WHY USE A NANOMASK®? N95 masks are not effective against any particulate, virus, or bacteria smaller than .3 microns, and thus a waste of money if you buy an N95 mask for the purpose of blocking H5N1 or any influenza virus.
N95 masks will give you a false sense of security if you use them against H5N1 or any virus for that matter. We can wholeheartedly recommend one mask that offers much better protection. It's called the NanoMask® and it's manufactured by Emergency Filtration, Las Vegas, NV.

NANOMASKS

Why are masks necessary?

There are two reasons for using protective masks when a disease that particularly affects the respiratory system, breaks out. The first reason is to protect ourselves from respiratory secretions of another person who has a highly contagious respiratory illness, like bird flu, or is suspected of a respiratory infection. The second reason is to reduce the quantity of secretion from an affected person to prevent contaminating the environment.

Who should wear a Nanomasks?

Nanomasks are most useful for healthcare workers and selected high-risk groups among the general public. Masks, in the case of bird flu, are also useful for poultry workers and health officials dealing with infected birds, which may have the deadly strain of the influenza virus. Nanomasks are the first line of defense against bird flu or any other infectious disease transmitted through droplets. If you are not vaccinated against influenza and are at a high risk of getting infected, you are advised to wear a nanomask during periods of increased respiratory illness in the community. Take off the mask once the threat is reduced. .

Are there masks for children?

At present, there are no validated masks specifically for children. Also, an adult mask will not fit a child. . Moreover, a child’s nasal aperture is much smaller and air flowing around the non-contact areas of the mask may allow impure air into the respiratory passage. However, masks for children are under testing phase and would be available soon.

What are the types of protective masks?

Protective masks are of three types. The first type is surgical masks which are easily available and commonly used for routine surgical and examination procedures. The second type is the high-filtration respiratory mask that has a special microstructure filter disc to flush out particles bigger than 0.3 micron. These masks are further classified as below:
• P class - these are oil proof
• R class - these are oil resistant
• N class - these are not resistant to oil.
The more a mask is resistant to oil, the better it is.
The P, R & N masks have numbers beside them that indicate their filtration efficiency. For example, a N95 mask has 95% efficiency in filtering out particles greater than 0.3 micron under normal rate of respiration.
The next generation of masks introduced to meet the challenges posed by bird flu is the newly-developed Nanomasks. These nanomasks boast of latest technologies like 2H filtration and nanotechnology, which are capable of blocking particles as small as 0.027 micron.

What is a N95 mask? What are its limitations?
A N95 mask is a high-filtration respirator mask. It is capable of filtering particles, such as bacteria and virus, greater than 0.3 micron in size. The mask has a filtering disc, which can be replaced after a single use. This disc captures the infectious particles but doesn’t destroy them. N95 masks offer effective protection for a short period.

However, N95 have limitations. Most of the infectious viruses are smaller than the maximum filtering capacity of these masks. Moreover, the mask only traps filtered products without neutralizing the virulence of the infectious particle.

N95 do not have a proper moisture management system. With the help of the moisture from the exhaled air, the trapped bacteria and viruses survive. The organisms may slowly penetrate the substance of the filtration disc and become a threat to the user. The viruses are also capable of contaminating any material they come in contact with.

The masks tend to loose efficiency when the disc accumulates moisture because of obstruction to airflow.

What kind of mask can actually protect against bird flu?

Bacterial and viral nanostructure:
N95 type masks can ward of organisms as small as 300 nanometer (one nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter). This is efficient for diseases spread by bacteria like tuberculosis. Viruses such as the bird flu ones are much smaller than 300 nanometers. Some of the most troublesome ones like the virus strain H5N1 are less than 150 nanometers in size.
- Bacteriophage (MS) 220nm
- Adenovirus 70nm
- HIV / (AIDS) 80nm
- Cytomegalovirus 100nm
- Orthomyxovirus(flu) 120nm
- Coronavirus (SARS) 80nm - 160nm
Hence, a rather rigorous filtration mechanism is needed to keep them off.

Can Nanomasks meet these exacting requirements?
Nanomasks are the next dimension in bioharzard protection. Nanomasks are an improvement over the N95 mask in several ways:
Nanofilters:
Nanofilters are different from ordinary filters in respirator masks, provided with a fine coating of nanoparticles. These particles are placed very closely, making it difficult for micro-organisms to pass through. Nanoparticles are also coupled with eradicating agents (active chlorine complexes), which help in destroying trapped pathogenic organisms.
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic filters (2H technology):A synergy of filters that achieve exponentially increase filtration form the basis of Nanomasks.

