Boston researchers have created a potential N95 mask alternative

Image from Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Brigham & Women’s Hospital says it is developing a new, sustainable alternative to N95 respirator masks that are in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A team of bioengineers and clinical experts at the Boston-based hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are working on the “injection molded autoclavable, scalable, conformable” iMASC system for providing protection during the pandemic, according to a news release out today.

The iMASC, made from sterilizable materials, is still in its prototyping stage, but early results from studies published in the British Medical Journal Open suggest that it could fit faces of different sizes and shapes, plus it could be sterilized for reuse, according to a news release.

Researchers selected Dow Corning QP1-250 liquid silicone rubber (LSR) for the mask material, as it …

Read more
  • 0