- Rapid design and deployment of reusable personal protection
equipment for health care workers
- Multi-use equipment will help alleviate supply shortages for
face shields and masks
- ExxonMobil to lend technical expertise and supply raw materials
to help manufacture new reusable face masks
ExxonMobil and the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI)
said today that they have initiated multi-sector and joint
development projects to rapidly redesign and manufacture reusable
personal protection equipment for health care workers, such as face
shields and masks, which are in short supply as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200402005162/en/
In response to the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19
pandemic, ExxonMobil is applying its deep knowledge and experience
with polymer-based technologies in combination with GCMI to
facilitate development and expedite third-party production of
innovative safety equipment that can be sterilized and worn
multiple times.
A new industrial-style mask is being fast-tracked for
production. The design improves coverage of a health care worker’s
nose and mouth and will use a replaceable cartridge system that
includes a filtration fabric to prevent contact spread of the virus
from the saturated filter. In this design, the filters are
disposable while the main component of the mask can withstand
repeated sterilization, thus prolonging the life-cycle of the
product and addressing shortages of N95 masks.
Prototypes are currently being tested and reviewed by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration. When approved, production will begin
immediately, with ExxonMobil supporting the identification of
manufacturers familiar with the materials and process to quickly
deliver the masks to doctors, nurses and health care providers.
Once approved, manufacturers indicate they will be able to produce
as many as 40,000 ready-to-use masks and filter cartridges per
hour.
“Expediting advanced technologies to help those who are
combatting this global pandemic is absolutely critical for
society,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical
Company. “We’re proud to do our part by sharing our expertise and
experience in material technologies, and energy supplies needed to
support our health care workers. It’s just one example of
ExxonMobil employees working around the clock to help keep our
communities safe and limiting the spread of COVID-19.”
“Scaling solutions rapidly to address the global crisis requires
significant investment, innovation and collaboration,” said Tiffany
Wilson, CEO of Global Center for Medical Innovation. “By partnering
with ExxonMobil, we’re harnessing the expertise and capabilities of
one of the world’s largest energy companies to accelerate our
ability to realize that vision.”
Another product developed by GCMI is a face shield made from
high-grade polymers that can withstand the harsh conditions of
sterilization to enable reuse, while meeting the visibility and
safety requirements of current designs. The technology complies
with existing safety standards, reducing the time from design to
front-line use. More than 50,000 units have already been produced
and are being distributed to hospitals in New York and Atlanta.
Production facilities are ramping up to manufacture more than
170,000 shields per hour in the coming days.
GCMI verifies, validates and accelerates the development and
commercialization of new medical technologies that save lives and
improve patient care. GCMI has worked collaboratively during
COVID-19 to design, develop, prototype, validate and execute the
need for protection to frontline healthcare workers, with an
efficient, quick process intended to save lives.
ExxonMobil, which invented filtration fabric technology in the
1960s, is making its experts available to provide technical
expertise and delivering polypropylene from its manufacturing sites
in Baytown, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The raw materials
will be expedited, if needed, for face mask assembly. The company
will also facilitate supply chain interfaces to expedite
deployment.
The initiative is a collaboration between GCMI; Dr. Joanna
Newton, Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, Aflac Center and Blood
Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant
Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine;
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center; and a
team of scientists and researchers at the Georgia Institute of
Technology and its Invention Studio.
ExxonMobil’s efforts with Global Center for Medical Innovation
expand the company’s collaborative work with other companies and
academic institutions that are focused on developing new energy
technologies, improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. ExxonMobil also works with more than 80 universities
around the world to explore next-generation energy
technologies.
About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international
energy companies, uses technology and innovation to help meet the
world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading
inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and
marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of
the largest in the world. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and
the Energy Factor.
Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Global Center for Medical Innovation
The Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) is the
Southeast’s first and only comprehensive medical device innovation
center, dedicated to accelerating development, building businesses
and improving health. GCMI opened its doors in April 2012 and to
date has worked with over 50 different startups, clinician
innovators, university tech transfer offices and academic
researchers to design, engineer, prototype, and facilitate
commercialization of a broad range of innovative medical
devices.
GCMI, and its wholly-owned subsidiary T3 Labs, is a non-profit
501(c)(3) and affiliate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, a
member of the University System of Georgia.
Cautionary Statement: Statements of
future events or conditions in this release are forward-looking
statements. Actual future results, the development, implementation
and results of new technologies, including efficiency gains and
emission reductions, could vary depending on the outcome of further
research and testing; the development and competitiveness of
alternative technologies; the ability to scale pilot projects on a
cost-effective basis; political and regulatory developments
including actions that may favor certain types of technologies over
others; actions of competitors; the outcome of commercial
negotiations; and other factors discussed in this release and under
the heading “Factors Affecting Future Results” on the Investors
page of ExxonMobil’s website at exxonmobil.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200402005162/en/
Global Center for Medical Innovation, 404-345-2005 ExxonMobil
Media Relations, 972-940-6007
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Mai 2024 bis Jun 2024
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jun 2023 bis Jun 2024