Hydrophobic Filters
Hydrophobic filter media is commonly used in airways management and typically composed of synthetic fibers like polypropylene. Because the fibers are hydrophobic, they do not absorb moisture from airflow. Moisture and particulates collect on the fiber surfaces or pass through the filter.

Hydrophilic Filters
Hydrophilic filters are designed to absorb and retain moisture and air-borne microbes without compromising airflow efficiency. Although they are efficient, they provide better viral and bacterial filtration efficiency when combined with hydrophobic filters. The moisture and particulates migrating through the hydrophobic filters are contained within the hydrophilic layer of filtration. Each filter dramatically enhances the other’s efficiency acting in concert to achieve very high levels of performance and protection.

Moisture Management:
Hence, managing the moisture output is an essential aspect of infection control, especially when the filtering device has to be used for a prolonged period. The organisms survive in the mask and tend to migrate through filters that do not have an effective moisture management system. Nanomasks developed with the 2H technology are highly efficient at controlling the moisture retained while breathing through them.

‘Arrest and eradication’ function:
Masks have evolved beyond mere particular trapping mechanisms. The Nanomasks not only filter these pathogens but also destroy them with their ‘Arrest and Eradication’ function. These masks have a fine nanoparticle coating which aid in efficient filtration. The nanoparticle coating joins with chlorine atoms complexes to achieve clinically acceptable levels of asepsis.

What are the other advantages of a Nanomask?
Nanomasks are smaller, easier to wear and reusable. Only the core filtration disc has to be replaced. Their wide flanges fit well and do not have any air leaks. They have a longer shelf life and are superior to masks previously developed.

What kind of statistical data is available on Nanomasks?
Nanomasks have been proven to be the protection need against bird flu. Lab experiments have proven this in all parameters used to measure protective masks.
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Particulate filtration efficiency:

Filtration efficiency is the measurement of a filter’s capacity to remove particulates, like virus and bacterium, from air as it flows through the filter. Filtration efficiency is expressed as a percentage of efficiency and is affected by factors like sizes of the particulates to be filtered, volume of air and duration of use.

An N-95 rated mask, for example, is 95% efficient in removing particles with a median diameter of approximately 0.3 micron at a volume of 85 liters per minute. A Nanomask is 99% efficient in filtering particulates as small as 27 nanometers.

Delta P value:

Delta P value is the ease with which you can breathe while wearing a particular type of mask. The greater the Delta P value, the easier it is to breathe through that mask.

For example, surgical masks have a Delta P value of 3.0 and high filtration respirator masks have a value of 5.0. A low Delta P value also makes it easier to communicate while wearing a mask. It also eliminates airflow resistance, thereby reducing air leak through sides of the mask while breathing in. Nanomasks are small and fit properly. Besides protecting, they have an improved airflow system to ease breathing and talking. .

Nanomasks have the best filtration efficiency, a useful Delta P value, additional moisture management as well as ‘Arrest and Eradication’ functions. Hence, these undoubtedly offer advanced protection against deadly pathogens like the bird flu virus.

What are the general guidelines of using protective masks?
- A mask must be handled only by using tapes. Masks must never be worn around the neck
- If a mask becomes wet, it is no longer able to filter out micro-organisms and hence offers no protection to the user
- When not in use, the mask should be hung up by the straps where it will not be able contaminate anything. You don’t need to wear the mask if you are not with patients. Do not place the mask in plastic or other types of bags as it will contaminate the interior of the bags, thereby infecting you when you try to remove it
- While putting on the nanomask again, wear a pair of gloves and position the mask. Remove the gloves and wash your hands before putting on the rest of the protective equipments
- When the nanomask is no longer required (when the shift ends or the mask becomes wet or contaminated or touched) it must be disposed of into the infectious waste bin for incineration

Taking care of the Nanomask:
You should be able to wear the mask for 6-8 hours.

However, if any of the following occurs, the nanomask must be changed:
o If you touch it
o If it is grossly contaminated
o If it becomes wet for any other reason
o If it becomes hard to breath through