Researchers develop an invisible mask that zaps 99% of airborne pathogens

Taza Aya recently announced the successful development and testing of a new 'air curtain' technology. Taza Aya is a company that counts Herek Clack, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan, as one of its founders.

In the words of Herek Clack:

Our air curtain technology is precisely designed to protect wearers from airborne infectious pathogens, using treated air as a barrier in which any pathogens present have been inactivated so that they are no longer able to infect you if you breathe them in.

Although Taza Aya is aiming to release two products powered by this technology — one for industrial working environment and the other for everyday use, the focus is on the industrial model as the other one is well behind in development.

The industrial mask is scheduled for launch in December 2024 while the sister product is expected to storm the market anytime in 2025. If successful, this technology will revolutionize the industry of protective face wears.

The industrial mask has already undergone independent testing. The tests were conducted by Aerosol Research and Engineering Labs Inc., an institution that's been in the business for 15 years with headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas.

How it works

It uses an array of downward-facing nozzles attached to a protective hard hat which goes in a semi-circle from one ear to the other. These nozzles shoot air downward, creating an air curtain which protects the wearer from particles and pathogens in the air.

The air is supplied by the non-thermal plasma (NTP) module. The NTP module draws in and treats ambient air, neutralizing or removing pathogens that may be present in it, before sending the air on to the nozzles.

To use this product, you have to wear a backpack which weighs about 10 pounds and houses the NTP module, the battery pack and other components.

The non-thermal plasma technology, to put it in layman's terms, is a technology that uses cold flames (non-thermal plasma); NTPs have characteristics similar to a fire but are not hot (thermal).

Potential benefits of this technology

• Better comfort
• Ability to express oneself with facial expressions
• Clear field of view
• Obstruction of speech is less of an issue
  

While the world awaits the launch of this product, this Professional disinfectant fogger machine is available on Amazon.com now for $29.99.