Dr. Muller-Wening and Dr. Repp tested the dual inhalation challenge in 1989 on patients with farmer's lung (a lung disease). Subjects were subjected to inhalation tests for 60 minutes, either with or without the protection of a filter mask. Clinical evaluation of this trial showed that the unprotected challenge triggered the late response characteristic of exogenous allergic alveolitis. In the face mask challenge, all six patients reported no symptoms at all. Statistically significant decreases in temperature, WBC, HR, R, TLC, and PO 2 were observed compared to tests without masks. Temperature and white blood cell growth were statistically significantly reduced in tests using the mask compared to the initial values.
Müller-Wening, D., & Repp, H. (1989). Investigation on the protective value of breathing masks in farmer's lung using an inhalation provocation test. Chest, 95(1), 100-105.
A research on the penetration of polydisperse aerosols showed that the average penetration levels of three other cloth masks were significantly lower than those of Media N95 masks (as shown on the left) .
Rengasamy, S., Eimer, B., & Shaffer, R. E. (2010). Simple respiratory protection—evaluation of the filtration performance of cloth masks and common fabric materials against 20–1000 nm size particles. Annals of occupational hygiene, 54(7), 789-798.
Our product 'iMask' is designed for college students in India and is intended to help Indian students combat airborne dust and germs. The main body of our product, therefore, consists of an N95 mask with filters and dust-proof glasses. The edges of the dust-proof glasses are covered with a rubber product that fits to the skin and prevents dust from entering the eyes (similar to swimming goggles). The bottom part is attached to the N95 mask and is separated by an anti-fog strip to prevent the glasses from being fogged up by moisture from breathing. The parts of the mask and glasses are detachable. When people do not need their eyes for dust protection (such as indoor activities), they can remove the glasses separately, leaving only the parts of the mask.
In addition, we reduce the burden of wearing glasses and masks at the same time on the ears. In 'iMask' , all the load-bearing parts are masks, there is no bracket for glasses (the picture is for reference only, the concrete object shall prevail).
We offer a customized lens service for customers who wear myopic/farsighted glasses, ensuring that they come with a diopter on a dustproof basis. Higher price comes with a quality and exclusive service. The custom-made 'iMask' can also have a unique and individual design that can incorporate the customer's preferred elements and design (the picture is for reference only, the concrete object shall prevail).
Ordinary styles of 'iMask' will also contain many fashionable designs, including different color combinations and frames, to cater to the social needs of the college student community. Because of the factory's mass production, the 'iMask' is very friendly in price. Also, the built-in filters are removable. The body of the mask is made of reusable textile materials, which ensures it's reusable.
We use ‘Direct-to-Consumer’ that is also known as ‘Business-to-Consumer’ marketing, so we are going to focus on selling directly to consumers through our e-commerce website and offline selling. We are going to use a penetration pricing strategy which means we will set a low price at the beginning, then, as the demands increase and our brand becomes more recognized, we will gradually raise the price.
Our company makes profits by selling products, and we welcome investment from investment companies, which can ensure the smooth flow of our capital. We reduce our costs by working with factories to produce large volume orders to ensure that our products are competitively priced.
The main user group of our products is college students, so we plan to start marketing through social media. For example, create a hashtag on social media, #iMask, under which people can share experiences and pictures of masks, or suggest improvements. We also plan to advertise on social media, initially offer a free sample to a small group of users who are welcome to help us advertise our products on the internet.