Reusable snorkel masks adapted as particulate respirators

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Disease Control
• Occupational Safety

Background:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE), including filtering facepiece (FFP) masks and eye protection, is crucial for healthcare workers during viral pandemics.
• Concerns exist regarding the global supply and protective efficacy of current PPE strategies.
• Full-face snorkel masks present an alternative for adaptation into respiratory protection devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt full-face snorkel masks into effective respiratory protection using 3D-printed connectors and medical-grade filters.
• To compare the protective performance of adapted snorkel masks against standard PPE (FFP3 masks and eye protection).

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of snorkel masks with 3D-printed connectors for high-grade medical respiratory filters.
• Placebo-controlled respirator filtering tests involving 56 subjects.
• Fluorescent droplet deposition experiments to assess protection against liquid particles.

Main Results:

• 75% of subjects passed filtering tests with the adapted snorkel mask versus 55% with FFP3 masks (p = 0.003).
• Amongst subjects not excluded by placebo control, 85% passed filtering tests with the snorkel mask compared to 68% with FFP3 masks (p = 0.008).
• Snorkel masks showed significantly superior protection against droplet deposition (3.19x10^8 vs. 6.81x10^8 fluorescence units, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Adapted full-face snorkel masks provide enhanced protection against aerosol inhalation and droplet deposition compared to standard PPE.
• This adaptation represents a promising and potentially more effective PPE solution for healthcare workers during highly contagious viral outbreaks.
• 3D printable adaptors are freely available online, facilitating wider adoption.