Development, manufacturing, and preliminary validation of a reusable half-face respirator during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread shortages of N95 respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE). An effective, reusable, locally-manufactured respirator can mitigate this problem. We describe the development, manufacture, and preliminary testing of an open-hardware-licensed device, the "simple silicone mask" (SSM).

Methods

A multidisciplinary team developed a reusable silicone half facepiece respirator over 9 prototype iterations. The manufacturing process consisted of 3D printing and silicone casting. Prototypes were assessed for comfort and breathability. Filtration was assessed by user seal checks and quantitative fit-testing according to CSA Z94.4-18.

Results

The respirator originally included a cartridge for holding filter mate

SUBMITTER: Anwari V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7968700 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature