SURGICAL MASK
A surgical facemask includes a textile element configured to cover a mouth and nose region of a user, and an adhesive element applied to a perimeter of the textile element and configured to secure the textile element to a face of the user. Application of the surgical facemask using the adhesive element seals the mouth and nose region of the user from an exterior region such that particulate cannot traverse between the mouth and nose region and the exterior region without permeating the textile element.
The present application is based on and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/994,664 filed Mar. 25, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to the field of personal protective equipment (PPE).
BACKGROUNDPersonal protective equipment (PPE) is worn by professionals and laypeople for a variety of purposes, including health-related purposes. Surgical masks for reducing the transmission of airborne pathogens are one example of PPE.
SUMMARYOne embodiment relates to a surgical facemask including a textile element configured to cover a mouth and nose region of a user, and an adhesive element applied to a perimeter of the textile element and configured to secure the textile element to a face of the user, and wherein application of the surgical facemask using the adhesive element seals the mouth and nose region of the user from an exterior region such that particulate cannot traverse between the mouth and nose region and the exterior region without permeating the textile element.
In some embodiments, the surgical facemask does not include earloops. In some embodiments, the adhesive element is a glue that bonds the textile element to skin. In some embodiments, the textile element includes a first non-woven layer, a second filter layer, and a third non-woven layer. In some embodiments, the textile element facilitates transmission of respiratory gases between the mouth and nose region and the exterior region.
This summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices or processes described herein will become apparent in the detailed description set forth herein, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.
Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a sealed surgical mask for reducing the transmission of airborne pathogens is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure is usable in medical environments to reduce the transmission of iatrogenic and/or nosocomial infections. Additionally or alternatively, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure is usable in non-medical environments (e.g., by individuals in public spaces, etc.) to reduce the transmission of infectious disease (e.g., airborne bacteria/viruses, etc.). In various embodiments, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure provides many advantages over conventional personal protective equipment (PPE).
Some surgical masks create a loose-fitting physical barrier between the mouth and nose of a user and potential contaminants, thereby preventing large-particle droplets from contacting the user's mouth and nose. However, such surgical masks do not provide complete protection from potential contaminants because of the loose fit between the surface of the surgical mask and the users face. Therefore, such surgical masks may not effectively prevent the respiration of contaminants. For example, an individual using a loose surgical mask may inhale (e.g., via an opening between the conventional surgical mask and the individual's face) infectious particulate matter suspended in the air from a nearby cough.
In contrast, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure is configured to seal to a user's face, thereby preventing respiration of potential contaminants. In various embodiments, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure includes an adhesive element around a perimeter of the mask to facilitate bonding a surface of the mask to a user's face, thereby creating a seal between a mouth and nose region and an exterior region. Thus, the surgical mask of the present disclosure creates a protective environment isolated from the outside.
Furthermore, conventional surgical masks utilize “earloops” (e.g., elastic bands that fit behind the ear) to facilitate application of the mask to a user's face. However, earloops promote the spread of potential contaminants during use. Specifically, a user using a conventional surgical mask may transfer contaminants to their ears (e.g., from their hands, etc.) during application of the surgical mask, thereby promoting the spread of infection. However, the sealed surgical mask of the present disclosure may be applied to a user's face without use of earloops. For example, the sealed surgical mask may be applied to a user's face with adhesive elements, thereby preventing transfer of potential contaminants to the user's ears. Additionally, the sealed surgical mask disclosed herein may present a cheaper alternative to conventional respirators (e.g., a N95 Respirator, etc.).
Referring now to
Protective surface 110 may include folds 112 and shape elements 114 and 116. Folds 112 may facilitate loosely forming protective surface 110 to a user's face. For example, folds 112 may facilitate deformation of protective surface 110 to enable non-sealed mask 110 to be worn by a user with a large nose. Shape elements 114 and 116 may facilitate adjusting a shape of protective surface 110. In various embodiments, shape elements 114 include semi-rigid elements. For example, shape elements 114 may include a malleable metallic strip that a user may manipulate to adjust a shape of protective surface 110. In some embodiments, shape elements 114 may facilitate creating a partial seal between a top portion of protective surface 110 and a user's face (e.g., a partial seal along a nasal bridge of a user, etc.). However, non-sealed mask 100 may be substantially loose-fitting (e.g., provide an incomplete seal between a perimeter of protective surface 110 and a user's face), thereby facilitating respiration of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, etc.). Respiration of contaminants is undesirable for health and safety reasons, as would be appreciated by the person of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, in order to wear the non-sealed mask 110 as directed, training in proper procedures is needed.
