Hyderabad: At a time when surgical masks availability is dipping day-by-day and the COVID-19 pandemic is growing, Hyderabad innovator Shravan Gattu has developed a complete face protection mask which is breathable as well as washable.
Developed in less than three days, the mask has three layers with the outer layer having a vacuum filter bag material, the middle layer has an acrylic sheet combined with plastic that gives protection to head and eyes with perforation for nose and mouth. Finally, the inner-most layer is made of cotton and gives 74 per cent effectiveness against 1-micron particles and 70 per cent against .02 micron.
“The surgical masks that are available currently do not give 100 per cent protection as the neck, head and forehead are still susceptible to the virus. That is when I thought of making a mask that gives full protection and is also breathable and washable. After testing many prototypes, I finalised on this model which protects the individual from any kind of virus attack and is also reusable for 10 days on an average,” said 30-year-old Gattu, who has worked on 65 projects and is working as a research associate for a fertilizer company.
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Gattu is looking to give the research and making of the mask for free to manufacturers who are ready to donate the masks for free to required frontline workers. Each mask is priced at Rs 200 to Rs 250 and Gattu believes that for medical practitioners, this mask above the surgical mask will provide complete protection.
“Even if one person is benefited from this mask, then I will think that my job as an innovator has been achieved,” he says.