3D nanomasks

The use of specialized mouth covers for medical personal and COVID 19 patients is a priority necessity. Mouth covers must protect from this contagious illness. Our solution is based on the manufacture of 3D scaffolds based on hydrophobic nanofibers. The idea is to maintain a 3D structure inside the mouth cover with specific chemical composition to promote virus isolation. A lot of medical personal has contracted the infection while treating COVID 19 patients. If the proposed mouth covers reaches, higher protection levels than the N95 and surgical mask currently used, there is a chance to stop the spreading of the virus, and hence, save lives of the medical personnel and non-infected people which are at risk 

One of the main problems of actual facemasks is maintain the filter efficiency and the filter lifetime. Nanofibers have many capabilities, for example, they provide a dramatic increase in particle capture efficiency as well as increased pressure drop, which is related to the nanofiber thickness. The market of nanotechnology worldwide was estimated to grow at an annual rate of 19% during the years. [1] According to Wu, maintaining a stable supply of facemasks with a priority given to healthcare workers and infected people is crucial for outbreak control. [2]  In addition, a universal facemask wearing was no recommended by WHO. This recommendation, was done because facemasks may be effective only with the combination of hand hygiene. Therefore, the idea of combine nanotechnology, which is near to the virus size with new fabrications methods, can contribute to solve a major problem, which is the construction of mouthcovers that can be tested and serve as a standard for future pandemic emergencies.

[1] Nanofibers in face masks and respirators to provide better protection. C. Akduman and E.P. Kumbasar. 18th World Textile Conference (AUTEX 2018)

[2] Facemasks shortage and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID 19) outbreak:Reflections on public health measures. Huai –liang Wu

Our solution is focused on developing mouthcovers using some manufacturing techniques to obtain nanofibers with specific requirements against the virus. The method studied will be electrospinning using multiplexed electrospinning sources. These systems work as parallel emitters allowing high throughput, producing fibers at nano scale. In addition, fibers can be aligned, using a rotational axis. The mouthcovers fabricated can use electrospinning technology with multiplexed emitters through these systems can increase the nanofibers productivity. These masks can be used as disposable equipment with certain plastic coatings and actives ingredients exposed in different layers to produce different mechanism of action. The construction of these masks is with different compounds to inactive viruses and stacked by layers. The idea will be provide two layers of well-aligned nanofibers spun using electrospinning in the middle of two random external layers. In addition, it is possible capsulate some polymers to coat the mask surface.

The priority of the Project is healthworkers, infected people and people without symptoms. According to Wu et al, maintaining a stable supply of facemasks is crucial for outbreak control. [1] These facemask must be considered a measure to constrain the transmission in community. One of the advantage of nanofibers is their capability to change chemical compounds of fibers which make it a viable method for insulate patients and health workers.

[1] Facemasks shortage and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID 19) outbreak: Reflections on public health measures. Huai –liang Wu, Jian Huang, Casper J.P. Zhang, Zonglin He, Wai-kit Ming. E Clinical Medicine. 21 (2020).

The solution is well-aligned to the Challenge because until a new vaccine is create people must stay protected. Although there is no a unanimous point of view in the use of facemasks. We have found evidence that all these medical equipment can serve as barrier against viruses. In addition, the world was no prepared to control these kind of viruses. We need to stay prepared to adequate technologies to mass production. Nanofibers produced through electrospinning is a viable alternative to vary the chemical composition and array of fibers according to the new viruses.    

Respilon is a Company located in Czech Republic, their product is a nanofiber membrane that contains a dense network of fibers that are 1000 times smaller in diameter than a human hair. They sell their masks as a protection from infections, allergies, pollutions and other harmful particles. However, this mat is fabricated randomly, which does not guarantee that it can serve as a virus trap. In addition, the manufacturing method of nanofiber is through a single emitter which has several issues on getting high throughput. Another technology are the technoweb masks. These masks are fabricated from Lime which is a Korean company. They mention the enormous surface are created from the web of nanofibers which increase the mechanical filtration efficiency when masks are fabricated with electrospinning compared with meltblown process which is commonly used to fabricate N95 masks. Both companies, have fabricated nanofibers to produce masks. However, they have just one emitter. Our innovation is in the design and manufacture of 3d multiplexed emitters which allow to have a high throughput with chemical solution that help to protect people and even a combination of layers with several substances. In addition, we can obtain well align fiber which allow to work as a virus trap.

The core technology of our solution is the novelty design of the emitter, which is capable of combine two materials to produce nanofibers of different substances. Electrospinning process allow to use these emitters and electric field to spun nanofibers. Our solutions is a functional technology employed mainly as coating systems. However, our proposals is to integrate novelty designs. These devices have emitters spatially arranged and the designs are based on microfluidic chips. These, can be distribuited along a straight lines or in other arrays. Arrays have been tested until 25 emitters, because of the size of the drum implemented. This drum allow to align the fibers. The idea of the project is to scale the drum collector, and to use multiple emitter devices to increase productivity. As it was explained, our solution is a four layer mask, where the two external layers will be constructed with polypropylene mats and two internal mats using celluse acetate and polysulfone membranes. 