Referring now to
Additionally or alternatively, sealed mask 200 may be used in non-healthcare environments (e.g., by individuals in public spaces, etc.). For example, individuals wishing for a cheaper alternative to conventional respiratory protection (e.g., a N95 Respirator, etc.) may use sealed mask 200. In various embodiments, sealed mask 200 includes a top 202 and a bottom 204. In various embodiments, during use top 202 may be positioned substantially over a user's nose (e.g., resting upon the nasal bridge, etc.). In various embodiments, during use bottom 204 may be positioned substantially under a user's chin (e.g., resting upon an upper neck region, etc.). Sealed mask 200 includes front side 206 and back side 208.
Sealed mask 200 is shown to include protective element 210. Protective element 210 is configured to create a physical barrier between a mouth and nose region of a user and an external region. Protective element 210 may be gas permeable to facilitate user breathing. In various embodiments, protective element 210 is selectively permeable to facilitate filtering respiratory air. For example, protective element 210 may facilitate respiratory gasses (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.) to pass through protective element 210 but may prevent (e.g., filter, etc.) various contaminants (e.g., germs, bacteria, viruses, harmful particulate matter, etc.) from passing through protective element 210.
In various embodiments, sealed mask 200 has a shape and size to facilitate covering a mouth and nose region of a user. However, it should be understood that sealed mask 200 may have many shapes and/or sizes that facilitate covering a mouth and nose region of a user (e.g., to accommodate all shapes and sizes of faces) and that all such embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, protective element 210 is or includes a textile material. For example, protective element 210 may be made of a cotton material. As another example, protective element 210 may be made of a paper material. In various embodiments, protective element 210 includes multiple materials. For example, protective element 210 may include a first layer made of a non-woven fabric, a second layer made of a melt-blown material, and a third layer made of a non-woven fabric. The material composition of sealed mask 200 is discussed in detail below with reference to
Protective element 210 is shown to include shape element 212, vents 214, and adhesive elements 216 and 218. Shape element 212 may facilitate forming protective element 210 to a user's face. For example, shape elements 212 may include pleats and/or folds that allow a user to expand protective element 210 such that is covers a mouth and nose region. Vents 214 may facilitate gas permeation through protective element 210. In various embodiments, vents 214 are a circular portion of mesh or gas-permeable fabric. As shown in
Adhesive elements 216 and 218 are configured to facilitate application of sealed mask 200 to a user's face (e.g., bonding a surface of sealed mask 200 to the user's face, etc.). In various embodiments, adhesive elements 216 and 218 are located around a partial perimeter of protective element 210 (e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, sealed mask 200 optionally includes earloops (e.g., to facilitate application to user's with a full-face beard, etc.). In some embodiments, sealed mask 200 includes a chemical cartridge and/or canister to facilitate air filtering.
Referring now to
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The term “coupled” and variations thereof, as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of sealed mask 200 and the components thereof as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Additionally, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed herein. Although only one example of an element from one embodiment that can be incorporated or utilized in another embodiment has been described above, it should be appreciated that other elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated or utilized with any of the other embodiments disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A surgical facemask, comprising:
- a textile element configured to cover a mouth and nose region of a user; and
- an adhesive element applied to a perimeter of the textile element and configured to secure the textile element to a face of the user; and
- wherein application of the surgical facemask using the adhesive element seals the mouth and nose region of the user from an exterior region such that particulate cannot traverse between the mouth and nose region and the exterior region without permeating the textile element.
2. The surgical facemask of claim 1, wherein the surgical facemask does not include earloops.
3. The surgical facemask of claim 1, wherein the adhesive element is a glue that bonds the textile element to skin.
4. The surgical facemask of claim 1, wherein the textile element includes a first non-woven layer, a second filter layer, and a third non-woven layer.
5. The surgical facemask of claim 1, wherein the textile element facilitates transmission of respiratory gases between the mouth and nose region and the exterior region.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 24, 2021
Publication Date: Sep 30, 2021
Applicant: NCLOSD MASKS LLC (Chevy Chase, MD)
Inventor: NICHOLAS MICHALAK (McLean, VA)
Application Number: 17/210,736