IIT Hyderabad USafe Healthcare launches worlds most affordable respirator mask

The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT H) on Tuesday launched a US9 respiratory mask, which is said to be better than the N95 mask in protection and costs about Rs 13 per day.

Manufactured by USafe Healthcare, a latest entrepreneurial entity from the Centre for Healthcare Entrepreneurship, IIT H, the firm is said to have developed and commercialized the world’s most affordable respirator mask that is highly durable and adheres to the highest safety standards for operating in hazardous environments.

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“USafe’s US9 Respirator Mask has 98.03% PM0.3 filtration rate and 99.7% bacterial filtration rate, which is better than N95 standards. It can substantially be more effective in protection against the COVID-19 virus than the present masks in the market,” said Sai Laxman Bharadwaj, the company’s Co-founder & Technical Director. He said that the mask, along with 10 complementary filters, cost about Rs 499.

“A pack of 30 filters cost Rs 399,” said Bharadwaj. “It creates value for the consumer by offering a fresh N95 standard equivalent mask every day at as low as Rs 13, making it a path-breaking affordable innovation adding that they are currently supplying the product to top hospitals in Hyderabad and are planning to make US9 Respirator Mask available pan-India.

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The makers said that the filtration for the filter cartridges in the respirator has been certified by the South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), a NABL designated agency for particulate and bacterial filtration testing in India. The mask has been designed for a snug fit with a complete silicone seal, which has been reinforced by the fit tests carried out at IIT Hyderabad using an infrared camera.

Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, Telangana, who launched the product on Tuesday, said that this is yet another significant contribution from IIT Hyderabad and the state of Telangana towards fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Innovation of reusability in US9 Respirator Mask not only reduces the recurring cost but also drastically decreases the biowaste generated due to protective masks,” said Ranjan.

Courtesy: TOI

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