Is this mask world’s most affordable N95 equivalent?

US9 was developed by USafe Healthcare, a startup incubated by the IITH and costs Rs 13 per day

A mask claimed to be the world’s most affordable N95 equivalent was launched at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The US9™ Respirator Mask’s protection costs Rs 13 per day, with a filter change for fresh use. It has 98.03 percent PM0.3 filtration rate and 99.7 percent bacterial filtration rate, which is better than N95 standards, the makers said.

The reusable hood, to be washed after every use, is priced separately at Rs 499 per piece. A pack of 30 filters comes at Rs 399.

US9 was developed by USafe Healthcare, a startup incubated by the IITH’s Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE), currently focused on developing protective equipment against Covid-19.

“The mask is highly durable and adheres to the highest safety standards for use in hazardous environments, especially the healthcare sector and for the frontline workers. Arguably, US9 is technically the most advanced and affordable respiratory safety device in India and substantially more effective in protection against the COVID-19 virus than the present masks in the market,” IITH said in a press statement.

The home-grown innovation was designed, developed, and produced in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad.

“US9™ Respirator mask, made in line with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ objectives, helps the society fight this pandemic in a very effective manner,” Prof BS Murty, director, IITH says.

The filtration for the filter cartridges in the respirator was certified by the South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories designated agency for particulate and bacterial filtration testing in India. The mask is designed for a snug fit with complete silicone seal and fitting tests were carried out at IITH using an infrared camera.

“The innovative reusability in US9 mask reduces the recurring costs and drastically reduces the biowaste generation,” said Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, industries, Telangana government while describing US9 as a significant contribution from IITH and Telangana towards fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, during the launch.

“We are supplying the product to top hospitals in Hyderabad and received tremendous response. Now we plan to make the US9 mask available pan-India,” said Dr Sai Laxman Bharadwaj, USafe co-founder and technical director.