Scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley recognized early on in the COVID-19 pandemic that a shortage of and shortcomings in personal protective equipment might be alleviated by building a better mask, according to an article from SciTech Daily. They set out to improve upon the N95 mask – the gold standard for filtering out COVID-19 and other viruses but not without its limitations, including reuse and fit issues.
According to the article, materials scientists Jeff Urban and Peter Hosemann designed a reusable silicone N95 mask with a rechargeable, wire-mesh active filter. The wire mesh reportedly bears an electrostatic charge, which helps to trap and neutralize virus particles. The scientists are developing a 3D-printable, silicone-cast mold for the body of the mask to address problems related to fit. The innovations are still in the early stages of R&D according to the article, but progress has been swift. The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory: a consortium of DOE National laboratories with core capabilities relevant to the threats posed by COVID-19, and funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
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