Engineers design new face mask that can detect COVID-19

Lahore, 4th Jully: A new face mask can diagnose COVID-19 in its wearer within 90 minutes.

According to reports, engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a prototype face mask that can diagnose the coronavirus infection in its wearer within 90 minutes.

There are tiny, disposable sensors fitted in the face mask that can further be embedded into other masks and could also be adapted to detect other viruses.

The research team has developed the sensors with freeze-dried cellular machinery which they had previously used in paper diagnostics for other viruses such as Ebola and Zika.

The sensors are placed on the inside of the mask, so they can detect viral particles in the breath of the person wearing the mask.

In their latest study, the researchers showed that the sensors could be built in not only face masks but also other clothing such as lab coats too in order to provide safety to health care workers against pathogens or other threats.

James Collins, the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science in MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) and the Department of Biological Engineering and the senior author of the study said, “We’ve demonstrated that we can freeze-dry a broad range of synthetic biology sensors to detect viral or bacterial nucleic acids, as well as toxic chemicals, including nerve toxins. We envision that this platform could enable next-generation wearable biosensors for first responders, health care personnel, and military personnel.”

The sensors inside the face mask are designed in such a manner that they can be activated by the person whenever he wants to perform the COVID-19 test and the results are displayed on the inside of the mask for the user’s privacy.