COVID-19: IIT-Delhi's women brigade invents N Safe anti-microbial masks that can be washed, reused upto 50 times
May 07, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 7 Face masks, which have become a ubiquity since the outbreak of the COVID-19, may continue to be opted for by people, even after an easing of lockdown restrictions imposed to stem the curb of the virus.
Be it homemade varieties in a riot of colours or the more distinctive surgical masks and the expensive N95 ones- the demand for masks are here to remain, according to experts, as a grim reminder of the times we live in.
For this, a technology startup that has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) has developed a new affordable and efficient face mask named N-Safe.
"The N-Safe mask is special as it has antimicrobial properties and is washable up to 50 times," said Dr Anusuya Roy, an IIT Delhi Alumnus and Founder and CEO of the startup, Nano safe Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Roy pointed out that the triple-layered mask has been certified from a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab with certification up to 99.2 per cent efficiency for bacterial filtration.
"The mask is a triple-layered one with a hydrophilic cotton inner layer followed by a middle antimicrobial layer and a final outer filtration layer that is oil and water repellent and designed to repel the virus," said Professor Dr Mangala Joshi, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi.
According to Dr Anusuya currently, 5000 masks are being produced per day but the operations are being scaled up to produce 10,000 masks in next two to three days. "We are targeting about five lakh pieces a month," she said.
The N-Safe masks are available online at the company site of Nanosafesolutions.
"The cost of one pack which contains two masks is Rs.299 and cost for a batch of four masks is Rs 598," said Dr Joshi.
Dr Roy said: "We have seen that there is a problem of disposal of masks as people use single-use and throw masks. even N95 masks and surgical masks are all single-use masks because people buy at a premium price ."
"People tend to reuse it which is a wrong practice and it actually causes more harm than good. In this we have used re-usability component in the mask and disposal issue or greatly solve," she added.
