We are still in the season of social distancing, updating personal hygiene and employing relevant methods of prevention in the COVID19 pandemic. It is no news that most governments worldwide are insisting on compliance to public use of face masks which has made the surgical face mask an essential commodity.
So yesterday I watched on TV, how internally displaced persons in a Nigerian IDP camp are being empowered through the production of surgical masks with readily available materials and fabric. What struck me is the fact that (in my own opinion which I believe is not far fetched according to standards of reputable health organizations) these mask quality may not effectively prevent the spread of the disease that has so mercilessly plagued the whole world.
A good mask should meet standard on adequate air filtration which is lacking in most masks produced lately. It is not enough that we should get just any piece of fabric over our faces in the fight against COVID19. We should ask questions about breathability and filtration capability before we choose from the vast array of masks available on the shelves.
We have always gone around circles of ingenuity and lack of creativity and seeing this video on the ground breaking innovation of not only a breathable, good filter but also a transparent mask, established my thoughts. It is time to be CREATIVE in a different way. We do not always have to solve problems with existing solutions. Most people like Klaus Schonenberger’s team mate, have a story. They identified a problem and made moves to arrive at this innovation that we celebrate today. Imagine wearing a mask that can reveal identity and emotions. This is brilliant!
All credit goes to EPFL Essential Tech working with Empa on the ‘HELLO MASK’ project- an innovation of transparent surgical masks, soon to be produced on a massive scale. One million in Swiss franc has been raised to ensure that the transparent masks hits the market soon.
This is a breakthrough for preventive medicine. There are many other areas where you as an entrepreneur or technopreneur can look into to provide answers to problems no one has ever thought about. If you have a story, like in this case where health workers and care takers could not show empathy to patients because of the compulsory use of the traditional surgical mask, you can brainstorm with a team on how to create an innovative solution. Necessity they say is the mother of invention.
Put on your thinking cap always and be a solution provider by actively generating ideas and mobilizing a team, thereby providing a base for knowledge inclusion. You are not an island of knowledge so you most likely will need a team from diverse knowledge base. You need advocacy and experimentation to ensure your ideas are valid and will attract the right support and funding required. Hopefully after these stages, you can commercialize your innovation. It is a win-win situation— You solve a problem and then you make some profits.
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Nice read. Another jaw dropping innovation. We can only anticipate more including vaccine for coronavirus. Thank you for sharing this.
You are welcome Rose. Thank you for reading too. I hope we garner more ideas to make this world work better for everyone.