Ex-Apple Mechanical Engineers Designed DIY Surgical Mask Brace

From the statement: “To help with the global shortage of N95 masks, a group of ex-Apple mechanical engineers got together to Fix The Mask. We are creating an open source surgical mask brace — improving the sealing and filtration efficiency of standard surgical masks. But while that’s pending, we’ve come up with this DIY surgical mask brace as an immediate solution. This is just the beginning…”

More: Fix The Mask, Youtube

The Problem
We’re facing a shortage of masks for our health care workers. ASTM surgical masks are rated to a sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency at 0.1 microns is ≥95%. But, they do not seal tightly to the face, risking exposure to COVID-19 particles. So, we had to Fix the Mask.

The Solution
The Surgical Mask Brace creates a tight seal for surgical masks, making them significantly more effective. Our priority is to test our design against NIOSH/CDC to lower the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 particles.

Disclaimer
Please note that not all surgical masks offer equal protection. As stated in the disclaimer, only ASTM Level 1 and above will filter 95% of 0.1 micron particles.

China Standard YY 0469 masks only filter 30% of 0.1 micron particles, and European Standard EN 14684s do not filter 0.1 micron particles at all. This solution has not yet passed the CDC test method outlined in 42 CFR 84, but we are partnering with hospitals and national laboratories to get quantitative testing done as soon as possible.

How to make this more comfortable.