ExxonMobil and the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) on Thursday said they joined forces to develop and manufacture redesigned personal protection equipment for healthcare workers such as masks and shields that can be used multiple times. This is a response to the challenges from the current shortages of the equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exxon and GCMI redesigned a new industrial-style mask that improves protection to the worker’s nose and mouth. The new design can address shortages of N95 masks by utilizing a replaceable cartridge system of filtration fabrics. The filter is disposable, but the cartridge can be sterilized repeatedly. This design can prevent contact and virus transmission from the saturated filter.
The US Food and Drug Administration is currently testing and reviewing prototypes of the new mask design. Upon approval, manufacturers said they could produce up to 40,000 ready-to-use masks and filter cartridges every hour.
Another developed product is a face shield made of high-performance polymers. The polymers allow the shield to comply with the current visibility and safety standard. It can also be used and sterilized multiple times. Exxon and GCMI have already produced 50,000 of this new face shield and are distributed to hospitals in Atlanta and New York. They are ramping up production capacity to reach over 170,000 units/hour in the coming days.
