Against Covid viruses: Thurgau SME produces highly effective protective mask
In the new Corona wave, the mask requirement is being extended again. In contrast to conventional disposable masks, masks that fit directly to the face offer much greater protection against covid viruses. A Thurgau SME has now developed one and had it scientifically tested.
Pascal Eggmann is a tinkerer. The Thurgau native developed his first Covid protective masks shortly after the lockdown in March 2020. The 34-year-old family man from Dozwil discovered that most hygiene and protective masks do not fit properly. Now, with his startup Unrepa, he is launching a mask that even exceeds the FFP2 standard many times over. Because it can be washed up to 50 times, the mask, called "LIVIPRO Evolution," is also more ecological than disposable masks.
Aerosols with covid viruses do not stand a chance
What makes the LIVIPRO Evolution special is its fit and the different sizes for children, women and men. "The best mask is of little use if ambient air enters on the side," says Eggmann. His solution: a skin-friendly silicone ring that closes the mask to the face. Aerosol researcher Ernest Weingartner, professor at the Institute for Sensor Technology and Electronics at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, confirms: "The right size of a mask and how it closes off on the side has a major influence on the protection of the wearer.
Filter efficiency of 99% scientifically confirmed
Pascal Eggmann wanted to know exactly and had the mask tested by the FHNW. "We tested many masks: The LIVIPRO Evolution was one of the best," says Ernest Weingartner. His tests show: Unwashed masks achieve a filter efficiency of 99% for particles with a diameter of around 300 nm (300 nanometers = 300 billionths of a meter). This is the particle size that is most difficult to filter, according to Weingartner. The smallest aerosols containing viruses in the air are in this size range. The independent Swiss testing and certification company Testex also confirms the high protective effect of the mask.
In use in municipalities, museums and at the SBB
The LIVIPRO masks are not only skin-friendly, but also have antiviral and antibacterial properties, according to the manufacturer. Swiss municipalities, museums and technical colleges are already equipping their employees with them. The masks are now also used by the SBB and in sports circles. So far, Eggmann has sold around 120,000 of them.
Even after repeated washing, the protective effect of Eggmann's mask hardly diminishes. "It generates 540 times less waste than conventional masks," says Pascal Eggmann, calculating the added ecological value. It is also important to the young entrepreneur that the materials for his masks require little water and pesticides during production. Eggmann has his masks manufactured in Horgen in the canton of Zurich, and they are shipped all over the world from the protected workshop of the Sonnhalde Foundation in Grüningen/ZH.
More information: Unrepa
