A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a mask that aims to deactivate viruses using heat.
The MIT researchers have developed a concept mask model that incorporates a heated copper mesh covered in neoprene. As the person wearing the mask breathes in and out, air flows across the mesh and any viral particles in the air are deactivated by the high temperatures.
Such a mask could be useful for healthcare professionals and the wider public in situations where social distancing is difficult to achieve, the researchers said.
“This is a completely new mask concept in that it doesn’t primarily block the virus. It lets the virus go through the mask, but slows and inactivates it,” said Michael Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs professor of chemical engineering at MIT and senior author of the paper.
Face masks have become a staple globally to restrict the spread of Covid-19. Masks are mandatory in all public places across the UAE, with a Dh3,000 fine levied on anyone who does not adhere to safety regulations.
The MIT researchers have begun building prototypes and hope to begin testing them soon. They described the new concept in a paper to bioRxiv, an online server where papers that have not yet been peer-reviewed by scientific or medical experts are posted.
Reports on existing masks were researched and it was found that none were designed to kill viruses through heat. Researchers then designed a mask that used copper mesh as the heating element, and performed mathematical modelling to determine the optimal temperature range needed to kill coronaviruses flowing in or out from breathing.
The researchers found that a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius could achieve between a thousand-fold and million-fold reduction in viral particles. That temperature can be achieved by running an electrical current across a 0.1-millimeter thick copper mesh, powered by a small battery. The current prototype includes a 9-volt battery, which would provide enough power to heat the mask for a few hours.
“We need to be mindful of the safety and comfort of mask users,” said MIT graduate student Samuel Faucher, who is also the paper’s lead author. “The air will be cooled after viral inactivation to make the mask comfortable and safe to use.”
The copper mesh is surrounded by neoprene, an insulating material that prevents the outside of the mask from becoming too hot.
One major advantage of heated masks is that as they render a virus inactive, they don’t need to be decontaminated or thrown away after use.
Heated masks would be more expensive than cloth masks or surgical masks, but could be useful in situations where exposure risk is high, researchers say. A patent for the heated mask design has already been filed and prototypes are already being built and tested at MIT.
