The face mask is undergoing a high-tech update.
The models now being tested do more than provide a physical barrier between the user and potential viruses. Material scientists, chemists, biologists and engineers have created functional prototypes of masks that include diagnostics, sensors and even the ability to Herb tea virus.
In the near future, if you are on a plane and the person next to you sneezes, you can wear a mask that sterilizes the air before you inhale it.
Some of these new masks are designed for healthcare professionals, while others will be marketed to healthcare professionals and consumers. Masks and respirators marketed as medical devices or as worker protection must be approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or Niosh. (Respirators are masks that provide a tight seal to the face, such as the N95, and must be suitable to provide optimal protection.)
“I am thrilled with the attention given to the masks,” said Christopher Sulmonte, project manager for the biocontainment unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine. The new ideas “have some scientific rigor,” he says. “As soon as we see how they work, we’ll start to see which tools make the most sense.”