Event Title
Novel Commercial Protective Face Mask Technology to Mitigate Disparities in Personal Safety
Start Date
28-6-2021 10:10 AM
End Date
28-6-2021 10:55 AM
Topic
Mitigating Outbreaks
Session Chair
Samantha Friedman
Abstract
Novel Commercial Protective Face Mask Technology to Mitigate Disparities in Personal Safety
Kevin Shah, I. Gherasoiu, M. Fasullo, and H. Efstathiadis
The current health emergency is caused by a coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, that is believed to be transmitted with preponderance through aerosolized virions. For the medical personnel and for the public at large, the use of effective and safe face masks is part of the arsenal of measures that can limit the spread of the respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Thus, there is a critical need for a filtration device able to retain or deactivate all biological agents irrespective of size, that should be reliable, mechanically robust and reusable for hundreds or thousands of times after simple cleaning, while the fabrication process should be capable of producing large numbers of such filtering elements, fast, at low cost and using pre-installed technology in U.S. based facilities. Towards addressing this need, this project proposes the use of high intensity electric fields to inactivate the virus. This new approach uses the interaction between an external electric field and the field produced by the uneven electron density of the molecules that makeup the viral envelope. The design of the filter cartridge allows the generation of extremely intense electric fields of up to 4.5 MV/m. The operation of such a device while able to destroy viral particles will not endanger the safety of the user. The interaction primarily enables the disruption of the molecular integrity leading to the impairment of the viral ability to connect to the cellular membrane and infect. The main objective of this proposal is to fabricate and test an electrostatic air filter that can be integrated with commercially available respirators and face masks that are suitable for personnel exposed to biological agents. A reusable face mask with a battery-operated electrostatic filter element can be both medical equipment provided to care facilities as well as a consumer project. A consumer technology such as this will ensure that anyone can have access to an effective, affordable, protective face covering. This will be instrumental in eliminating the disparities in the quality of equipment available for personal health and safety. The successful completion of the project will have a great impact on preventing the spread of viruses including COVID-19. The main impact will be the fabrication of multi-purpose filtering elements using existing semiconductor manufacturing base in U.S.A., to be integrated with commercial respirators, leading to the elimination of the need for non-reusable face masks. The shortage of such masks reported in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic in the USA and also in other countries is still affecting the safety of regular citizens and that of the essential personnel including the medical personnel. This shortage led to the “War of Mask” as it is still called, i.e., governments biding on the mask price and competing with each other. The global face mask market size was valued at $206 million in 2018, and in a 2020 projection the market value will surpass $21 Billion by 2026.
Author Bio
(Presenter)
Kevin Shah was an undergraduate student at University of Albany in the CNSE Nanoengineering program with a concentration in Energy & Environment Applications. Successfully graduating in 2018, he was accepted as a graduate student at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the CNSE Masters’ Nanoengineering program in 2019. A fan of science fiction, he entered this field in hopes of being a part of the development of innovative and revolutionary new technologies. He was especially interested in renewable energy sources and conducted research into improving solar cell efficiencies. He is working on an electrostatic filter for face masks for the completion of his masters’ thesis. This project began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with the idea that the mask shortages that affected the medical industry could be solved by developing a reusable face mask that protects its wearer by inactivating airborne viruses. The interdisciplinary aspects of conducting viral titers to determine reduction in infectivity and developing the lithography and design for the microfilter makes this an engaging and challenging project.
Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu has joined SUNY Polytechnic Institute in 2014, as assistant professor in the College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology where he is teaching courses in the areas of nanotechnology and of the efficient energy conversion. Dr. Gherasoiu is also mentoring and supervising the research activity of undergraduate and graduate students. Education Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Texas Tech University, TX. 2004 M.S., Industrial Engineering, Texas Tech University, TX. 2000 M.S., Electrical Engineering, “Politehnica” University, Bucharest, Romania, 1987 Professional Appointments and Past Research Dr. Gherasoiu started his career in the field of renewable energies after graduating from “Politehnica” University in Bucharest, Romania in 1987 with M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Following graduation, Dr. Gherasoiu has joined the Photovoltaic Group of the National Research Institute for Electrical Engineering in Bucharest, Romania where he has been active in various research and management positions. At Texas Tech University Dr. Gherasoiu’s research was concerned with the study of molecular beam epitaxy of III-Nitride semiconductors on Silicon using metal-organic sources (MOMBE) and the development of high-brightness light-emitting diodes (HB-LEDs) using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of III-Nitride semiconductor materials. After receiving his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University, Dr. Gherasoiu began working with the Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Division of Veeco Instruments where he has developed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) on silicon, and MBE equipment for plasma assisted and ammonia growth of Nitride semiconductors. In 2008 Dr. Gherasoiu joined Rosestreet Labs Energy in Phoenix, AZ, a startup company originating at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Here, together with his colleagues at Berkeley National Laboratory, he has spent a few years developing full spectrum solar cells and other optoelectronic devices based on InGaN-on-Silicon semiconductors and has been the principal investigator for two DARPA grants that have received a combined of $900,000 in federal and private funds. At Rosestreet Labs Dr. Gherasoiu has demonstrated the first operating tandem solar cell GaN/Silicon and has developed nano-structured, long-wave light emitting diodes (LED) on silicon using plasma-assisted MBE epitaxial growth. From 2011 to 2013 Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu has worked with Sumika Electronic Materials and Element Blue Technology in Phoenix, AZ where he has developed MOCVD fabrication processes for InGaP/InGaAs/Ge, multi-junction solar cells, GaAs/InGaAs pseudomorphic HEMTs and InAlGaP alloys for vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes.
