Candela Martin
08/15/2020 - 9:42
- Clarín.com
- Society
A research team from CONICET, the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) developed a “super chin mask” for social use with antiviral, bactericidal and fungicidal assets that reduces the risks of contagion and disables the coronavirus in just a few minutes .
Told like this it seems like pure marketing but, as they say, sometimes reality is more than fiction.
"The studies carried out showed that these fabrics have the ability to inhibit coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 in less than five minutes, " explained Ana María Llois, doctor in Physical Sciences, principal investigator at Conicet and director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology ; and one of the people who led the project.
The antimicrobial properties of this chinstrap were successfully tested by the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and its antiviral action was checked by the Virology Institute of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).
The chinstrap, which is marketed under the name of Atom-Protect , is already on sale and can be purchased from 10 units for an approximate cost of 375 pesos each.
The properties of the "super chin" that inactivates the viral load in less than five minutes.
What differentiates it from other chinstraps
“These chinstraps are different from the common ones that you can make at home or buy anywhere because they have additives; the fabrics contain antiviral and antibacterial substances and active ingredients . It is a total innovation ”, Llois remarked.
The fabrics have a treatment that consists of the incorporation of a polymer that contains active silver (bactericidal) and copper (antiviral) ions .
The one that is in contact with the skin is also self-sanitizing , so it not only simultaneously reduces the probability of becoming infected and the possibility of infecting others; but because of its bactericidal and antifungal properties it is also more hygienic and prevents those who wear the mask from breathing their own germs. This allows it to be worn for many hours at a time.
For the same reason, the risk that a person will end up contracting an infection by touching the chinstrap with their hands is also reduced, although doing so is never advisable.
Added to this is the fact that, being fixed by polymeric materials, the antiviral, fungicidal and antibacterial actives remain on the fabric , immovable, after at least fifteen washes .
“Tests were carried out that showed that Atom-Protect is not cytotoxic; what is important in a product that is in permanent contact with the skin ”, added Llois.
Do they protect more than homemade masks or those bought in nearby stores? Yes. “They will lower the viral load with this type of protection. The common chinstrap protects others; the additional function of the Atom-Protect is to take care of myself and prevent myself from a possible contagion ”, Llois added.
Although it is currently difficult to find someone on the street who is not wearing a chinstrap, there are variations and even misuse of it.
People who leave their noses out , those who resist buying it and replace it with masks from a plane trip that today remained in the memory and there are even those who prefer to make it at home by crocheting them , where the protection ends up being null.
"If everyone wore chinstraps on their mouths and noses, today would be another story," Llois analyzed, surprised at the different "inventions" to go out on the street and stressed that it is better "to have a mask with a closed weft and not open wefts in the fabric ”and that“ several layers is always better than one ”.
And he remembered the infallible formula in this context: social distance, chinstrap and hand washing .
What do the fabrics have
The fabrics used for the manufacture of these super chinstraps are polyester cotton fabrics -such as sheets- that acquire the property of inactivating viruses and killing bacteria and fungi by being treated with various antiviral and antimicrobial products that the research team developed.
The inner fabric layer of the chinstrap –the one that remains in contact with the mouth and nose- incorporates silver ions and other fungicidal and antibacterial compounds, together with polymeric materials that allow the retention of these active ingredients.
A backscattered electron detector shows bright spots on the fabric that correspond to metal particles, with antiviral action.
The outer fabric layer is treated with a product that contains copper ions –which are what give the mask its antiviral action-, fungicidal, bactericidal and polymeric compounds.
If the chinstraps are washed, do these properties disappear? Only after 15 washes with cold water and soap do the compounds lose their effect. Like the chinstraps for social use, they must be washed when they are dirty , not every time one goes out to shop for a short period of time and returns home.
Llois emphasizes that the antiviral and antibacterial action of the active ingredients with which the fabric is treated to make these chinstraps is almost immediate, once the pathogens come into contact with it.
The tests carried out at the INTI showed that after two minutes the number of bacteria was reduced so much that it was not possible to count them. In addition, the fungicidal properties were verified in the INTI.
“In the Virology Research Institute of INTA, the fabrics were tested against various viruses, and it was found that in a period of two hours their antiviral action was excellent. But in addition, a specific test was carried out to see its ability to inhibit a Coronavirus similar to SARS-Cov-2 in an interval of only five minutes, which is the minimum testing time, and the results could not be better. Simply put: the Atom-Protect deactivates viruses in less than five minutes, ”says Llois.
The secrets of the project
What is particular about this initiative is that, unlike what usually happens, the company was the one that proposed the development. “We were working on another project for which we had formed the team to develop N-95 type medical masks. We had the project prepared when the owner of this company contacted the group because he wanted to make chinstraps with something different and it occurred to him to introduce silver nanoparticles. But our proposal was superior because we incorporated antiviral agents ”, Llois told this newspaper.
The company accepted the proposal and an agreement was signed with Conicet to carry out the development. In just a month and a half it was ready. "Two weeks ago the exclusive license of Conicet was signed for the company so that it can market the fabrics," Llois said.
The urgency of the pandemic led doctoral and postdoctoral fellows to go to the factory located in the Buenos Aires district of La Matanza to be able to learn about the equipment and processes with which they work, carry out tests on an industrial scale and thus carry out the transfer.
Llois revealed: “In the laboratory we work on very small pieces of fabric, but in the factory it is thousands of meters, in large machines. Production was scaled up to adapt the processes and ensure that the result was the same. The fellows, young researchers and students who went to the factory communicated via WhatsApp and video calls with those of us who were leading the project ”. A sign of these times.
The agreement also has a solidarity purpose , since during the first six months of production, the company will donate 10 percent of the fabrics it produces to small workshops in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, which will make chinstraps to give free of charge to people who are not in a condition to buy them.
Also leading the project, along with Llois, were Silvia Goyanes, CONICET researcher at the Buenos Aires Institute of Physics (IFIBA, CONICET-UBA), Roberto Candal, Conicet principal investigator and IIIA research secretary, and Griselda Polla, director of the IIIA Linkage and Transfer Team. In addition, the independent researcher Lucía Famá (IFIBA) and the assistant researchers Lucas Guz and Patricio Carnelli (both from IIIA) participated on behalf of the Conicet.
What to know about Atom-Protect
- The fabric contains antiviral, bactericidal and fungicidal actives that reduce the risks of contagion.
- The properties of the fabric remain active for up to 15 washes.
- It is washed with cold water and white soap when it is dirty (not every time it is used), like any other homemade chinstrap and for social use.
- They recommend giving it a maximum of eight hours in a row.
- It is now available for purchase at https://atomprotect.mitrendenube.com/productos/
-Ten chinstraps is the minimum quantity to buy at a cost of 324 pesos per unit. Buying the box of 40 face masks each goes to be worth 268.50 pesos.
- On the official page they warn that there is a wait of between 7 and 12 days to prepare the order, plus the shipping time according to the chosen medium.
With information from CONICET.