Innovating PPE: Making Masks Affordable, Reusable and as Effective as N95s
By: Dmass
Tags: Pandemic, Ppe Safety Equipment, Solutions, Covid 19, Ppe

With COVID-19 vaccines still being developed and the global death toll from the coronavirus , the pandemic continues to affect public health systems, economies and daily life for most people around the world.

As we work towards solutions, the pandemic presses us to weigh lockdown and economic growth and to respond to the ongoing call for personal protection equipment (PPE) — especially the N95 mask ( the high-quality personal protective equipment [PPE] mask experts say are useful for health workers and critical for slowing COVID-19’s spread ).

One inventor answering the call designed a game-changing mask based on long experience. Before the pandemic, James Byrne was a radiation oncologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a postdoctoral researcher at MIT. He was accustomed to seeing a patient while wearing the N95 and then “chucking it in the trash,” he said.

With healthcare workers and sustainability in mind, Byrne got together with several colleagues at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to design the iMASC, a mask that, like the N95 respirator, can filter out 95 percent of airborne particles — but it’s easier, safer and more cost-effective to reuse.

Constructed out of clear silicone, the (which stands for injection-molded, autoclavable, sterilizable, comfortable) whose fit is based on the 3M 1860 respirator, a particular style of N95 mask, is commonly used by healthcare providers . iMASC has a pair of slots to hold N95 filters that can filter out fluids and airborne droplets. As such, the mask is nearly completely reusable. Only the filters need to be removed and replaced after the mask has been worn, while the rest of it can be disinfected and worn again with new filters.

Another benefit of the iMASC: It needs no specialist equipment for sterilizing (which N95 masks do need if they’re reused) . Rather, the iMASC can simply be sterilized using steam, a bath in bleach or rubbing alcohol, or popped into an oven at a temperature that will kill bacteria and viruses.

In a feasibility study of healthcare wearers, the was indeed proven comfortable — and viable.

According to BMJ Open medical journa l, the masks were designed in the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software SolidWorks (Dassault Systems) based on current 3M 1860 N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator (FFRs) that were in use at the hospitals in the Partners Healthcare network. The mask material tested in the feasibility study was DOW Corning QP1–250 Shore 50A liquid silicone rubber (LSR) generated by Minnesota-based . The nasal bridge and elastic holders were 5 mm wide by 1 mm thick aluminium strips obtained from , and nylon elastic bands were obtained from a local fabric store. Adhesive for the nasal bridge was 3M Scotch-Weld (PR40) . Filters were laser cut from 3M 1860 N95 FFRs . The filters were adhered to laser cut acrylic sheeting (3.2 mm thick, 46 mm diameter) ( McMaster Carr , Product 8560K257) using fabric adhesive obtained from a local fabric store.

According to Smithsonian Magazine , the team is “in the process of performing more in-depth testing on the filtration efficiency and breathability of different filter materials. And they still need to determine how the masks perform during extended wear.”

As the prototypes run through the final tests necessary to get FDA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approval, the researchers are setting up a company to bring the masks to market . And they’re beginning talks with the FDA about emergency use authorization, both for healthcare workers and the general public .

So far, testing results look promising for safety, the environment and cost savings, considering the pandemic shows no signs of stopping and the reusable iMASC could manage the continuing shortage issues of the N95 masks , giving healthcare workers an N95 mask that’s safe and practical to reuse, and the general public a quality mask without the worry of dipping into the supply of N95 masks that healthcare workers need. And for hospitals making the switch, the reusable masks could save money — “potential significant savings compared to the standard disposable system,” says Giovanni Traverso, an MIT assistant professor of mechanical engineering and a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a member of the iMASC team.

The iMASC team is currently running an environmental impact study and a cost-effectiveness study, and is estimating that its mask could cost $15 and be used up to 100 times, making the cost per use likely less than a quarter, with the filter inserts less than a dollar. (N95 masks can cost between $2.80 and $6.95 per unit, according to .)

While the team is also working on a second mask design , other inventors are racing to bring their own unique options to market. These include a 3D-printed that’s tailored (with artificial intelligence) to each wearer’s face. According to Popular Science, attempts to create transparent masks, which facilitate communication and that aid people who are hard of hearing and who read lips, predate the pandemic, but have experienced a surge of and investment . One promising innovation by Swiss startup HMCARE has raised the equivalent of about $1.05 million to commercialize its “ transparent and relatively eco-friendly surgical mask “ called HelloMask. For it HMCARE worked with Swiss materials center to create a new type of textile.

According to TechCrunch , they used biomass-derived transparent fibers placed 100 nanometers apart to form sheets; triple-layered, they made a flexible, breathable material that’s also nearly transparent, akin to “lightly frosted glass.” Allegedly the material can be made in bulk and formed into mask shapes just like normal cloth.

TechCrunch reports that R&D for HelloMask was done using nonprofit donations and grants, and HMCARE raised the seed round funding to spin up manufacturing. The HelloMasks hopes to launch in early 2021 and is aimed primarily though perhaps not exclusively for the medical community.

Knowing our own interest in masks that hit high marks in fit, function/effectiveness and eco-friendliness, we’ll wash hands for 20 seconds, avoid adjusting our masks and touching our faces with potentially contaminated hands, and deep-breathe through the long testing periods for all these masks and give a socially distant exhale of relief when any economically, environmentally sound options come to fruition.

Note: dMASS is responding to those on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 and its devastating economic impacts. Our patented Innovation Engine and innovation discovery process is open and connects emergency managers with the lifesaving innovations that can help solve some of the critical problems we are facing today: decentralized healthcare, medical device shortage, last mile logistics, sanitation & hygiene, innovative pivots and PPE shortage. See for yourself at https://www.dmass.net/covid19 .

Sources:

actu.epfl.ch, amazon.com, bmjopen.bmj.com, cardomedical.com, cnbc.com, cnn.com, dmass.net, empa.ch, fastcompany.com, indiegogo.com, mcmaster.com, multimedia.3m.com, popsci.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, protolabs.com, reuters.com, smithsonianmag.com, techcrunch.com, tomsguide.com, webmd.com