Protective masks are now available in all kinds of designs.

At the beginning of the corona pandemic, there was a particular lack of sufficient protective equipment. A quick solution was offered by 3D printing, which allowed, for example, facial visors to be produced in large numbers and usually directly at the point of use. According to the European Patent Office, additive manufacturing technology has since advanced to become one of the most important industries in the world.

The crisis as a driver for innovation

Masks have become a constant companion in all our daily lives. It is therefore not surprising that there are already numerous innovative further developments of the mouth-nose protection. For example, edelweiss dentistry has developed Virustatic Shield, a type of scarf that is pulled over the mouth, nose and ears, with a special antiviral coating. This has been proven to prevent up to 99 percent of viruses from being transmitted through the air. A mask that disinfects itself has been developed by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with Osmotex AG. With the help of a small battery, moisture and oxygen, reactive oxygen species are created that kill germs. Find out more about self-disinfection at the touch of a button in this interview.

For people who rely primarily on nonverbal communication, masks are a major barrier. These include people who are deaf, hard of hearing or suffering from dementia, but also children. With miama, iuvas medical GmbH offers a solution to this problem. It is a transparent mask. In doing so, it also protects the wearer from viruses. "Miama offers a tight fit that helps to create a better seal around the sides of your face. The filters exhibit a particulate filtration efficiency of 98 percent for NaCl aerosols. This exceeds the latest state-of-the-art technology," says Dr. Sebastian Hin in an interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com. While he classifies the contribution of the innovative mask to the containment of the pandemic as rather small, he emphasizes another major advantage: "Miama's biggest contribution is that it facilitates essential therapies and the types of care where facial expressions or human interaction are crucial to success. It would be impossible to conduct these therapy sessions and foster an improved quality of life with traditional face masks."

Masks alone cannot prevent the spread of Covid-19 - hygiene measures such as regular and thorough disinfection are just as important. One form of pathogen spread is via surfaces. "Human pathogens can persist on surfaces for days or even weeks and leave a reservoir from which infection can be transmitted to another person and subsequently spread," explains Prof. Wolfgang Bäumler from the University Hospital Regensburg in an interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com. There, an antimicrobially effective coating for contact surfaces is being tested in the "PACMAN" project. Bäumler explains how this works as follows: "The surfaces are coated with a solution containing a photodynamic dye molecule. It dries quickly and leaves a durable, thin coating behind. When the coated surface is exposed to light, it generates a highly reactive oxygen (singlet oxygen) that kills bacteria and viruses on the surface."  Check out  at:  https://img.connexions-tech.com/product/face-mask