Japanese Researchers Create a Mask That Can Detect COVID-19

Researchers at Kyoto University have developed a mask filter that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, shows whether the user has been infected with the virus.

Researchers in Japan are developing a facemask that would glow under ultraviolet light when contaminated with COVID-19.

The project at Kyoto University comes on the heels of news about a Northwestern University program that’s attaching sensors to facemasks to track respiration and heart rate and the mask’s fit. And it points to the urgency in digital health circles to develop new ways of detecting the coronavirus and helping those at most risk of being infected.

At Kyoto University, researchers have created a removable filter made from ostrich antibodies that detects the coronavirus after being sprayed with a chemical and exposed to ultraviolet light. The filters were tested in a clinical trial with participants who wore masks for eight hours.

"If virus infection can be detected by putting a mouth filter carrying an ostrich antibody in a 'disposable mask' that is used every day in the world, non-symptomatic infected people such as super spreaders can be voluntarily treated at an early stage," Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, leader of the Kyoto University research group, told the dezeen news site. "It is a handy and inexpensive device that prevents the invasion of the Covid-19 virus into the human body.”

Tsukamoto said he came up with the idea of using ostrich antibodies after doing research on the bird’s immune system.

"Ostriches rarely die from filth, minor injuries, or illnesses, and live for 60 years," he said. "I realized that the secret of longevity is that it is resistant to infectious diseases with its amazing immunity and resilience, so I started researching ostrich antibodies in earnest."

Tsukamoto and his research team have applied for a patent for the mask and hope to make them available later this year. They’re also hoping to refine the process so that the filters can be analyzed by light emitted from a smartphone.

Long-term, they hope to develop masks that use this process to detect other viruses, such as the flu.