
Ask HN: Would you use a custom-fit face mask adapter? - ricberw
http://maskadapter.com
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madhadron
I did my graduate work in a tuberculosis lab where disposable n95 respirators
were part of our standard PPE, so I have a few opinions on this.

> virtually every person who was on the plane with a facemask on was wearing
> it improperly.

Yes, and it drives me crazy. The disposable masks today are excellent and
learning how to fit them properly isn't hard.

1\. Shave. Sorry if you love your beard.

2\. Put the straps over your head and the mask loosely in place. The top strap
goes at the top back of your head just below the occipital protuberance, not
over your hears. The bottom strap goes at the base of your skull.

3\. Starting from the bridge of your nose, gently mold the metal strip to
match your face. It should not dig in, but when you exhale, no air should come
out from the top of the mask (your glasses shouldn't fog, if you wear them).

4\. Stretch the bottom of the mask down over your chin with your mouth closed.

Now inhale deeply. You should feel the mask's shape crumple slightly from the
negative pressure inside. If it does not, you have air leaking in from the
sides. When you exhale, the mask pushes away from your face and the positive
pressure of breathing out prevents contaminants from entering.

To test your fit, get a bottle of vanilla extract from the kitchen. When you
hold the open bottle up to your face with a properly sealed mask, you
shouldn't be able to smell it or barely be able to smell it at all. If you
can, your mask isn't fit right. If you were being properly fitted there are
much better tests, but this is a quick way to check.

If you have a long chin or other unusual shaped face, you may have to try a
few models of mask. I generally stick with 3M's masks.

While wearing it, you can't open your mouth wide or work your jaw laterally
much. You can't scrunch your nose very much. People have to get used to having
the thing on their face. I don't think 3D printing rubber will change that.

That being out of the way, part of the point is that they are disposable. For
smoke, it doesn't matter. Just wash it. For biocontamination, being able to
autoclave and dispose of the thing is...kind of important.

So, no, I wouldn't buy one.

------
ricberw
Thinking about pushing this further, but would love some feedback.

After the fires/smoke in the Bay Area for the last few years and now seeing
thousands of folks wearing their masks improperly during the Coronavirus
pandemic, I'm finally feeling like this is something that could actually come
to market and provide significant benefit to many people.

Give me the hard truth, please :)

~~~
rolph
keeping a fit in a face cup requires discipline. a hood or cowl is a better
option for those challenged in that way such as children.

depending on the overall physical condition or task the use of an active
device may be required.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_air-
purifying_respirat...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_air-
purifying_respirator)

