BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 07: A Chinese woman holds her dog that is wearing a protective mask as well as they stand in the street on February 7, 2020 in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 31000 in mainland China Friday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medical experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have put travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and municipalities in other parts of the country affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 636 on Friday, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China. (Image: Getty).
Ford announced on Feb. 2 that they were working on new, clear N95 masks and low-cost air filtration kits.
The company described the new masks as “transparent, low-cost, reusable respirators [that] enable a full range of human expression,” emphasizing their utility for people that need to see people’s faces to communicate. Ford’s statement said they are good options for people who are teachers, in sales or traveling by air.
“One of the things that’s missing during the pandemic is the power of a smile,” said Jim Baumbick, Ford vice president, enterprise product line management and leader of Ford’s Project Apollo personal protective equipment manufacturing effort. “This clear respirator promises to improve interactions between neighbors, at the store and for those who have hearing impairments.”
Baumbick said they are using the proceeds from other healthcare products they manufacture to create the clear respirators and air filtration kits.
Ford said they received patent pending approval for the mask design. They are testing the respirators this winter and expect them to become available starting in the spring.
They are also working on home air filtration kits to help supplement a room’s existing air filtration system. Ford’s statement said the kits are based on scientific studies from academic and governmental research.
The kit comes with a die-cut cardboard base, a 20-inch box fan and a 20x20x4 air filter with a standard minimum efficiency reporting value of 13.The filter is placed in the base and the fan is placed on top. Ford tested the kits using smoke particulate testing at an independent lab. The tests showed that the unit provides a clean-air discharge rate of 213 cubic feet per minute.
Ford collaborated with the University of Minnesota to conduct aerosol modeling studies in classroom sized spaces that showed increasing air filtration led to a lower particle concentration. Ford said the impact of the unit depends on where it’s placed and the size of the room. Their studies show that two air cleaner units in a 960-square-foot room can triple the air changes per hour compared to what a building HVAC system alone would clean, refreshing the air 4.5 times per hour.
“Our modeling results clearly show that improvements in air filtration of poorly ventilated spaces through the proper use of a portable air cleaner can help reduce the chance of breathing in contaminated aerosols,” said Dr. Jiarong Hong, mechanical engineering professor in the University of Minnesota’s college of science and engineering.
They said they plan to donate 20,000 air filtration kits to underserved communities. Ford is also offering a free, downloadable base design that people can make at home out of a cardboard box.
Ford launched Project Apollo in March to help manufacture face masks, ventilators and face shields for frontline workers.
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