A Spanish company, Bioinicia, has created a mask that is claimed to be powerful enough to deactivate the coronavirus in two hours. A pack of 25 masks costs US$72.81, which makes them roughly US$2.91 each. They are available in Mexico and Europe, along with Spain, their country of origin. The masks are fitted with special filters that help in destroying and deactivating different types of viruses, including the coronavirus, in a guaranteed average time of two hours. The effectiveness of the masks is rated as 100 percent and they are believed to protect wearers against COVID-19.
Bioinicia, the company that developed this miracle mask, is renowned for its devotion to the development and manufacturing of nanomaterials and is an active participant of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) of Spain. The marketing is done through the company’s website, where they state that their products are certified to meet ISO 13485, the medical device industry’s most widely used standard for quality management, ensuring they meet the requirements of the European Union’s Medical Device Directive, the EU Medical Device Regulation, and other regulations. The company markets its products under the name of its new Proveil brand.
Better filtration method
Most regular masks that are currently available are manufactured on a foundation of polypropylene melt-blown non-woven fibers. These fibers are mingled between layers and allow for the filtration of small particles in the air due to electrostatic surface charges which will attract the elements as air passes through the filter. However, the electrostatic effect only works in dry conditions and rapidly disappears while in use.
The Proveil mask, on the other hand, relies on mechanical filtration. This is achieved through the use of nanofibers that have a diameter over 10 times smaller than the fibers conventionally used. The smaller pore size not only increases the effectiveness of the air filtration process, but also retains its efficiency over time, a big advantage over common electrostatic filters. The aerosol filtration efficiency of the mask is up to 85 percent.
As reported by entrepreneur.com, one of the experts described the structure of the mask as follows: “It allows air, with an approximate size of 4 nanometers, to pass through, while filtering viral aerosols, bacteria, and suspended particles. It is known that the size of viruses varies between 80 and 160 nanometers.” The nanofiber used was developed by a CSIC researcher, José María Lagarón.
As Spain continues to dwell under the threat of COVID-19 until the vaccine comes out, the CSIC and Bioincia have stepped up with all their resources to help the country and aid the process of developing more efficient protective gear. Both the organizations have engaged all their resources in the development of this filter to protect essential workers from the deadly virus. The company also modified its pharmaceutical manufacturing plant into a plant producing Proveil masks. The company has also stated that the technology used to manufacture Proveil masks will be supplied to all manufacturers in Europe.
Availability of the new masks
The most common way of acquiring this new mask is through the online store of Bioinicia. However, their website states that they can only ship orders within Spain itself. The company intends to take its distribution of masks to other marketing channels, such as pharmacies, drugstores, etc., all around Spain, Mexico, and European countries.
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