Self-cleaning mask can kill viruses with heat from phone charger: Researchers
An Israeli researcher, part of a team which say they have invented a reusable face mask that can disinfect itself and kill the coronavirus disease, takes part in a demonstration for Reuters at a laboratory in Haifa, northern Israel June 10, 2020. Amir Cohen / Reuters
HAIFA — Israeli researchers say they have invented a reusable face mask that can kill the coronavirus with heat by drawing power from a mobile phone charger.
The disinfecting process takes about 30 minutes – and users should not wear the mask while it is plugged in, said Professor Yair Ein-Eli, who led the research team at Technion University in Haifa.
The new mask has a USB port that connects to a power source such as a standard cellphone charger that heats an inner layer of carbon fibers to up to 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), high enough to kill viruses.
Ein-Eli said disposable masks, in high demand globally during the health crisis, were not economically or environmentally friendly.
