BREAKING! Face Mask: Israeli Researchers Develop Self-Disinfecting Protective Mask
Source: Face Mask Jun 01, 2020 5 years, 8 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes ago
Face Mask: The Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) faculty of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a revolutionary self-disinfecting reusable protective face mask.
The self- disinfection process occurs when a layer of carbon fibers in the mask is heated using a low current source, such as an electric mobile phone charger, the developers state.
A legal patent application for this invention has been submitted in the United States.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for protective face masks has sky-rocketed in recent months, as wearing masks is now a requirement along with social distancing and hygiene measures.
A wide range of masks is available, with the leading model being the N95. The authorities insist on the correct usage of masks, which means replacing it daily even if it is kept clean and dry during the day.
These new regulations, along with the urgent need to provide masks for the medical staff caring for coronavirus patients, has led to a surge in demand for these masks and a search for manufacturers and suppliers.
In America for example, approximately 3.5 billion masks are required in order to protect against an acute epidemic, 100 times more than the number of masks readily available.
An acute shortage of masks also occurred in Israel and was accelerated when the Ministry of Health announced that mask-wearing is mandatory.
The Dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at Technion, Professor Yair Ein-Eli, developed a reusable face mask that can be heated in a controlled manner, a process that destroys viruses that accumulated on the mask and renders it reusable.
The new technology is based on an inner layer of carbon fibers spread within the mask in a homogeneous manner. When the layer of fibers is heated using a low current (2 amps) from a readily-available source such as a mobile phone charger, USB connection or other mobile electronic device chargers – the viruses are destroyed.
The Israeli research group headed by Professor Yair Ein-Eli created the mask prototype and tested it together with Professor Debbie Lindell and Professor Oded Beja from the Faculty of Biology. A patent was submitted in the United States on March 31 and the research group is currently discussing commercialization with industrial companies.
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