Scuba mask used to create PPE for healthcare workers

Mack Molding and Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) have partnered to develop an innovative alternative for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.

Together, Mack and SVHC began investigating alternative mask options that could be modified due to the high demand for N95s masks and 7700 respirators.

The collaboration arose because Kevin Dailey, the vice president of administration/CHRO at SVHC had led human resources at Mack until five years ago. Dailey called Mack to help with the PPE.

Adam Lehman, president of Mack’s Woodbridge, Conn., subsidiary, Synectic, worked quickly to identify available options that could be redesigned to function as a respirator, and Lehman located a snorkelling mask that the Synectic design team could quickly re-engineer into PPE.

Jeff Somple, president at Mack headquarters in nearby Arlington, VT said: “When I informed Synectic’s team about this project, they were ready and excited for the challenge.

“It was an opportunity for some ground-breaking innovation and to make a meaningful difference for our region’s front line healthcare workers.” 

Following two weeks of design, testing, and manufacturing, Mack’s team at Synectic fabricated an attachment to a snorkelling scuba mask. The mask covers the entire face and removes the need for disposable masks and shields. To create the masks, Mack’s engineers removed the part that usually protrudes out of the water when snorkelling, and replaced it with a new, custom-designed branched component equipped with cartridges containing P100 HEPA filters. 

Dailey commented: “Mack has always been a tremendous regional partner and an integral supporter of the health system for many years.

“As an essential manufacturer of healthcare products, I knew that they would want to help and came through with a brilliant solution for us.”

Before being assigned a mask, each SVHC staff member is “fit tested” to ensure an adequate seal. Each employee also receives cleaning and storage guidelines with instructions on how to disinfect and store the masks after each shift. Additionally, before each use, staff conduct a positive and negative pressure test to ensure the masks are holding up for their protection. The fact that the air intake is above the wearer’s head improves the line of site and allows patients to see their physicians’ and nurses’ faces more clearly.

Shiela Boni, a nursing director and PPE officer for SVHC added: “Our priority is to ensure the safety of our staff while caring for patients during the pandemic.

“The retrofitted scuba mask accomplishes this while decreasing our dependence on disposable masks.”

Unlike medically approved respirators, the scuba mask has been adapted to meet the filtration requirements of PPE. The risk assessment conducted by Mack’s design and SVHC showed that the mask fully seals around the face with silicone - reducing skin breakdown, and the N100 HEPA filters have a higher rate of filtration than the material in the traditional N95 masks. Less than three weeks after the initial request to Mack, its subsidiary Synectic delivered 500 scuba masks and 2,000 N100 HEPA filter casings to the hospital.

Thomas A. Dee, SVHC’s president and CEO, concluded: “This is a great example of how collaboration and innovation sustain us during challenging times.

"Our gratitude for the hardworking teams at Mack and Synectic, who put many long hours into this project, cannot be overstated. This is another wonderful example of Mack’s continued support of SVHC.”