LenDaiYan, furniture and user interface designer at the exhibition, in front of the Air Lamps.

Our new patent pending Air-Lamp, an air filter with integrated lighting device, is currently on exhibition at the Singapore furniture fair 2011. This year I join my friend LenDaiYan to share a stand in the trade fair.

Air Lamp combines the function of air filter and linghting in one single device.
Based on a patent pending technology, Air Lamp provides clean and pollution free air while setting the mood with soothing ambient light.
The concept is now on exhibition at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2011. Feedback from the show is so far encouraging. We have received serious inquiry from US and Europe as well as several media coverage. Designboom is the first among the media to cover the Air Lamp.

While  developing the product for production, we are also looking for potential business partners  to produce or market the product. If you know anyone is interested please drop us a note.

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bobo is a new room air purifier concept based on the same filter technology of Totobobo mask. A unique feature of bobo allow it to double up as a diffused light, easy on the eye when use as a reading lamp. It is particularly suitable for the bedroom of children with asthma or sensitive respiratory track.

We are completing 8 functional prototypes to be exhibit in the Singapore National Museum. The public exhibition “Imprints: Designing from memories” will start from December 4th and end by the 2nd of January 2011.

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“I’m traveling to London with my girl and I’d like to be prepared for any volcanic ash needs.”

Murray Kohlhaas is planning a week long trip to Europe and doesn’t want to take any chance with her asthmatic daughter.

Clear mask allows parent to check the face for child seal easily

The volcanic dust can cause acute asthma attack if the concentration is high. In addition to the inhaler and medicine Murray purchased a transparent mask called TOTOBOBO for her daughter. She stumbled on this mask when she was reading a website call free help for cancer.

“This mask is recommended by the parents of cancer patient, and cyclists in most polluted cities use it.  I can count on it to protect my girl.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised travelers suffering from asthma and other respiratory disorders to wear masks or stay indoors to avoid potential hazards caused by the recent volcanic ash from Iceland. The effects will begin to sink in when the ash descends and falls on countries across Europe. Analysis of the ash estimated that about 25% of the particles are less than 10 microns in size, which is more dangerous because they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, according to Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and Environment Department at WHO.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano plume in Iceland

Travelers with condition of asthma or other respiratory disorders should seek advice from doctors and observe the following precautionary measure:

• Avoid unnecessary exposure to ash or pollution.
• Wear a mask if need to go outside. The mask should form a good seal on your face.
• Keep inhalers and medications at hand.
• Wear goggles or glasses. Avoid using contact lens.
• Keep a record of allergens in case of emergency.

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[gizmag] Japanese company Up-Frontier has developed an iPhone application that will provide a pollen forecast for individuals prone to allergies and hay fever. Through working with the Japan Weather Association and their Weather API, the application can access the latest pollen count on their iPhone. The information can even be shared with friends on Twitter.

Cleverly named ‘Pollen Radar’, the app is currently available in the app store for 115 yen (or approximately US$1.25).

Should I bring a mask today? Check the -Pollen Radar- on your iPhone

This is a promising example of the sort of applications that can be developed when organizations take a more open approach to releasing their data. Like most countries Japan is slow getting on the open data bandwagon, but it’s good to see steps like this being made.

For people who do suffer from hay fever the release of this application is very timely, of course, as spring is almost upon us. It will certainly be useful to be able to access the latest pollen counts from a mobile device. In Japan, it could help people decide whether to take a walk outside if the pollen count is not too bad, or opt for public transportation if it is.

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We are excited to introduce a new low cost anti-pollution filters. It provide sub-micron performance targeted at the most dangerous fine particles from traffic pollution (PM2.5 & PM10). It is also extremely effective against wood dust from power sander or wood turning. The filtration efficiency is between 90%~99%.

The filter cost below one dollar a pair, by far the best value in the market. Combining with the well known advantage of Totobobo mask, we are making top notch protection and comfort with extra affordability. We trust that this new filter will help to extend the market reach. According to user’s feedback, we learnt that the cost of the filter is a crucial factor in deciding the long term affordability of a reusable respirator. After all, the mask is only a one time investment. Cost of the filter is the long term issue.

Now for less than 1 dollar a week, everyone can keep the lung clean while enjoying the benefit of cycling, even in the most polluted cities.

This new anti-pollution filters can be purchase from our BUY page immediately.

30 pairs of anti-pollution filter in zip lock bag

Cost comparison of Totobobo filter with competition:

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School bus in USA

Every day, half a million school buses safely carry 24 million American children to school, field trips and athletic events.

Unfortunately, most buses are powered by diesel engines that actually pollute the air inside the bus. Studies show the pollution gets trapped inside the bus, where kids breathe it in.
Soot from two sources

Pollution come from emissions from the tailpipe and from the engine. Engine emissions (also referred to as crankcase emissions) enter the school bus cabin mostly through the door and the floorboard.

