Researchers set out to design a mask that would kill viruses using heat.
Boston:
Scientists at MIT have designed a new face mask that can not only filter out the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, but also inactivate it using heat.
The new mask incorporates a heated copper mesh and does not need to be decontaminated or discarded after use, the researchers say.
As the person wearing the mask inhales and exhales, the air repeatedly circulates through the mesh and any virus particles in the air are slowed down and inactivated by the mesh and high temperatures, said Researchers.
Such a mask could be useful for medical professionals, as well as members of the public in situations where social distancing would be difficult to achieve, such as a crowded bus, they said.
“This is a completely new mask concept in that it does not primarily block the virus. It lets the virus go through the mask, but slows it down and inactivates it, ”said Michael Strano, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). in the USA.
Researchers have started building prototypes and hope to test them soon.
The new design was described in an article published on the ArXiv online preprint server and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
“The masks we wear now are designed to capture some of the virus. They provide protection, but no one really thinks about inactivating the virus and sterilizing the air. It surprised me,” Strano said.
Researchers set out to design a mask that would kill viruses using heat.
They decided to use a copper mesh as the heating and capturing element, and performed mathematical modeling to determine the optimum temperature range needed to kill coronaviruses flowing in or out of the natural breathing.
“The vast majority of masks today work by filtration, filtering out particles by size or electrical charge,” said Samuel Faucher, an MIT graduate student and lead author of the study.
“This mask relies on a different mechanism and works primarily by thermal inactivation,” Mr. Faucher said.
The researchers calculated the rate at which coronaviruses degrade under different temperatures and trapping conditions, and found that a temperature of around 90 degrees Celsius could allow a thousand to million-fold reduction in viral particles, depending on the final size of the mask.
They also showed that this temperature can be achieved by passing an electric current through a 0.1 millimeter thick copper mesh or thermoelectric heater, powered by a small battery.
Current prototypes include a 9-volt battery, which would provide enough power to heat the mask for a few hours and cool the air before it is inhaled.
“Of course, we need to be aware of the safety and comfort of mask wearers. The air will be cooled after viral inactivation to make the mask comfortable and safe to use,” said Mr. Faucher.
Researchers were able to improve the efficiency of virus deactivation by taking advantage of respiration to create a type of reactor known as a reverse flow reactor.
As the person wearing the mask inhales and exhales, the airflow continually reverses, allowing any viruses in the mask to pass over the mesh multiple times and increase the likelihood of them being disabled.
The purified air flows through vents on both sides of the mask, the researchers said.
“This design means you can wear a small mask, something that will fit your face, but the virus can spend a lot more time deactivating itself than without the reverse flow reactor design,” Strano said.
The copper mesh is surrounded by neoprene, an insulating material that prevents the exterior of the mask from getting too hot to be worn.
N95 respirators, surgical masks, and sheet masks are effective and should be used during the pandemic as directed, Strano said, but one of the potential benefits of heated masks is that, because they kill the virus, they don’t do not need to be decontaminated or discarded. away after use.
They can offer additional protection by eliminating the virus rather than just filtering it.
“What we’re showing is that it’s possible to wear something on your face that isn’t too bulky, that can actually allow you to breathe medically sterile air,” Strano said.
Heated masks are said to be more expensive than cloth masks or surgical masks, but they can be useful in situations where the risk of exposure is high and the cost is of less concern, the researchers said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
