September design requirements: complete RCICS door assembly

Purpose

Define and complete the September RCICS door-assembly design based on the 10 and 17 September 2026 core-team reviews and the current RCICS Requirements Document and Project Plan.

The September iteration should treat RCICS as a complete replacement door leaf/assembly for contact-and-droplet isolation, not only as a viewing-window retrofit. The design must remain locally fabricable in quantities of tens using commonly available materials and tools.

Confirmed design direction

• Use a rigid transparent viewing panel (Plexiglas/acrylic) in a fully framed portal.
• The portal/window should be installed into the door opening as a framed assembly.
• Develop a complete door option so exposed cut-door cross-sections are covered and sealed.
• Prefer steel where it is more readily available; PVC or another non-porous door material may be proposed as an alternative.
• Do not require specialized fabrication equipment for field installation.
• Preserve safe latch/handle operation, emergency egress, and sufficient opening for a patient bed/gurney.
• This is for contact/droplet isolation only, not airborne/negative-pressure isolation.

Required Engineering Work

1. Mechanical Engineer (Design and Fabrication)

• Create the dimensioned full-door assembly drawing/CAD model.
• Provide at least three sealable ports for tubing, IV lines, and cables.
• Show the door, Plexiglas panel, Z-section sandwich frame, ports, transfer opening, hinges, latch, bottom seal, and critical clearances.
• Add a panel cross-section and exploded assembly view.
• Mark assumed and field-adjustable dimensions.
• Finalize how the Plexiglas is captured without over-compression or cracking.
• Compare welded versus bolted/riveted frame construction and select one.
• Specify fasteners, backing plates, spacing, edge distances, tightening guidance, and acrylic expansion clearance.
• Define gasket and sealant locations.
• Seal exposed door-core/cut edges and avoid liquid traps.
• Detail attachment to hollow-metal, solid-core, and fabricated PVC/metal doors.
• Add strain relief, removable closures, and retention features to all ports.
• Confirm total weight, hinge capacity, and two-person installation suitability.

2. Biomedical Engineer (Clinical Use and Safety)

• Confirm expected equipment, tubing, cables, and connector sizes with WHO-Techne.
• Define the larger transfer-opening requirements.
• Confirm port placement, strain relief, and clear viewing area.
• Verify cleanability and compatibility with hospital disinfectants.
• Review panel security, latch operation, emergency egress, clear opening, and bottom seal.
• Define clinical and facility acceptance criteria.

3. Procurement (Materials and Cost)

• Confirm regional availability of Z/L profiles, acrylic, gaskets, silicone bungs, sealants, fasteners, and backing plates.
• Source 1-inch PVC tubes/caps and 4-inch PVC cap fittings.
• Select non-porous, corrosion-resistant, and disinfectant-compatible materials with engineering approval.
• Update the September BOM while retaining the original/August BOM.
• Include quantities, specifications, suppliers, substitutes, lead times, and prices.
• Estimate material costs and list labor assumptions separately.

4. Technical Writer (Installation Documentation)

• Prepare concise, illustrated instructions covering:
  • Field measurement and door cutout
  • Cut-edge sealing
  • Frame and panel assembly
  • Gasket and sealant application
  • Port and strain-relief installation
  • Door hanging and hardware checks
  • Final cleaning
• Maintain consistent part names across drawings, BOM, and instructions.
• Add revision information and clearly document assumptions.
• Create a facility acceptance checklist covering fit, seals, panel security, ports, hardware, egress, and cleanability.

5. Research (Evidence and Field Input)

• Research acrylic mounting, expansion clearance, fastener spacing, and gasket compression.
• Compare welded and mechanically joined frame options for local fabrication.
• Check material and sealant compatibility with common hospital disinfectants.
• Gather field input on materials, fabrication tools, door types, and clinical equipment.
• Identify applicable door, glazing, infection-control, and emergency-egress guidance.

Priority Order

1. Finalize the Z-frame cross-section.
2. Confirm port and equipment requirements.
3. Confirm materials and update the BOM.
4. Complete the engineering drawings.
5. Prepare the installation instructions.
6. Build and validate the prototype.