Seal Reliably: In order for a mask to properly protect the user, it must first seal effectively and have a visual seal indicator for both the user and others around them to know they are protected. This is especially vital in any healthcare setting with a high density of evolving COVID variants where potential exposure is constant.
(Idea for including a slightly dark lit background filling mosaic wall of tiled head-on profile images of worn out HCWs with facial indentation marks from poor fitting PPE masks. Contrast those visuals of limitations from past poor PPE options with our new PPE solutions and features. Perhaps we can find publicly available images of HCWs that we can use for this purpose or another related design.)
(Overlaid image of one of the CDC/NIOSH headforms with a visible yellow color strip around the typical mask nose/mouth seal points on the headform. This color strip would represent the red (non-sealed) to yellow (sealed) color change that occurs when the mask is sealed properly on the headform. Perhaps in SolidWorks it could be a thin colored strip part that mates/conforms onto one of the CDC/NIOSH headforms.)
Breathe Easily: When a mask is sealed properly, breathing and communicating becomes more labored due to the airflow restrictions related to large fiber
diameters from melt blown polymer N95 filter materials. New filter design based on superior nanomaterials with thinner fiber diameters provides both enhanced protection and much more breathability.
(Schematic of electrospun nanomaterial thin fiber spider web for physical virus adsorption versus schematic of much larger fiber diameter N95 melt blown polymer.)
(Since a focus of HiroPPE is to incorporate bioinspired materials in our optimized mask design, the panel backdrop could also be a thin spiderweb pattern to showcase how our filters outperform the current much thicker fiber diameter N95 filters. The fiber diameter dimension decrease is literally like comparing tree branches to spiderwebs.)
Don Quickly: Whenever HCWs are called to action, there are precious few moments available for them to consider their own personal safety. That is why they must have the best PPE that can be worn instantly so they can meet the needs of those they are helping.
(Mask design is expected to be made in Winter/Spring 2022 as a UCSD Senior Capstone project, so no schematic is yet available. But once we have a CAD file design we can include sometime after Feb 2022.)
