Rabat – Moroccan engineer Alim Berkani has invented a new face mask that serves as a protective tool against the novel coronavirus and could be used up to 120 times.
Commonly-used tissue face masks only serve their purpose for three to four hours. Berkani thought of the ecological impact of the discarded masks and created a mask with durable materials which he expects to be effective for four months of use.
The new mask is made with rubber and contains two aerators with filters to guarantee the cleanliness of air breathed in, Berkani told Medi1 TV.
The price of this face mask may be relatively expensive compared to the standard tissue mask, but once purchased, it only requires changing the filters, the Moroccan engineer pointed out.
Berkani estimated the price of his invention to vary between €10 and €15 and the replaceable filters from €3 to €4.
A resident of Brussels, Berkani was pushed to create the rubber mask when he witnessed the lack of face masks in Belgium. He expects his invention to be a revolution in the industry.
A surgeon in Belgium helped the Moroccan inventor develop his primary rubber mask concept, and used it during his own surgeries.
Despite Belgium’s persistent need for face masks, Berkani did not receive any recognition for his invention in the European country. “Because the invention came from a Moroccan, it will not [be] given recognition,” he explained.
On the other hand, Berkani said that “the Moroccan Ministry of Industry has contacted me for further information about my creation and they have expressed their admiration of the project, and that they are looking forward to bringing it to Morocco.”
“I am ready to give my invention to my country, Morocco,” he added.
Berkani is not the only Moroccan working to address face mask deficiencies. A group of Moroccan engineers and doctors recently created an intelligent mask that allows users to detect COVID-19 cases.
The group has launched an initial version of the intelligent mask for automatic remote detection of the virus (MIDAD), which also serves as protective gear. They also launched a tracking application called Trackorona that will accompany the mask. The app offers a method for predicting and diagnosing the virus.
The engineers and doctors used several advanced methods to create the intelligent mask, including 3D printing.
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