Tiny sensors installed in the mask material collect information about pulse, body temperature,
Each of the probes, about 2 cm in size, was placed in a polymer elastic fabric that is attached to the inside of the mask.
We saw that when COVID-19 patientswere in isolation wards, paramedics had to enter there to take temperature readings and blood oxygen saturation readings every 30 minutes or so. Therefore, we asked ourselves whether it is possible to help workers who are at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus and reduce the risks they face.
Luo Xian Jun, professor and executive director of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
As one of the project’s authors saidProfessor Chen Xiaodong from Nanyang Technological University, the chips are coated with a special material (some children's toys are made from it), as a result of which they become moisture resistant and at the same time sensitive to the information received.
The development can be applied to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients to remotely monitor vital signs of health, scientists say.
Now the developers are testing a new version of the mask, where all the sensors are combined into one chip for convenience. In theory, such masks can be washed without damaging the monitoring system.
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