Development of a smart active respirator for comfortable and hygienic breathing

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of facial masks globally, which of late have registered their presence as a part of our civilization. The N95 mask is one of the most popular choices under the current situation. However, the available masks cannot provide breathing comfort for an extended period, which results in rebreathing of exhaled air that is CO2 rich, and which remains in the breathing space of the respirator. Furthermore, problems like moisture settlement on the covered area of the face due to the multiple layers of fabric-like material causes significant discomfort. Hence, the need for a mask with an air-purification activity is the need of the hour. The present innovation relates to the invention of a mask that is battery-powered or solar-operated and addresses the aforementioned problems. This mask not only regulates the airflow, which is beneficial to our body in every way, but also lowers the discomfort of sweating and heating. The effect of the addition of the self-developed active respirator to the commercially available masks on the inspired CO2 level, thermal comfort, and speech clarity has been demonstrated in this study. We have exhibited through in vitro experiments that the filtration capability of the active-respirator improvised mask, we call the Bose shield, does not deter from that of the standard N95 mask. To our understanding, the use of this novel mask can reduce the occurrence of CO2 rebreathing in respiratory protective devices and its impact on workers who inevitably wear them for a prolonged period of time.