AU2020102581A4

AU2020102581A4 - Face mask

Info

Publication number: AU2020102581A4
Application number: AU2020102581A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Bernard Wai
Original assignee: Sentry Medical Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Sentry Medical Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-02
Filing date: 2020-10-02
Publication date: 2020-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-02

Abstract

A face mask 10 includes a body 12 having a skin-facing surface 14, one or more straps 16, 18 fixed to the body 12, and an adhesion member 20 fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12 to secure the body 12 to skin 22. The one or more straps 16, 18 are configured to extend around a user's ears and/or head, and the adhesion member 20 includes a silicone adhesive 24. 2 /2 10 Body 12 Adhesive 44 42 Flexible substrate 38 Silicone adhesive 24 40 Removable liner 46 Fig. 3 10 Body 12 Adhesive 44 42 20 Flexible substrate 38 Silicone adhesive 24 40 Skin 22 Fig. 4

Description

2 /2

10

Body 12

Adhesive 44 42 Flexible substrate 38

Silicone adhesive 24 40

Removable liner 46

Fig. 3

10

Body 12 Adhesive 44 42 Flexible substrate 38

Silicone adhesive 24 40

Skin 22

Fig. 4

"Face mask"

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to face masks to prevent the inhalation and/or exhalation of harmful substances by a user.

Background

[0002] Face masks are used to prevent the inhalation and/or exhalation of harmful substances by a user, and their use has become more prevalent in light of recent disease outbreaks including the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). To improve the effectiveness of face masks, it is desirable to achieve a secure and tight fit between the mask and the user's face, ensuring that minimal gaps are present between the mask and the user's face, and that the face mask does not shift on the user's face during use. In some instances, achieving a secure fit of the mask can come at the expense of comfort to the user. For example, masks may rely on secure fitting using a nose bridge wire, which may rub against or cause other damage and discomfort to a nose bridge area of the user's face.

[0003] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each of the appended claims.

Summary

[0004] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a face mask, comprising: a body having a skin-facing surface; one or more straps fixed to the body and configured to extend around a user's ears and/or head; and an adhesion member fixed to the skin-facing surface of the body to secure the body to skin, the adhesion member comprising a silicone adhesive.

[0005] The silicone adhesive may comprise a soft silicone adhesive. The silicone adhesive may comprise silicone gel.

[0006] The silicone adhesive of the adhesion member adheres to the skin of the user during use, to secure the face mask to the user's face. This securing can be in addition to securing that may be achieved using the one or more straps, and may help reduce the formation of gaps between the face mask and the user's face, and may inhibit shifting of the face mask on the user's face during use, e.g. sliding down the user's nose.

[0007] The adhesion member may allow for repositioning and reapplication of the mask to the user's face, e.g. as a user seeks to find an optimum position of the mask on the face for effectiveness and comfort. The adhesion member may allow for such repositioning and reapplication due to the properties of the silicone adhesive, which may be a soft silicone adhesive and/or silicone gel. The silicon adhesive may substantially maintain its adhesive properties even after being applied and subsequently removed from the skin. Additionally or alternatively, the silicone adhesive may allow for gentle application and gentle removal of the adhesive member to and from the skin, respectively, meaning repositioning and reapplication comes at relatively low discomfort or damage to the user. Further, the silicone adhesive may have any one or more of the following properties: biocompatible with the skin, resistant to bacterial growth, hypoallergenic, scar-preventing, and atraumatic to the skin upon removal.

[0008] The adhesion member may be located adjacent an operatively top end of the mask body. The adhesion member may be located at a nose bridge region of the body and configured to extend over a nose bridge area of the user's face (including the user's nose bridge and/or including laterally adjacent regions under the user's eyes). In some embodiments, the face mask may comprise no other adhesion member on the skin-facing surface of the mask body except the adhesion member located at the nose bridge region of the mask body. Further, in some embodiments, the face mask may include few or no other securing components, e.g. no nose bridge wire or similar, and may be devoid of any metallic components.

