AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Date:
September 29, 2021
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Researchers have developed a dynamic respirator that modulates its
pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or
air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier when
the highest levels of filtration are not required.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== During the coronavirus pandemic, many people have grown accustomed to
wearing face masks to protect themselves and others, but that doesn't
mean the masks are always comfortable -- especially during exercise. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nanohave developed a dynamic respirator
that modulates its pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier
when the highest levels of filtration are not required.


==========================================================================
Face masks protect against the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19,
but they are also worn by people with respiratory problems to filter
out harmful pollutants. However, in some circumstances, high levels of filtration aren't needed, such as when air pollution levels are low,
or when someone is exercising outdoors alone -- which is generally
considered a low-risk activity for spreading COVID-19. But current masks
can't adjust to changing conditions.

With time, the trapped, exhaled breath can create sensations of heat,
humidity, bad breath and discomfort, especially as more breath gets
exhaled during exercise. Seung Hwan Ko and colleagues wanted to make a respirator that could automatically adjust its filtration characteristics
in response to changing conditions.

The researchers developed a dynamic air filter with micropores
that expand when the filter is stretched, allowing more air to pass
through. A large increase in the breathability of the filter, which was
made of electrospun nanofibers, was achieved with only about a 6% loss
in filtration efficiency. The team then placed a stretcher around the
filter that was connected to a lightweight, portable device containing
a sensor, air pump and microcontroller chip. The device communicates
wirelessly with an external computer running artificial intelligence
(AI) software that reacts to particulate matter in the air, as well as
changes in the wearer's respiratory patterns during exercise. Two of
the filters were placed on each side of a face mask and tested on human volunteers. The stretcher correctly generated a smaller increase in pore
size when a volunteer exercised in a polluted atmosphere than when they exercised in clean air. Notably, the AI software allows the respirator to
adapt to individuals' unique respiratory characteristics, which could be
used to develop a personalized face mask, the researchers say. To make
the system smaller, lighter and less cumbersome, the stretcher could
eventually be redesigned to have a pump-free mechanism, they add.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Research Foundation
of Korea.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jaeho Shin, Seongmin Jeong, Jinmo Kim, Yun Young Choi, Joonhwa
Choi, Jae
Gun Lee, Seongyoon Kim, Munju Kim, Yoonsoo Rho, Sukjoon Hong,
Jung-Il Choi, Costas P. Grigoropoulos, and Seung Hwan Ko. Dynamic
Pore Modulation of Stretchable Electrospun Nanofiber Filter for
Adaptive Machine Learned Respiratory Protection. ACS Nano, Sept. 29,
2021; DOI: 10.1021/ acsnano.1c06204 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210929080258.htm

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