MaskFlow

Derivation of Face-Mask Breathability, Fit, and Filtration with a Smartphone

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic saw significant supply chain stagnation for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). For this reason the CDC recommended the use of cloth masks for the general public while reserving medical grade PPE for first responders and front-line workers.

Although significantly less effective than medical grade masks, cloth face masks still provide filtration. A mask's effectiveness can be maximized with proper fit, use of material with high filtration, and use of a breathable material (necessary for prolonged wear).

This project (a collaboration between the UW UbiComp Lab, the UW MISL Lab, and MSR) seeks to use smartphones to assess these cloth-mask parameters (breathability, fit, filtration efficiency). This is an on-going research effort. To date we have built a platform to collect user data from a number of cloth facemasks and run initial analysis.

Publications

Work still in progress!

Additional Material

MSR Pandemic Preparedness Presentation
Please contact me for access to the slide deck.

Collaborators

Jacob Peplinski, Alex Mariakakis, Bichlien Nguyen, Jonathan Lester, Chris Takahashi, Mike Sinclair, Luis Ceze, Shwetak Patel,