[0009] The adhesion member may be in the form of an elongate strip of material. The strip of material may extend in a substantially straight line, transversely across the mask.

[0010] The adhesion member maybe a tape that is fixed to the skin-facing surface of the body, the tape comprising the silicone adhesive.

[0011] The adhesion member may further comprise a flexible substrate fixed to the skin-facing portion of the body, and the silicone adhesive may be provided, e.g. coated, on a skin-facing surface of the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate may comprise polyurethane, e.g. a polyurethane strip. A mask body-facing surface of the flexible substrate may be fixed (e.g. permanently fixed) to the skin-facing surface of the body using an adhesive. The adhesive that fixes the substrate to the mask body may be a solvent adhesive, for example, although other adhesives or indeed other fixation techniques may be used.

[0012] The mask may further comprise a removable liner located over the silicone adhesive of the adhesion member. The removable liner may comprise polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate. The liner may ensure that the silicone adhesive is exposed only after removal of the liner from the adhesion member, e.g. immediately prior to use.

[0013] The face mask maybe a mask used for medical purposes such as in a medical or clinical setting or used in other settings. For example, the face mask may be a surgical mask, and/or a respirator, such as an N95 respirator. Additionally or alternatively, the face mask may be a mask used in industrial settings, such as by an industrial worker, tradesperson or otherwise.

[0014] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0015] Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described byway of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] Figure 1 shows a front, perspective view of an embodiment of a face mask according to the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 shows a rear view of the face mask shown in Figure 1, and specifically showing a skin-facing surface of the face mask and an adhesion member fixed to the skin-facing surface of the face mask;

[0018] Figure 3 shows a schematic of the adhesion member fixed to the skin-facing surface of the face mask shown in Figure 1, with the inclusion of a removable liner located over a silicone adhesive of the adhesion member; and

[0019] Figure 4 shows a schematic of the adhesion member fixed to the skin-facing surface of the face mask shown in Figure 1, in use on the user's skin.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments

[0020] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a face mask 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a body 12 having a skin-facing surface 14 and one or more straps (specifically a pair of straps 16, 18 in the embodiment) fixed to the body 12 and configured to extend around a user's ears and/or head. The face mask 10 further comprises an adhesion member 20 fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12 to secure the body 12 to skin 22, the adhesion member 20 comprising a silicone adhesive 24. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the face mask 10 may only have a single strap or may have further straps, may comprise a nose bridge wire in addition to the silicone adhesive 24, and that the face mask may be a surgical mask or a respirator, such as an N95 respirator, or otherwise. However, in some embodiments, the face mask 10 may include no nose bridge wire or similar, and may be devoid of any metallic components.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the body 12 of the face mask 10 comprises an outer cover sheet 11 defining an outer surface 13 of the face mask 10, a filtering web (not shown), and an inner contact sheet 15 defining the skin-facing surface 14. The filtering web is typically capable of at least one of: providing a barrier to the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to or from the user; trapping particulates including air borne pollutant microparticles; trapping allergens (e.g., pollen); trapping or masking odours; trapping or providing a barrier to liquids; removing cold air (i.e., providing thermal insulation); reducing viral or bacterial contamination or otherwise. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the face mask 10 may be formed in multiple sections or as a single piece.

[0022] The mask body 12, at least prior to use, is generally rectangular in shape as shown in Figure 2, and comprises pleats 17 for enabling the face mask 10 to be expanded, e.g. stretched, deformed or unfolded, to fit over the user's face in a configuration as shown in Figure 1. The mask body 12 includes an operatively top end 26 (i.e. an end that is positioned superiorly when on a user's face, an operatively bottom end 30 (i.e. an end that is positioned inferiorly when on a user's face), and lateral ends 32, 34 (i.e. ends that are positioned laterally opposite when on a user's face). The mask body 10 also includes a nose bridge region 28, which is generally arranged to extend at least partly over a user's nose bridge area of the user's face (including the user's nose bridge and/or laterally adjacent regions under the user's eyes), when on the user's face. The nose bridge region 28 is therefore be positioned at or adjacent the top end 26 of the mask body 10.

