Viral-filtering nanofibre face protection

我们的目标是开发一种过滤材料，能够有效地阻止非常小的颗粒，小于COV19病毒(60 Nm)，从而有效地阻止病毒传播。这种过滤材料将被集成到普通公众的口罩中，以帮助他们安全重返工作岗位，并将独立获得病毒过滤效率认证。英国经济预计将收缩35%，将失去200万个工作岗位。在全国(和全世界)获得免疫接种之前，存在重大中断的重大风险，英国承担不起恢复封锁的代价。口罩是新的标准，但除了高端医用N95呼吸器外，没有其他过滤器可以有效地阻止病毒。高端呼吸器的供应必须优先考虑一线医务人员。我们的解决方案是使用由生物兼容材料制成的聚合物纳米纤维制造过滤器，这种过滤器具有高度透气性、灵活性，可以用作纺织品和简单口罩的嵌入物。这将显著增加对布质口罩(即使是国产口罩)的保护，其效率取决于过滤器/面孔周围的紧密性。聚合物纳米纤维还将利用静电捕获即使是最小的纳米颗粒，并可能在高污染地区或患有慢性呼吸问题的人中进一步使用。纳米纤维是使用高压电场从针头的一滴溶液中拉出纤维(一种称为静电纺丝的过程)，这是一个非常缓慢的过程，每天需要制作大约3个口罩。由于静电屏蔽，使更多的针承受不是一个线性过程，需要更高和更不安全的电压，并限制了可以使用的聚合物的选择(例如。不含易燃溶剂)。我们的创新是一种模块化解决方案，使每个模块的沉积速度提高1,000-10000倍。在这个项目中，我们将开发原型过滤材料，独立验证它是否可用于病毒过滤，并进入试生产，然后进行大面积中试生产。

We aim to develop a filter material that is effective at stopping very small particles, smaller than the COV19 virus (60nm) and thus effectively stop virus transmission. This filter material will be integrated in masks for the general public, to help with a safe return to work and will be certified for viral filtration efficiency independently.The UK economy is forecast to shrink 35%, with 2 million jobs lost. Until immunisation becomes available nation-wide (and worldwide), there is a significant risk of major disruption and the UK cannot afford a return to lockdown. Face masks are the new norm, but, apart from the high-end medical N95 respirators, no other filters are rated to stop viruses effectively. The supply of high-end respirators must be prioritised for frontline medical staff.Our solution is to manufacture filters using polymer nanofibres made from a biocompatible material, filters which are highly-breathable, flexible and can be used as inserts into textile, simple face masks. This will increase the protection of cloth masks (even home-made ones) significantly, with the efficiency then being ruled by the tightness of the fit around the filter/face. The polymer nanofibres will also use static electricity to trap even the smallest of nanoparticles, and may be of further use in areas of high pollution or for people with chronic respiratory problems.Nanofibres are produced using a high electric field to pull a fibre out of a droplet of solution on the end of a needle (a process called electrospinning), a very slow process that would make filters for ~3 masks/day. Due to electrostatic shielding, bringing more needles to bear is not a linear process, requiring higher and more unsafe voltages, and limiting the choice of polymers that can be used (eg. no flammable solvents). Our innovation is a modular solution that increases deposition rates by 1000 - 10000 times per module.In this project, we will develop the prototype filter material, validate it independently for viral filtration and move to trial production, followed by large-area pilot production.