Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU) scientists have developed an anti-microbial five-layered face mask. The face mask was aimed to address a few issues to combat novel coronavirus.
The common face mask that is available in the market currently acts as a filter to stop the entry of microbes to oral and nasal airways but does not have any effect on the microbe stuck to the mask surface.
This disadvantage of masks could be dangerous for medical and paramedical staff due to the presence of higher viral or bacterial load on their outer surface.
This newly designed face mask can annihilate pathogenic microorganisms that are stuck to its outer surface. It will also limit the spread of secondary infections.
The new face mask is stacked by different layers of nanometal conjugated with a protonated amine matrix.
The anti-microbial face mask has 5 layers:
- The first layer of the mask can degrade any type of Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
- The second layer is anti-microbial
- The third one is for air filtration
- The fourth and fifth layers are comfortable layers, which will remain close to the nose and mouth.
Copper and silver are de-transition elements that can degrade coronavirus and all the other members of the SARS virus. The mask is made with a combination of copper, copper oxides, silver, and activated charged silver, which can help degrade RNA.
The mask has a hydrophobic surface on the outer layer to deflect water droplets containing the viruses.
