Technological Scenario for Masks in Patent Database During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Since January 2020, the World Health Organization announces COVID-19 outbreak a case of public health emergency of international interest, and declaring it a pandemic on March. Due to the high transmission of this disease, rate precautions have been implemented, such as the use of masks by the population, personal protective equipment (PPE), and safety protocols, mainly to health workers. Thus, we performed a patent review to evaluate the current patents related to the protective mask. The review was carried out in the patent database in the period of May 2019 to May 2020. After the process of screening and eligibility, 563 patents were selected for our analysis according to the aim of the study which used masks such as a PPE against dust particles and pathogens, mostly when it is about airborne transmission, such as viruses and bacteria. Here, an overview of the main materials used in the mask manufacturing and their efficiency was described. The results of the review showed that most of the masks used cotton, nylon, silver fiber fabrics, among others as fabrics to develop the masks. It also makes an analysis of masks composed of nanotechnology which provide high filtration efficiency. Moreover, the review also brought possibilities of masking the population, which already have been done in countries such as China and Korea and ways of sterilization for reuse of PPE during COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, this review can further researchers in the developing of masks to decrease the spread of a pandemic disease. Graphical abstract.

Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; masks; nanotechnology; virus.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

Flowchart of patent searching and screening

Fig. 2

Social network map of the co-occurrence matrix about masks

Fig. 3

Patent publication number per period after final selection

Fig. 4

Number of patent filings by countries

Fig. 5

Final selection of patents: type of applicant

Fig. 6

Final selection of patents: IPC. A41D13/11: protective face masks, e.g., for surgical use, or for use in foul atmospheres; A62B18/02: masks; A62B23/02: for respirators; A41D31/02: layered materials; A62B18/08: component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g., windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal devices; A41D31/30: antimicrobial, e.g., anti-bacteria; A41D31/04: characterized by special function or use; A62B7/10: with filter elements; A41D27/28: means for ventilation; A41D27/00: details of garments or of their making; A41D31/14: air permeable, i.e., capable of being penetrated by gases

Fig. 7

Different types of masks and their filtration capacity for virus and bacteria