[0023] It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the mask body 12 may include any number of pleats or not include pleats at all, and that the mask body 12 may be of any suitable shape, such as triangular, circular, elliptical, and the like. It will also be appreciated that the face mask 10 may comprise a valve.

[0024] In this embodiment, the adhesion member 20 is located adjacent the top end 26 and specifically at the nose bridge region 28 of the body 12 and is configured to extend over the nose bridge area of the user. In this embodiment, the adhesion member 20 is in the form of an elongate strip of material, e.g. a tape 36, comprising the silicone adhesive 24, and which is fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the mask body 12 and extends in a substantially straight line, transversely across the face mask 10 between the lateral ends 32, 34 of the mask body 12. The tape 36 may be between approximately 5cm and 20cm in length, for example; e.g. it may be 17cm in length or otherwise, in order to extend over the nose bridge area of the user.

[0025] It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the adhesion member 20 may be formed in other shapes and may be fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12 in a variety of suitable locations. However, in some embodiments, such an adhesion member 20 may be positioned at the nose bridge region 28 only. The adhesion member 20 may reach or may stop short of the lateral ends 32, 34 of the mask body. It will also be appreciated that the adhesion member 20 may be a single component or may comprises multiple components. For example, the adhesion member 20 may be provided as a plurality of strips or pieces of material fixed at various suitable locations on the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12, for example, so as to form a substantially straight, discontinuous line, transversely across the face mask 10 between the lateral ends 32, 34 and passing through the nose bridge region 28 of the body 12 and/or at some or all of the locations mentioned above.

[0026] In some embodiments, the silicone adhesive 24 comprises a soft skin adhesive/soft silicone adhesive (SSA). In some embodiments, the SSA is made up of two-component low-to medium viscosity silicones. One component may comprise a platinum catalyst and the other component may comprise a crosslinker, and these components may be mixed in a 1:1 ratio before curing in an oven to form the SSA, or otherwise. The SSA may have an area density between approximately 60gsm and 100gsm, e.g. an area density of approximately 80gsm. In some embodiments, the silicone adhesive or SSA may comprise silicone gel.

[0027] Figure 3 shows a schematic of the adhesion member 20 fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12. In this embodiment, the adhesion member 20 further comprises a flexible substrate 38, e.g. comprising polyurethane, which is fixed to the skin-facing portion 14 of the body 12 such that the flexible substrate 38 has a skin-facing surface 40 and a mask body-facing surface 42. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the flexible substrate 38 may be made of other suitable flexible materials.

[0028] The silicone adhesive 24 is provided, e.g. coated, at least partially on the skin-facing surface 40 of the flexible substrate 38. Coating techniques used may include coating the adhesive material on the skin-facing surface 40 prior to curing in the oven. The mask body facing surface 42 of the flexible substrate 38 is fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the mask body 12 using an adhesive 44, such as a solvent adhesive, although it will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that other suitable adhesives may be used.

[0029] In some embodiments, the adhesion member 20 further comprises a removable liner 46 located over the silicone adhesive 24 of the adhesion member 20. Typically, the removable liner 46 comprises polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, and allows for ease of storage of the face mask 10 by providing a barrier between the silicone adhesive 24 and the exterior environment. Further, the removable liner 46 allows for multiple face masks 10 to be stored in contact with each other without the face masks 10 adhering to each other. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the removable liner 46 may be formed of any suitable material to provide a suitable barrier for the silicone adhesive 24.

[0030] In use, the removable liner 46 is removed from over the silicone adhesive 24 to expose the silicone adhesive 24. The face mask 10 is then extended over (e.g. stretched over) the user's face such that the silicone adhesive 24 is in direct contact with and secures to the skin 22 of the user's face, typically at the nose bridge area of the face. The pair of straps 16, 18 are extended around the user's ears (or head) prior to, during or after securing of the adhesion member. The components of the mask 10 are shown in use in the Figure 4.