Dr. Michael Fasullo is an Associate Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute and an adjunct professor in the School of Public Health, SUNY at Albany. He is a member of the RNA Institute at SUNY Albany. Michael obtained his B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, where he studied molecular biology. A major emphasis of his work has been investigating mechanisms by which cell cycle checkpoints suppress radiation and carcinogen-associated genome instability, a hallmark of carcinogenesis. His current interest is to identify DNA repair genes that confer resistance to food carcinogens. His interest in translational research originated from a project to investigate whether herpes simplex oncolytic viruses could be useful in the treatment of breast cancer. His research has been funded by governmental agencies, including National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Defense, and by private granting agencies, including the March of Dimes and Leukemia Research Foundation. He actively collaborates with a broad range of international scientists and has participated in interdisciplinary panels sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences Keck Futures Initiative, including The Genomic Revolution -- Implications for Treatment and Control of Infectious Disease (2006), Nuclear Technologies (2013), and Grand Challenges (2016). He continually advocates for research and pre- and postdoctoral training as a reviewer on National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) review panels. Besides an active researcher, his excellence in teaching genetic toxicology and biochemistry was recognized by the undergraduate student association for SUNY Polytechnic Institute in 2021.
Dr. Efstathiadis’ is an Associate Professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. He leads research programs in advanced photovoltaic technologies, lithium ion batteries, and IR sensors. Managed research and development projects in fuel cells, cryogenic power electronics, hydrogen production, superconductors, and nanoelectronics. Performed experimental research on thin films and devices including developing new deposition tools as well as novel materials for renewable energy devices. He is also expert in characterization of thin film surfaces, interfaces, and bulk optical, electrical, and chemical properties by optical-, electron-, ion-, and x-ray spectroscopies and electrical measurements, as well device fabrication and testing. Worked preparing technology and collaboration plans. Cultivated partnerships with industrial partners in several technology areas.
Document Type
Extended Abstract
Novel Commercial Protective Face Mask Technology to Mitigate Disparities in Personal Safety
Novel Commercial Protective Face Mask Technology to Mitigate Disparities in Personal Safety
Kevin Shah, I. Gherasoiu, M. Fasullo, and H. Efstathiadis
The current health emergency is caused by a coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, that is believed to be transmitted with preponderance through aerosolized virions. For the medical personnel and for the public at large, the use of effective and safe face masks is part of the arsenal of measures that can limit the spread of the respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Thus, there is a critical need for a filtration device able to retain or deactivate all biological agents irrespective of size, that should be reliable, mechanically robust and reusable for hundreds or thousands of times after simple cleaning, while the fabrication process should be capable of producing large numbers of such filtering elements, fast, at low cost and using pre-installed technology in U.S. based facilities. Towards addressing this need, this project proposes the use of high intensity electric fields to inactivate the virus. This new approach uses the interaction between an external electric field and the field produced by the uneven electron density of the molecules that makeup the viral envelope. The design of the filter cartridge allows the generation of extremely intense electric fields of up to 4.5 MV/m. The operation of such a device while able to destroy viral particles will not endanger the safety of the user. The interaction primarily enables the disruption of the molecular integrity leading to the impairment of the viral ability to connect to the cellular membrane and infect. The main objective of this proposal is to fabricate and test an electrostatic air filter that can be integrated with commercially available respirators and face masks that are suitable for personnel exposed to biological agents. A reusable face mask with a battery-operated electrostatic filter element can be both medical equipment provided to care facilities as well as a consumer project. A consumer technology such as this will ensure that anyone can have access to an effective, affordable, protective face covering. This will be instrumental in eliminating the disparities in the quality of equipment available for personal health and safety. The successful completion of the project will have a great impact on preventing the spread of viruses including COVID-19. The main impact will be the fabrication of multi-purpose filtering elements using existing semiconductor manufacturing base in U.S.A., to be integrated with commercial respirators, leading to the elimination of the need for non-reusable face masks. The shortage of such masks reported in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic in the USA and also in other countries is still affecting the safety of regular citizens and that of the essential personnel including the medical personnel. This shortage led to the “War of Mask” as it is still called, i.e., governments biding on the mask price and competing with each other. The global face mask market size was valued at $206 million in 2018, and in a 2020 projection the market value will surpass $21 Billion by 2026.
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The recording of this presentation ends at 2:06:08