April 15, 2020
Several major scuba diving and snorkeling gear manufacturers are modifying their masks to assist patients fighting COVID-19. In early March, Ocean Reef Group submitted an international patent through its subsidiary, Mestel Safety, for an adapter to convert a standard snorkeling mask into a personal protective mask.
Once outfitted with adapters, the full-face masks could be turned into ventilators that feed oxygen to COVID-19 patients experiencing severe breathing problems. Attaching a filter to the mask can protect the wearer from infection and contagious droplets.
The idea of using snorkeling masks to build makeshift ventilators originated in Italy. Italian engineers quickly adapted full-face masks when hospitals started running out of ventilators. As of March 31, 2020, Italy and Spain have suffered the highest death tolls in the world as a result of the pandemic.
Frederic Bonnier
He is a respiratory physiotherapist from the Erasme Hospital in Brussels. He was one of the specialists who helped design the valve that could connect the mask to a BiPAP machine. A BiPAP machine is a type of ventilator that assists in breathing. It’s often used to treat patients with sleep apnea.
A BiPAP machine funnels pressurized air into the mask, giving patients more oxygen and preventing their lungs from collapsing. Ultimately, it’s designed for people with severe respiratory problems. This is why full-face snorkeling masks aren’t recommended for patients with more serious cases that require ventilators that completely take over a patient’s breathing.
On the other hand, specially designed masks can help doctors avoid intubating patients with respiratory problems.
“We do not want to compare our masks, with the adapter or not, to any more standard protective equipment. In a time of dire need, we are just offering a possible solution to physically create a barrier, with the possible addition of a filter, to contagious droplets,” the company stated in a press release.
The brand explains that the adapter will suit any Ocean Reef-produced mask. For masks with 40mm threading, all a person has to do is push out the exhalation cover valve for lesser exhalation effort.
Transforming Snorkeling Mask into Non certified PPE – APA
Ocean Reef has released a tutorial on their YouTube channel explaining how to turn a snorkeling mask into personal protective equipment:
The price for the adapter is planned to stay purposely low to help current owners convert their masks inexpensively.
Mares Adapts Full-face Snorkeling Masks
The Mares team and Bologna-based Novamacut and Mira Meccanica are transforming their full-face snorkeling masks into improvised emergency ventilators to assist patients during the pandemic.
“A dedicated team has been working to transform the Sea Vu Dry + mask into a mask which can be used with CPAP ventilators with the help of 3D printing and with some additional modifications to the original mask itself,” Mares said.
The mask is also being adapted for personal protection, though this application is still undergoing a testing and certification phase.
Thus far, the masks have been dispatched to hospitals in Genoa, Parma, La Spezia, Lavagna, and Savona, with more being distributed to hospitals in Italy.
Note from the editor.
Scuba.com is committed to reporting the latest news and developments relevant to our community. As such, we are not healthcare professionals and do not in any way endorse any of the solutions proposed in this article.
