Problem Statement:

At the onset of COVID-19 pandemic most of the global stock of PPE supplies, such as face masks, quickly depleted and soon a shortage began. At the beginning of March 2020, surgical masks were hardly available in the lower mainland.

Normally a surgical mask can be worn for no more than four consecutive hours to work properly. For medical staff, a new surgical mask has to be worn every time they visit a new patient.

The excessive usage and the short lived nature of a surgical mask means supplies can run out quickly and the amount of waste will increase very quickly and become landfill.

Goal:

The goal of this product was to simply extend the longevity of usage time of a single surgical mask by 6 folds, thus reducing waste and landfill.

Solution:

The solution is a reusable 3D printable face mask that uses 1/6 of a standard surgical mask as the filter.

Advantages of this design are:

• Increasing the usage of one mask and reducing landfill
• Complete seal around the nose and mouth (a surgical mask alone does not completely seal around the nose and mouth)
• Biodegradable material (PLA) for printing (PLA uses corn starch)

The mask should be disinfected thoroughly after every use with 70% alcohol and the filter changed to a new piece of 1/6 surgical mask.