Researchers from the San Alberto Magno Translational Centre (CITSAM-UCV) led by professor Angel Serrano have created an intelligent fabric for these masks.
The Catholic University of Valencia and Visor Medical, a Valencian manufacturer of preventive health technology for innovation, have developed a type IIR surgical mask with intelligent fabric that can instantly deactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus, which causes COVID19.
The intelligent fabric used in these masks was developed by a team of CITSAM-UCV researchers led by professor Angel Serrano. In addition to deactivating the SARS-COV-2 virus, the fabric also neutralizes other enveloped viruses, such as the flu virus, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, which are methicillin-resistant.
According to CEO Maravillas Viudes of Visor Medical, the line of UCV Research-Visormed surgical masks with intelligent fabric will be available in both adult and child sizes. These intelligent masks, manufactured in accordance with the UNE-EN European standard, will be available for purchase in the coming days.
These intelligent masks are part of the alliance between both entities with the commitment to serve society in its fight against the pandemic. A commitment that became a reality last May when the FFPCOVID MASK was launched and which is now complete with the surgical masks, which are very affordable so that all families can access them.
According to Serrano, this new health technology represents a “step forward” in pandemic protection because the traditional masks used by the majority of the population “do not have antimicrobial properties and only prevent the virus from reaching the respiratory tract.”
“We wanted to go further and develop a mask that also had the ability to destroy the virus as soon as it comes into contact with the fabric. We also saw that our filter was effective against multi-resistant bacteria that cannot be destroyed with antibiotics and represent a threat, especially for health staff”.
“Furthermore, these masks have the advantage of protecting in two directions: protecting healthy people from becoming infected and keeping infected people from releasing as many active viruses. As it inactivates most of the microorganisms we expel when speaking, it also has the benefit of being a technology that leads to significantly less infectious waste from being produced,” he added.