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6528/aa86cc/pdf

The alignment system has previously been tested. In this article, we tested a small drum with dimension around 4 inches. Although the 3d printed system was designed to spun nanofiber with a high troughput. Now, we have designed other system capable of combines two solutions. These will be the cellulose and polysulfone solutions. 

Our team believe in science. As a team, our objectives are to bring knowledge to our community and the creation of the conditions to develop applications based on technology. Our strengths are the knowledge about materials science and manufacturing. Our theory of change is based in the study of several manufacturing processes and the interaction between process parameters and materials. As a team, we look for a durable, trustworthy and efficient facemask for physicians... Once our facemask has been proven for medical personal, our objective in the midterm will be to provide to the community of facemask contributing to the family health. Therefore, our outcome is the safe of families, which allows them to face viruses. To achieve this outcome, we center our focus in the technology to create facemask.

Although we have tested the technology involved in the manufacture of nanofibers. We have not used the technology for the manufacture of masks. It is in an exploratory stage, the current number of people that we are serving in 0. However, we think that in one year we will be serving around 100, 000 of masks and within five years, around 1-2 millions. 

The goals will be focused in to scale up the complete system to produce well-aligned nanofibers during the first year. In the next years, our research will be to establish the new chemical agents to incorporate in masks. In addition, the project will face new challenges due to the merging of new materials than can prevent the entry of viruses into the mask.

There are some barriers on the effectiveness of mass usage in preventing the spread of viruses. Although some researchers have explained that, the use of facemasks can reduce the sick symptoms with cleaning hands. The main barriers are described as follows:

Technical.

--Testing the facemask and its capabilities to protect against viruses and to their capabilities to keep splashed or sprays  from reaching the mouth of the person who is using the facemask.

-Cleaning stage to assure if facemask can be washed and effectively cleaned.

Cultural: We believe that there is no restriction in this topic, due to as a first stage the facemask is planned to medical staff. However, is it is scaled to normal population; people should be made aware of its use.

Market barriers: To accomplish the medical regulations (i.e., FDA (USA) or COFEPRIS (Mexico)). For example FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommends that manufacture demonstrate medical face mask performance in four areas; fluid resistance, filter efficiency, differential pressure and flammability.

In order to overcome these barriers we will make some partnerships that can be interested in coupling technologies. For example a biological team which can work specifically in testing facemasks. In addition, a potential partnership can be a surgical mask supplier who has some part of the product but no the application of nanofibers. Regarding the scale of the problem and the affected people, is of general knowledge that the spread of the virus worldwide has reached up to 8 million cases, disregarding race, ethnicity, sexuality, class and gender.  

Tecnologico de Monterrey

Full time staff:6

Our team has worked for many years in the design and manufacture of medical applications. We have worked several topics, as modelling of final applications and processes, the adequacy of process parameters, materials testing and metrology. Our team include engineers and physicians. For more information of our group, please visit the following webpage.

http://manufacturingtec.org/

We have worked previously with professor Luis F. Velazquez from MIT for the nanofibers manufacture. Additionally, we collaborate closely with the School of Medicine and Health Science of the Tecnologico de Monterrey.

Our business model is based on the design and manufacture of facemasks. Our target market is medical area, however in the midterm it will be focus on community through the developing of new technology. Our key activities is the developing of facemask and our key partner will be companies, which sell surgical mask, to full the requirements of protection against viruses.

We are planning a social enterprise looking for solutions of social problems. Our financial sustainability will be based in the profits from the related social enterprise, which will be re-invested in the work of the organization.

Our solution is based in a tech solution according to the global challenges presented by COVID 19. Our team identify this solution as a significant improvement in the health of millions people. If we think in the past, we can say that the world was not prepared to confront many challenges. This innovation can help to community across geography to face this kind of problems. Our background as researchers on medical technology is of great interest to find solutions with high level of innovation and always looking for the community wellbeing.

We are researchers working in a solution, using high level technology. Therefore, our team will need support in marketing areas and business model.

Our partnership goals will be to find companies, which can produce surgical masks. Our idea is to incorporate nanotechnology to common surgical masks, which allow us to scale the technology.

We will use the prize to develop capable microsystems to produce nanofibers with high resolution. At this stage, we have produced some systems, but no with the precision required for our final application. In addition, we will be capable to scale process, which is of great importance for the industry in many applications. Our team have the potential to scale process based in our experience in manufacturing processes. 

We will use the prize to develop capable microsystems to produce nanofibers with high resolution. At this stage, we have produced some systems, but no with the precision required for our final application. In addition, we will be capable to scale process, which is of great importance for the industry in many applications. Our team have the potential to scale process based in our experience in manufacturing processes.