MIT engineers design an affordable and reusable face mask that's as effective as an N95

Engineers and researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have designed a new type of face mask that could  potentially be a game-changer. In a laboratory setting, the prototype worked as well as a N95 respirator at filtering out virus-containing particles.

This design is groundbreaking because, while  N95 masks are made entirely from a special material that filters out airborne droplets and fluids that could contain the Covid-19 virus, the new MIT mask is made from silicone, with slots for just two small, disposable disks of the N95 material (which serve as filters). That means the masks themselves can be quickly and easily sterilized and reused, and though the small filters must be thrown out, each mask requires much less N95 material.

A group of 24 healthcare workers (including nurses, physicians and technicians) wore the new masks and completed tests that involved breathing, talking, moving their head and body and making facial expressions. The participants said that the mask fit well and felt breathable. Most importantly, the mask successfully filtered out a sugar solution in the air that was used to mimic aerosolized respiratory droplets.

So far, the masks have proven effective and comfortable.