The transparent HelloMask allows non-verbal communication between patients and nursing staff
Visualisation: EPFL
A fully transparent surgical mask that filters out germs but allows facial expressions to be seen has been developed by Swiss scientists. Caregivers should be able to wear them from the summer of 2021.
“For some segments of the population – like children, the elderly and the [hard of hearing] – the [current] masks are a major obstacle to communication,” said the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) in a statement on Tuesday.
Along with researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), EMPA has been working for two years on a completely transparent surgical mask.
They have now finalised a biomass-based material to manufacture the so-called HelloMasks and have created a start-up called HMCARE, based on the Biotech campus in Geneva, to market them.
After completing a CHF1 million ($1.05 million) fundraising round, HMCARE is now ready to develop the industrial process. Discussions are under way for a planned market launch in early 2021.
Investors were in such a hurry that “we had to turn down offers”, says Thierry Pelet, head of the HelloMask project at EPFL’s EssentialTech Center. EMPA admits that the Covid-19 pandemic made fundraising easier.
Membrane
The HelloMasks are intended to replace the tri-fold green or white ones that healthcare workers usually wear. This protection could be worn by anyone, although they’re designed primarily to make the contact between caregivers and patients less impersonal.
The polymer fibres of the masks make the membrane appear transparent but keep pathogens away
EPFL
“You can find prototypes of masks that are partly transparent, but they’re just normal masks with some of the fabric replaced by clear plastic,” Pelet says.
Since that plastic isn’t porous, however, it makes it hard for the wearer to breathe and fogs up easily. The EMPA and EPFL researchers spent two years finding the right combination of transparency, resistance and porosity. They eventually came up with a membrane made from a polymer developed specifically for this application.
Because the new masks will be disposable for optimal efficacy, like existing surgical masks, the researchers focused from the start on finding a material that was either recyclable or biodegradable. “Our masks are made at 99% from a biomass derivative, and we’ll keep working on them until they’re completely eco-friendly,” Pelet says.
More
More
Demographics
Why the Swiss are reluctant to wear face masks
This content was published on
As Switzerland eases up on the lockdown, more people are out and about but few are wearing masks. Why is that?
Switzerland could produce up to 5Mt of emissions annually by 2050
This content was published on
Two to five megatonnes of CO2 equivalents per year: this is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that Switzerland is still expected to produce annually in 2050, a new study shows.
US tariffs putting 100,000 jobs at risk in Switzerland
This content was published on
US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports will directly affect 100,000 jobs, mainly in the watchmaking, machinery, metals, and food industries, economiesuisse warns.
This content was published on
Switzerland has released CHF4 million (nearly $5 million) to help Sudan, which has been severely affected by famine and cholera.
Switzerland rejects new Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory
This content was published on
Switzerland says it rejects the announced construction of thousands of housing units in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Larry Finck and André Hoffmann named interim co-chairs of WEF board
This content was published on
The WEF also revealed an investigation commissioned by the board has cleared its founder Klaus Schwab and his wife of accusations made by anonymous whistleblowers.
Vice-president of German parliament in favour of Switzerland joining EU
This content was published on
The vice-president of the Bundestag says his country should support closer ties between Switzerland and the European Union given the customs conflict with the United States.
Lindt & Sprüngli reportedly considering shifting Easter bunny production to US
This content was published on
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli could relocate the production of its gold-wrapped Easter bunnies to the US in order to circumvent the import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Swiss petition launched against curbing 30km/h speed limit
This content was published on
The Traffic Club of Switzerland (TCS) has submitted a petition to the Federal Chancellery, challenging the 30km/h speed limit on local roads.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Should all Swiss be wearing face masks?
This content was published on
“No,” say the Swiss government and the WHO; “yes,” say some European governments and Swiss politicians; “yes and no,” say many opinionated readers.
This content was published on
Three-fifths of respondents in a nationwide survey have said they are in favour of the mandatory wearing of protective masks in public.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.