Design Considerations

A PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator) is a device that protects the user from airborne pathogens by creating a pocket of purified air over the user’s mouth and nose. They generally consist of two main parts - the blower and the mask. The blower, generally situated on the user’s belt, draws in potentially contaminated air from the room using a fan and forces it through a filter, purifying it. The purified air then travels through a hose to the user’s head, where it is delivered to the user’s face via either a tight-fitting mask or a loose-fitting hood. NIOSH has provided a more detailed explanation here, complete with some minimum testing standards.

 

We designed a tight-fitting mask that is reasonably comfortable, available in four different sizes, and can be secured very tightly to the user’s face without bruising or cutting the skin. It can be manufactured entirely from commonly available 3D printer filaments and craft supplies. It presents minimal resistance to airflow in order to better meet NIOSH standards for PAPRs when used with different blowers.