While general facial expressions, hand gestures and someone’s eyes can tell you a lot, it’s no substitute for lip-reading which is what many rely on for vital clues as to what is being communicated. Imagine someone trying to convey complex medical information, symptoms or treatment decisions, when you can’t see what shapes their mouth is making, maybe you can’t even hear them. This is why it was essential if we were going to produce a mask we would design it so it would allow everyone to access the same quality of care from key workers.

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This core belief led us directly to create a mask with a large, round transparent front and curving transparent sides so their whole face could be seen. This achieves the dual purpose of helping those with difficulties get information from someone’s whole face, a key part of interpreting what they are saying and how they are feeling, while also making the mask airy and unobstructive for the user.

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In addition to being people-friendly, this mask is also environmentally-friendly by reducing the material required to make it to an absolute minimum. FFP2 mask filters are currently an extremely precious commodity. With this in mind, we designed this mask to reducing the filter material needed to just two small circles either side of the wearer’s mouth, making sure busy frontline healthcare workers still find it easy to breath. This means we can make every bit of material count and leave more for others.

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To combat the mountains of one-use masks which are already piling up in bins and on streets, the filter material is also designed to be replaceable, making these masks 99% reusable. Finally, we knew that sadly standard PPE does not always fit properly, particularly for women, reducing the amount of protection provided. To combat this, we provide a 3D-printed custom fit for each mask sent out. This ensures every mask forms a perfect seal on every user’s face, providing the best protection and comfort for every healthcare worker, as well as giving users as little reason as possible to not reuse the equipment.

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Without access to our 3D printing service, it would have been impossible for us to create this mask. Additive Manufacturing means more cost-effective prototyping which is also quicker, producing iterations 75% quicker than traditional methods. Identifying the correct material for the custom-fitting mask component with the right combination of strength and flexibility was also accelerated. Not to mention, it would also be next to impossible without 3D printing technology to manufacture the all-important custom fit which gives maximum and equal protection to every mask user.