feeding, nasogastric, urinary drainage tubing
• Suction Port: suction tubing for mucus, blood, saliva, phlegm, and other fluids
• Monitoring and Power Port: ECG, SpO2, temperature, EtCO2, blood-pressure cables, power and data cables.

And at least 1 pass-through opening to transfer large materials, i.e., meals. (As mentioned on GitHub - the transfer chamber). For the ports, it should also be sealable when not in use...and include a securement feature. Based on all of that, I found a few commercial ports that are used for similar reasons, but we have to modify them.

1. 1.20" ID - Ext. Length. Fits or Barrier Thickness Range of 5 1/4"-7 1/8". This Unit Provides a Fully Dressed Opening Completely or Barrier. (https://www.amazon.ae/Wall-Cable-Pass-Through-Port/dp/B07SVL5D3T) - It's around 25 dollars.
2. BulkHead Male Connector: https://www.krelson.com/products/bulkhead-male-connector/ [Bulkhead male connectors pass instrumentation tubing through panels, walls, enclosures, or pressure boundaries while maintaining a sealed penetration point.] Moreover, it specifically mentions "Hazardous area enclosure boundary crossings" - around 3 dollars.
3. ATLAS Scientific BulkHead: The Atlas Scientific Bulkhead provides a reliable and watertight connection point in plumbing systems, ensuring secure passage for tubing through container/tank walls or barriers. (https://atlas-scientific.com/plumbing/bulkhead/) - around 4 dollars.

I found a "wall airlock passthrough" which was mentioned in this paper: Feasibility Assessment of a Novel Isolation Care Tent in Uganda During the 2022 Sudan ebolavirus Outbreak. They used it for the transfer of materials (eg: food) without allowing contamination in or out. Although the average one costs around 2k dollars...I did find some alternatives - we could use this: https://wiskindcleanroom.en.made-in-china.com/product/PBmEgLnAmNYu/China-Cleanroom-Integrated-Supplier-Air-Lock-Interloack-Pass-Box-for-Pharm-Plant.html?pv_id=1k19vboic302&faw_id=1k19vbvbic4a&bv_id=1k19vc4a9a1f&pbv_id=1k19vbmppc39n - this is the cheapest transfer hacht that I could find (30 dollars apprx)...