Mask4Life - We are raising funds to develop a reusable face mask to protect NHS Staff against Coronavirus combating a national shortage
Our NON-PROFIT team are developing and aim to distribute reusable masks directly to NHS staff caring for COVID patients and will tackle a significant supply shortage
Contact us or keep up to date by following us @Oxford_Inspired:
Email - [email protected]
Twitter - Oxford_InSpired
Instagram - Oxford_InSpired
YouTube - Oxford Inspired
***UPDATE 4/5/20 - Mask4Life now undergoing British Standards Testing
We have finally jumped all the hoops to get our mask to the test labs of the British Standards Institution to get our mask tested to the highest standard to ensure they are safe for use by front line staff!
Thank you to everyone who had provided possible names for our product!! It has finally been announced as.... the Mask4Life!
We are also really excited to be able to share that we have sourced an additional 10,000 masks that we can repurpose and will be able to distribute across the UK with all the help that we've had! So we're going to need all the help we can get now to get these 13,000 reusable Mask4Life out into circulation! Please keep sharing and helping us reach our target!
***UPDATE 15/4/20 - In-house testing to finish this week! Next step...British Standards Testing
Great news! Our mask is due to complete in-house testing in Oxford this week and 40 new masks have been acquired in order to get through British Standards testing.
We want to release a safe and effective product for our colleagues and are hence taking the extra time to ensure our product meets the regulatory standards set out by the British Standards Institution. Once this is complete, we'll be ready to start mass producing and distributing!
Thank you ALL so far for your support! Each donation is helping us get one more mask to a member of the NHS looking after COVID-19 patients!
We're also looking for a catchy name for our mask! Please feel free to provide suggestions in your comments! Thank you again!
NHS workers are working tirelessly to take care of the increasing number of patients suffering from coronavirus. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of personal protective equipment, NHS workers often contract the virus and then become a source of infection for others, including patients who attend hospital for reasons other than COVID, such as a broken bone. NHS workers who then become symptomatic are often more unwell because of the high viral load they are exposed to.
We are currently developing a reusable face mask to provide all NHS healthcare workers with the same level of protection currently being adopted by various projects around the world, so that we can protect the NHS workers to continue to provide an excellent service.
Our aim is to create a breathing apparatus that can provide the best level of protection, whilst also tackling the problem of shortages by creating an alternative to single-use disposable masks that can safely be cleaned and reused.
All donations will go directly to developing this product for immediate distribution across the country to hospitals in need.
A prototype has been created last week with testing due to be completed by the beginning of this week. We aim to start distributing within the next week! The longer this takes, the longer staff go without adequate protection.
Our mask is made up of 3 separate pieces with a total cost of:
Snorkel Mask - £32 per mask
3D Printed connector - £5 per connector
Heat and Moisture Exchanger Filter - £1 per filter (ONLY changeable part, every 28 days)
Testing, regulation certification and distribution - £12 per unit
Hence, the total cost of each mask is expected to be £50 per adapted mask
This is a NON-PROFIT, charitable gesture to be able to protect our NHS staff so they can continue to look after us all.
Once adequately tested and the necessary regulatory assessments have been fulfilled, we will be making our content freely available as open source material.
Please help us so we can continue to provide the best level of care for you.
You can follow our progress at #Oxford_InSpired
Thank you for all your support! We wouldn't be able to keep going without you!
The Oxford InSpired Team
Prototype
Meet the Team
Mrs Sarah Tucker MBBCh FRCS (Plastic Surgery) MSc (Clinical Education)
Team Leader & Consultant Plastic Surgeon, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
As a surgeon my special interest is reconstructing limbs following severe injuries. This reflects a love of problem solving and empowering people. So I also turn these core motivations to develop strategies to improve services and now in the pandemic I can’t help but want to fix the most pressing problem facing my colleagues in the NHS – a reliable source of comfortable and effective personal protective equipment.
Professor Dominic Furniss DM MA MBBCh FRCS (Plast)
Professor, University of Oxford
Honorary Consultant Plastic Surgeon, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Mr Kamil Asaad BSc MBChB MPhil FRCS (Plast)
Senior Plastic Surgery Registrar, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Mr Ryan Kerstein MBBS BSc(Hons) FRCS (Plast) PGCert aICSM
Senior Plastic Surgery Registrar, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Mr Conrad Harrison BSc MBBS MRCS
NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow, NDORMS, University of Oxford
Honorary Plastic Surgery Registrar, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Mr Yash V Verma MBBS BSc (Hons) MRCS
Plastic Surgery Registrar, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Mr Harshul Measuria MBChB MRCS
Plastic Surgery Registrar, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Acknowledgements
We must share our gratitude to 3D LifePrints, Pall and Intersurgical for all their work with helping us get this product together.