[0031] Advantageously, the silicone adhesive 24 of the adhesion member 20 adheres and secures to the skin 22 of the user during use, which stabilises or secures the face mask 10 to the user's face, in addition to the pair of straps 16, 18, in order to reduce gaps or the formation of gaps between the face mask 10 and the user's face, and also to inhibit shifting of the face mask on the user's face, e.g. down the user's nose. The securing of the face mask 10 to the user's face can increase the effectiveness of the filtering web to inhibit inhalation and exhalation of harmful substances by the user.

[0032] Further, the use of silicone adhesive 24 may allow for repositioning and reapplication of the mask 10 to the user's face, e.g. as a user seeks to find an optimum position of the mask on the face for effectiveness and comfort. The adhesion member 20 may allow for such repositioning and reapplication due to the adhesive properties of the silicone adhesive 24, which may be a soft silicone adhesive and/or silicone gel. The silicon adhesive 24 may substantially maintain its adhesive properties even after being applied and subsequently removed from the skin 22. Further, the silicone adhesive 24 may allow for both a gentle application and gentle removal of the adhesive member 20 to and from the skin, respectively, meaning repositioning and reapplication comes at relatively low discomfort to the user. Further, the silicone adhesive 24 may have any one or more of the following properties: biocompatible with the skin 22, resistant to bacterial growth, hypoallergenic, scar-preventing, and atraumatic to the skin 22 upon removal. It will be understood by the person skilled in the art that to provide these advantages, no other adhesive may be required to be fixed to the skin-facing surface 14 of the body 12 except the adhesion member 20, and this may be at the nose bridge region 28 of the mask body 12 only.

[0033] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A face mask, comprising:

a body having a skin-facing surface;

one or more straps fixed to the body and configured to extend around a user's ears and/or

head;and

an adhesion member fixed to the skin-facing surface of the body to secure the body to

skin, the adhesion member comprising a silicone adhesive.

2. The face mask of claim 1, wherein the silicone adhesive comprises a soft silicone

adhesive.

3. The face mask of claim 1 or 2, wherein the silicone adhesive comprises silicone gel.

4. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion member is

located adjacent an operatively top end of the body.

5. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion member is

located at a nose bridge region of the body and configured to extend over a nose bridge area of

the user.

6. The face mask of claim 5, wherein the face mask comprises no other adhesion member

on the skin-facing surface of the mask body except the adhesion member located at the nose

bridge region of the body.

7. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion member is in the

form of an elongate strip of material.

8. The face mask of claim 7, wherein the strip of material extends in a substantially straight

line, transversely across the mask.

9. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion member is a tape

that is fixed to the skin-facing surface of the body, the tape comprising the silicone adhesive.

10. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adhesion member further

comprises a flexible substrate fixed to the skin-facing portion of the body, and wherein the

silicone adhesive is provided on a skin-facing surface of the flexible substrate.

11. The face mask of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate comprises polyurethane.

12. The face mask of claim 10 or 11, wherein a mask body-facing surface of the flexible

substrate is fixed to the skin-facing surface of the body using an adhesive.

13. The face mask of claim 12, wherein the adhesive is a solvent adhesive.

14. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a removable liner

located over the silicone adhesive of the adhesion member.

15. The face mask of claim 14, wherein the removable liner comprises polyethylene or

polyethylene terephthalate.

16. The face mask of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the face mask is a surgical mask.

1 / 2 02 Oct 2020

10

16 26 18 28 2020102581

36 32

20 34

17

12 13 11 30

Fig. 1

10 26 36 28 20 32 34

17

12

18 14 16 15 30

Fig. 2

2 / 2 02 Oct 2020

10 2020102581

Body 12

Adhesive 44 42 Flexible substrate 38 20 Silicone adhesive 24 40

Removable liner 46

Fig. 3

10

Body 12

Adhesive 44 42 20 Flexible substrate 38

Silicone adhesive 24 40

Skin 22

Fig. 4