In March 2020, the COVID-19 disease had spread around the world. The rapid spread of this virus culminated in an alert from the World Health Organization, which classified the emerging disease as a pandemic. The growing demand for obtaining respirators and the low availability of this personal protective equipment for health professionals motivated researchers from various areas at the University of Brasília to assist a task force. The goal was to provide a protective material that is effective in filtering the COVID-19 virus, making it possible for these professionals to work in a safer working environment.

The Égide project emerged in April 2020, with the aim of helping health professionals to fight the COVID-19 pandemic more safely. For this purpose, individual protection equipment (VESTA mask and face shields masks) and hospital equipment (valve and connector for respirators) were designed to help combat the spread of COVD-19.

The VESTA mask, contained in the Égide project, is an N95 PFF2 type respirator with low-cost antiviral nanotechnology. The three layers of the mask are: inner layer, air filter, and outer layer. Standard N95 PFF2 masks block particles 0.3 microns in diameter, while COVID-19 particles are 0.12 microns in diameter. That is, the virus is able to break through these masks. In the case of the VESTA mask, it uses a nanofilm, capable of filtering small molecules, such as COVID-19.

Mask VESTA Layers UnB – Brasília-Brazil.

VESTA Mask Particle Blocking Filter UnB – Brasília-Brazil.

Secretaria de Comunicação da UnB, “Desenvolvida na UnB, máscara que inativa o novo coronavírus está em teste no Hran” Universidade de Brasília,
https://noticias.unb.br/117-pesquisa/4849-desenvolvida-na-unb-mascara-que-inativa-o-novo-coronavirus-esta-em-teste-no-hran
(Mar. 22, 2021).

T. Eiras, Kauan & P. Assis, Nathália & E. Tôrres, Filipe
IEEE PES UnB – Universidade de Brasília