COVID-19 Contact-Free Sampling Unit

Designed a Bio-Security Level III Contact-Free Sampling Unit to aid frontline healthcare workers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This open-source design was enabling production and global accessibility.

Project Overview

A Safe & Effective Solution for Healthcare Professionals

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I designed the Contact-Free Sampling Unit to protect healthcare professionals and the public by minimizing the risk of infection during testing procedures.

Design & Production

Developed as a freelance project and manufactured by Nurus, an Ankara-based office furniture company, the unit was designed for efficiency, safety, and ease of use in hospital environments.

First production: 10 units deployed in hospitals across Ankara.
Expanded production: An additional 10 units were manufactured and shipped to Qatar.
Pro bono initiative: All units were produced and donated free of charge to support healthcare workers.

Each unit has facilitated 500-600 contact-free tests per day since March 2020, significantly reducing the risk of transmission for frontline workers.

First production: 10 units deployed in hospitals across Ankara.
Expanded production: An additional 10 units were manufactured and shipped to Qatar.
Pro bono initiative: All units were produced and donated free of charge to support healthcare workers.

Each unit has facilitated 500-600 contact-free tests per day since March 2020, significantly reducing the risk of transmission for frontline workers.

Academic Research & Publication

This project was also the subject of a scientific study that examined the effectiveness of the sampling unit in reducing transmission risks. The research paper, titled:

📄 "Respiratory Tract Safe Sampling and Quarantine Cabinet Development and Application Results"
Authors: Mehmet Renan Gökyay, Semih Fahri Pertin, Mustafa Necmi İlhan, Murat Kanber, Serhat Ünlü, Muzaffer Alta Zaim
📖 Published in: Gazi Medical Journal, Ankara, Türkiye, 2020, pp. 465-468

The study highlighted the unit’s ability to safely collect respiratory tract samples from potentially infected individuals, ensuring a controlled and contamination-free testing environment. It also detailed the unit's role in quarantining patients in high-risk areas such as airports and shopping malls using negative pressure technology.

This project was also the subject of a scientific study that examined the effectiveness of the sampling unit in reducing transmission risks. The research paper, titled:

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to the following companies and individuals for their support in making this project a reality:

Mikropor – HEPA & ULPA filters
Unigen
AFS Piping
Semih Pertin
Murat Sayar
Levent Gündüz
Dilek Sunar

A huge thank you to the following companies and individuals for their support in making this project a reality:

Mikropor – HEPA & ULPA filters
Unigen
AFS Piping
Semih Pertin
Murat Sayar
Levent Gündüz
Dilek Sunar

Open-Source Production Data

To encourage further adoption and improvements, we have shared the full production data of the Contact-Free Sampling Unit as open-source. Access the files below:

📂 English Documentation
📂 Turkish Documentation

To encourage further adoption and improvements, we have shared the full production data of the Contact-Free Sampling Unit as open-source. Access the files below:

COVID-19 Contact-Free Sampling Unit