Production Begins on First FDA-Registered UV-Sterilizing Clear Mask
In May, Redcliffe Healthcare launched a crowdfunding campaign promising the world’s first “FDA-registered, clear, UV-C sterilizing smart mask.” In just over two months, the campaign has raised over $3.8M USD from over 22,000 backers in 125 countries.
Alex Lightman, Readcliffe Healthcare CTO, shows off an early production version of the LEAF clear mask.
Clear masks for COVID times
With masks becoming commonplace in 2020, those suffering from hearing loss have found themselves in a new world of isolation. Traditional masks muffle sound, making it harder to hear high-pitch consonants, and making lipreading impossible. And while clear masks aren’t a complete solution (muffled sound is still an issue), they do help overcome the lipreading issue by providing a clear view of the mouth. For that reason, clear masks have caught on like wildfire for the hearing loss community, and more and more companies are entering the market with novel solutions.
How is LEAF different from other clear masks?
The Communicator™ mask is an FDA-approved clear mask, and has been on the market for over two years. And the ClearMask™ is a face-shield-like disposable clear mask. So what’s new here?
Communicator™ mask left. ClearMask™ right.
The LEAF mask has a lot in common with other currently-available clear masks (pictured above). Modern clear masks all meet the accessibility needs of those with hearing loss by offering a clear mouth window, and most include anti-fog coating to keep the window clear. However, the LEAF mask introduces a number of key innovations when compared to other currently-available clear masks.
- Replaceable H99+ HEPA-carbon filters
- “Automatic” UV-C sterilization for re-usability through onboard LEDs
- Anti-microbial coating
- Active ventilation through sensors and dual fans
Overview of the parts inside the LEAF Pro mask.
Replaceable H99+ HEPA-carbon filters
According to the crowdfunding page, the replaceable HEPA-Carbon filters filter out 99.99% of air particles, as small as 0.3 microns. This would put the LEAF mask well above the competition in terms of particle filtration, and with a silicone mask body, achieving a tight seal should be easier. Redcliffe also assures backers that breathing should be easier than a typical N90 mask due to a larger filter surface area. Redcliffe suggests replacing the filters at least once per month.
“Automatic” UV-C sterilization
Available in the LEAF UV and Pro models, onboard LED lights provide active UV-C sterilization powered by a rechargeable battery that delivers 50 UV-C “sterilization flashes.” Self-cleaning occurs when the mask is taken off and rested on a stationary surface for 10 seconds.
Anti-microbial coating
Redcliffe claims that the anti-microbial nano-coating on the outside of the mask is permanent (survives regular washes) and is capable of destroying 99.99% of microbes. Unfortunately, there is no mention of COVID-19 on the crowdfunding page.
Active ventilation through sensors and dual fans
Available only in the Pro version, the LEAF mask will use an onboard computer to actively monitor air quality (humidity, dust, CO2, etc) inside and outside the mask. Redcliffe claims that the mask will use two fans to maintain “real time concurrence” between these measured parameters inside and outside the mask. And the LEAF Pro makes data about air quality available to the user through a companion smartphone app.
Where to buy
We spoke with Redcliffe CEO Lalit Verma earlier today and he assured us that the mask would ship to early backers within the “next few weeks.” You can learn more about their crowdfunding campaign and become a backer on Indiegogo.
Any mention of price? This sounds like it could be incredibly expensive.
Looks like $50 for the base model and $199 for the Pro version.
Like masks in general, you wear them for the benefit of others. So if I wear one, it doesn't make me hear any better: I'd wear one as a way of demonstrating their availability, hoping that others would then choose to wear them. This means the price is a serious consideration: if it were just me, I'd buy one -- after all, I pay thousands of dollars for hearing aids -- but I don't think I'd persuade many others to buy them for my benefit. Another point, however, is that masks are a hindrance to _all_ human communication, and if everyone had a clear mask we'd be much more comfortable chatting and just, in general, being with others. You can tell much about how what you're saying is being responded to by someone's face.
It is important to have done and make available the data that supports the self cleaning and filtration claims. What is the expected pricing on the different models? A video showing the anti fog capability of the mask would be good.
Please check the indiegogo page. We are only reporting on this product, and have no affiliation with the company (and cannot vet their claims).
Redcliffe Medical Devices is a scam. Please investigate the business background of the founders (Lalit Verma, Dheeraj Jain), the fact that Redcliffe presented a falsified SGS filtration report to investors early on which turned out to belong to a different company, and most of all the fact that the best PPE available on the market today, a NIOSH-approved PAPR ($1,900) would not possibly claim to offer N99+ protection against Covid-19 for the simple fact that transmissibility depends on the level of virulence in the air. No reputable lab would ever certify a non-fitted face mask as providing N99+ protection against Covid-19. Mere FDA registry is not enough.
Btw the headquarters of the founders appears to be in New Delhi, India (Redcliffe LifeSciences), despite several (fake?) business registrations in Michigan.
See also.
In truth, the company needs to be reported to the FBI.
For full coverage on issues with Redcliffe.
The fact that Alex Lightman doesn't even mention Radcliffe Medical on his LinkedIn page is telling. This is a total scam. No refunds available per Indiegogo. FBI needs to reach out to this MIT grad and get some questions answered.