As the coronavirus overwhelms hospitals around the world, medical professionals are suffering from a shortage of the personal protective equipment they need to stay safe. In response, people are trying to develop masks that can be washed and reused in contrast to the common, disposable masks that are now in scarce supply.
Nano-fiber filters are generally used in air filtration systems and are made through an electro-spinning process that creates an extremely thin, fibrous material, which is then inlaid in a filter. These nano-fiber webs are so taut—and have such microscopic holes in them—that larger pieces of dust and contaminants aren’t able to penetrate them. KAIST’s nano-filter, which can be woven into the interior of personal protective gear, improves upon the design of traditional masks on the market because it minimizes the amount of dirt and other pathogens that are able to pass through the surface of disposable masks. Additionally, it maintains its ability to filter out contaminants—like COVID-19—even after being washed. This means medical professionals will be able to thoroughly wash these masks before reusing them, a big improvement on having to repeatedly reuse single-use masks. (Though these masks are more sustainable over time than the N95, they filter out roughly 4% fewer particles than standard masks do, which is still enough to filter out the coronavirus pathogens.)
After undergoing 20 rounds of washing, the nano-fiber design was able to successfully filter 94% of contaminants (namely bacteria with ethanol) and retained its original shape. Bolstered with these results, Kim—who focuses on technology that filters fine dust with the help of nano-filters—has officially filed this design with Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in order to deliver the masks to the masses.
Gear like masks and face shields are designed to safeguard doctors’ and nurses’ immunity and prevent viruses from infecting them on the job. While hospital staff—and the rest of the world—wait for suppliers to ramp up production of these vital items, Kim’s research institute is actively producing 1,500 nano-fiber filters a day, so the masks will hopefully be available to both citizens and healthcare workers on the front lines soon.
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