Abstract
We are in a crisis where healthcare providers on the frontlines are running out of the appropriate personal protective equipment including N95 masks and power air-purifying respirators. Here, we propose a makeshift filter mask that we call the Modified Airway from VEntilatoR Circuit (MAVerIC) that can be assembled within seconds using widely available supplies routinely utilized by anesthesia providers in the operating room to provide practitioners on the frontlines with the high standard of protection of a N95 mask during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and can be easily quantitatively “fit tested” to ensure no significant leak to optimize safety and efficacy.
Highlights
We are in a crisis where healthcare providers on the frontlines are running out of the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 masks and power air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) [1]
We propose a makeshift filter mask, which we call the Modified Airway from VEntilatoR Circuit (MAVerIC), that can be assembled within seconds using widely available supplies routinely utilized by anesthesia providers in the operating room (OR) to provide practitioners on the frontlines with the high standard of protection of a N95 mask during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and can be quantitatively “fit tested” to ensure no significant leak to optimize safety and efficacy
Unlike a standard N95 mask, this makeshift N95 equivalent facemask has the important added benefit of confirming the absence of a leak by attaching the facemask to an ambu bag or OR ventilator, setting the airway pressure release value (i.e. “pop-off” valve) to 20 cm H2O, closing one’s mouth and breath holding to create a closed circuit, and confirming there is no significant leak around the mask, or breathing out to maintain a pressure > 20 cm H2O for a prolonged period of time (Video 1)
Summary
We are in a crisis where healthcare providers on the frontlines are running out of the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 masks and power air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) [1]. We propose a makeshift filter mask, which we call the Modified Airway from VEntilatoR Circuit (MAVerIC), that can be assembled within seconds using widely available supplies routinely utilized by anesthesia providers in the operating room (OR) to provide practitioners on the frontlines with the high standard of protection of a N95 mask during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and can be quantitatively “fit tested” to ensure no significant leak to optimize safety and efficacy. The “HEPA filters” are orderable and attachable filters that can be taken off and exchanged on this novel face mask These filters can remove greater than 99.97% of particles sized 0.3 microns and 100% of larger sized particles [3] which is much greater than a standard N95 mask which if worn properly removes 95% of particles 0.3 microns or greater [4]. The soft, balloon-like cushion of our facemask allows it to conform to an individual’s face and can be adjusted by inflating or deflating the mask with a syringe to obtain a better fit
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