Jules ShermanHealthcare product design & research since 2012

Physical Product · 2021

Song PPE Gown

Despite being in use for decades, isolation gowns still have design flaws that pose significant threats to the safety of healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Front view of the redesigned yellow PPE isolation gown worn with a face mask.
Children’s National Hospital | Washington D.C. | Innovation Ventures-Funded | 2021

Problem

Despite being in use for decades, isolation gowns still have design flaws that pose significant threats to the safety of healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Solution

  1. Front view of the redesigned yellow PPE gown with cinch closures at the wrists, waist, and neck for a better fit.
  2. Three views of the drawstrings: adjusting the neck, tightening the waist, and the gown tied at the side.
  3. Design drawings: a draw-string detail and a draw-tape detail diagram.
  4. Person wearing the disposable PPE gown, standing indoors.
  5. Person pulling the gown apart at its back perforated seam for safer removal.
  6. Person rolling the gown down and away from the head during removal.
  7. A woman completing the roll-down removal of the gown.
  8. Line drawing of the PPE gown design.
  9. Line drawing of the PPE gown design, alternate view.
  10. Line drawing of the PPE gown design, detail view.
  11. Front view of the redesigned yellow PPE gown worn with a face mask.
  12. Non-woven isolation gown concept sheet: an illustrated figure wearing the gown alongside technical front and back flats, annotated with features, a draw-paper tape drawstring at the center front, a transparent PVC badge pocket, hidden drawstring tapes at the waist and wrists, a thumb hole, and perforation on the center back.

Design Exploration

Before the final gown, we worked through a set of drawings and prototypes, exploring the neck and waist drawstring adjusters, the doffing sequence, and the overall pattern. Tap any drawing to see it full-size.

Final Product

A gown that enhances skin protection from airborne particles for all HCPs, thereby reducing infection rates among clinicians while caring for patients.

An isolation gown is part of an overall infection-control strategy in a hospital and is an example of personal protective equipment (PPE). It is a garment used by healthcare providers (HCPs) worldwide to protect themselves from contaminating their hands, eyes, skin, and clothing and from contracting an infectious disease while caring for patients. It also helps to protect HCPs from accidentally spreading infectious diseases to their patients. We designed an isolation gown with several enhanced safety features. It includes a neckline that closes securely with a drawstring, preventing it from opening when bending over, and an adjustable waist for a better fit. Additionally, we implemented a safer doffing method to ensure the gown does not come into contact with the wearer’s head.

The new design was conceived by Children’s National Hospital’s Chief Infection Control Officer Dr. Xiaoyan Song, Director, Biodesign Jules Sherman, MS, MFA and Rahul Shah, MD, Former Senior Vice President, Children’s National Hospital-Based Specialties Center. The design work was guided and supported by Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D. who leads the translation of new medical products through the Innovation Ventures Department at Children’s National Hospital.

Licensed to Patient Style, LLC.

Patent: US 12,465,097, Isolation gown with adjustable neck closure, Xiaoyan Song, Jules Sherman, Rahul K. Shah. Issued November 11, 2025 from PCT/US2022/022578.