Ford uses his engineering skills to solve a thorny problem with the coronavirus: designing a medical-grade face mask that reveals the facial expressions of the wearers, and also allows people with hearing impairments to read the lips. The car manufacturer, which began to produce personal protective equipment from the beginning coronavirus pandemic, has developed a face mask with transparent panels that also filters most airborne particles.
“In those early days, everyone was learning what it was like to live in a masked environment. I quickly identified that while it is difficult for everyone to wear a mask all day, for people with hearing impairments, it is an even greater challenge, “Jim Baumbick, the leader in the effort to make Ford PPE equipment, told CBS MoneyWatch. “It inspired us to think about how we could help serve those people because we could [with a mask] you eliminate another sense they rely on for communication and connection. “
Baumbick also sees Ford’s potential for clear breathing to improve interactions between physicians and patients, as well as teachers and students.
Ford’s kindness
The mask is still under development and its filtering capacity has not yet been approved by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH). NIOSH-approved N95 respirators form a tight seal on the user’s face and filter at least 95% of airborne particles. Any mask that claims to be an N95 but does not bear the NIOSH approval stamp is considered inauthentic or counterfeit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While N95 respirators provide strong protection against coronavirus, they remain insufficient and are recommended for use only by healthcare workers. Manufacturer of health care and industrial products 3M recently acknowledged that it is still struggling to meet the demand of front-line workers, despite four times production in the US.
Ford expects the masks to be available in the spring, pending NIOSH certification. The company is currently focusing on respiratory testing, initially with first responders, medical workers and teachers. It is not yet clear how Ford masks are distributed and whether they will be available on a larger scale.
“We are pursuing the N95 certification and working with NIOSH to ensure that we go through the entire testing regime before bringing them to market,” Baumbick said.
Transparent plastic panels are coated with an anti-fog treatment and can be replaced, according to Ford. The panels are designed to provide a complete picture of the wearer’s face, while the side panels of the masks consist of an extremely efficient filter material, Baumbick said.
—CBS News, Michael Roppolo, contributed to the reporting