I have wanted my own fuel cell for about 20 years. I just didn't think I would get one just to breathe. Does this mean we are accepting masks as "permanent"?
These Engineers Just Solved the Biggest Problem with N95 Masks
Not bad for a couple of guys who usually create fuel cells for next-gen cars.
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As the majority of the U.S. population embraces N95 respirators and cloth masks, people with pre-existing respiratory issues are at a crossroads.
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Do they don the masks to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 (coronavirus), or do they risk possibly permanently damaging their lungs due to oxygen restriction while wearing the protective covering?
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Mechanical engineers at Stanford have come up with a solution: N95 masks that protect from viruses and other microparticles, but also circulate oxygen.
"Through the COVID-19 crisis, many have become familiar with N95 masks, which filter out 95 percent or more of small particulate matter from the air–including the virus," Xu said in a press statement. "But in filtering those particles, the mask also makes it harder to breathe. N95 masks are estimated to reduce oxygen intake by anywhere from 5 to 20 percent. That’s significant, even for a healthy person."
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Not only can the masks cause dizziness and lightheadedness, Xu said, but they can also damage the lungs. For patients who already have respiratory complications, wearing a mask could be life-threatening. Then again, without a mask, heading out in public to stock up on groceries could also be a death sentence.
To solve this dilemma, Xu and Prinz are working on what they call "oxygen enrichment."
The two scientists regularly work on fuel cells for next-generation automobiles, so they're familiar with trying to achieve high levels of oxygen in a concentrated flow. In combustion and electrochemical fuel conversion, for example, high levels of oxygen are required to burn things. But because ambient air is really only 21 percent oxygen, it's necessary to isolate and concentrate the oxygen. In the case of face masks, Xu and Prinz have a goal to develop a portable device that can enrich oxygen from the surrounding air.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a32156952/stanford-redesign-n95-face-mask-covid-19/