The highly sensitive face mask can detect the new bug in the air and alert the user via an app on their phone. It can also catch swine flu and bird flu. These diseases are spread through airborne droplets released by infected people when they talk, cough or sneeze. Tiny, invisible molecules can remain suspended in the air for a long time, and people catch diseases by breathing in a large cluster of molecules as they lurk. Researchers in China tested the mask in a closed chamber by spraying liquid containing virus proteins onto the face covering. The sensor responded to just 0.3 microliters of liquid. This is between 70 and 560 times less than the amount of fluid produced by a sneeze and even less than the amount produced by coughing or talking. The sensor contains aptamers, a type of synthetic molecule that can recognize proteins in pathogens. They tested their model with aptamers that can recognize Covid-19, swine flu and bird flu. Once the aptamers attached to the viral proteins in the air, a gadget called an ion-gate transistor alerted users to the pathogens through their phones. Corresponding author of the study Dr. Yin Fang, from Shanghai Tongji University, said: “Previous research has shown that wearing a face mask can reduce the risk of disease spread and infection. “We wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of the virus in the air and alert the wearer. “Our mask would work very well in poorly ventilated areas, such as elevators or closed spaces, where the risk of contamination is high. “In the future, if a new respiratory virus emerges, we can easily update the sensor design to detect the new pathogens.” The team now wants to make the mask detect diseases even faster and create wearable devices that can help people manage other diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The findings were published in the journal Matter.