Because the door is right near the engine, engine emissions get sucked into the school bus, every time the door opens.
Unhealthy diesel exhaust

Diesel engines spew out nearly 40 toxic substances, smog-forming emissions and particulate matter (PM), better known as soot. Coarse and fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5) are breathed deeply into the lungs where they can lodge, creating serious, even life-threatening health problems (more on the health effects of soot and the problem with diesel).

Children are at particular risk because their lungs are still developing. Kids also breathe two times more air per pound of body weight than adults do. The damage to young lungs can result in reduced lung function by adulthood and other dangerous health problems.

Particle Pollution Health Risks

• aggravated asthma
• lung inflammation
• heart problems
• possible cancer
• premature death

Children receive an extra dose of pollution twice a day

pollution in school bus

Children riding buses older than 2007 models receive an extra dose of pollution on each ride: monitoring shows that the diesel pollution inside a typical school bus can be up to five times higher than the outside air.

Unless your child’s school bus has been retrofitted with a filter or your child is riding on a brand new 2007 school bus, chances are, your child is breathing in unhealthy pollution levels.
Solutions are at hand

Science indicates that even short-term exposure to elevated particulate levels can have detrimental health effects. The good news is that children do not have to be exposed to diesel school bus pollution. Cost-effective solutions are available. Four Steps to Cleaner Buses.
To cut harmful soot pollution by 90 percent, a bus can be replaced with a new 2007 engine model year bus or retrofitted with a filtering device on the tailpipe, called a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

Engine emissions can easily be eliminated with a crankcase ventilation system (CCVS). A CCVS reroutes the engine emissions to the engine air intake preventing harmful emissions from escaping into the air and the bus cabin.

While working on the long term solution, the immediate action you may take is to install a personal filter (face mask) for your children. However, a surgical mask is useless since the airborne particulates can easily bypass the mask and enter the breathing zone through the gaps. N95 respirator is not available for children because NIOSH never certify any for use on children. Luckily TOTOBOBO mask is now available and it is the first fitting mask designed with the need of children in mind. Even though it is not certified, it is easy to see how it seal the small faces of children. There is even a choice of two different filters; 96% or 94%. The 96% provide higher protection level than N95 mask, and the 94% is only 1% less than N95 mask and has very low breathing resistance.

Reference reading: CLEAN SCHOOL BUS
Idle School bus may be harming your child’s lung

Read more about TOTOBOBO mask for children :

The best fitting mask for children

Say no to pollution in school buses

time for a better mask for children

protect children from incense smoke

How to’s

How to customize TOTOBOBO mask for your children?

How to wash TOTOBOBO mask for reuse?

How to check the mask-to-face-seal without fit-test equipment?

Buy TOTOBOBO mask for children

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Fitting mask: a just-in-time solution to cut-off air borne asthma triggers

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Disclaimer: Asthma triggers are various and depends on patients. This article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or conditions.
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Many asthmatic patients are given a prescription drug and inhalers to control their asthma condition. While these medications are helpful to control the symptoms of asthma, some patients prefer to limit the use of medicine to avoid potential side effects. Recent research also question the conventional wisdom of using “preventive” drugs to control asthma.

If you belongs to the non-drug camp, you may consider using a fitting face mask to block air-borne asthma trigger “just in time” to prevent it from flare out of control.

Asthma triggers can be broadly divided into 4 categories:
- air borne triggers (irritants, allergens, cold air)
- allergic triggers (non air borne, i.e. cockroaches)
- psychological triggers (stress, strong emotion)
- physiological triggers (exercise, excessive laughing, crying or even sneezing)

Airway contracted under asthma attack

A great portion of asthma attacks are triggered by air borne stimuli. Triggering stimuli such as irritants, allergens or simply cold air enters the air way (bronchial) causing a strong reaction, inflammation and/or narrowing of the airway tubes that leads to breathing problems. Most asthma attacks are mild, but even people with mild asthma can have a fatal attack. More than 5,000 deaths a year in the USA are attributed to the condition.

Perfect face seal is a pre-condition for cutting off air borne triggers

Symptom avoidance is a well know strategy for asthmatics. It is possible to cut off or reduce air borne triggers with a properly fitted filter mask (respirator). However choosing a suitable face mask can be a complicated issue.

There are two types of portable respirators in the market: reusable respirators and disposable respirators. High quality reusable respirator provides a better fit, but it is more bulky and less likely to be carry around, reducing the usefulness. Disposable respirators are more compact but can be easily distorted after use. This can affect the face-fit in subsequent use. Both types of respirators require a “fit-test” by professional to ensure a proper fit. However, it is not possible to conduct a “fit-test” each time when the mask is needed. Therefore the fit quality during use remains as a mystery.

Above dilemma is finally solved by TOTOBOBO mask, in a remarkably simple and intuitive way. First the transparent respirator allows you to see through the mask clearly and decide if the mask fits or not. Such visual check is easy to achieve each time when you need to put on the mask. Secondly, the mask can be trimmed to suit any unique face, including children’s. Finally the high quality reusable mask can be folded flat and fits into a shirt pocket, carry around and ready for the action whenever it is needed.

Currently TOTOBOBO mask is the only solution providing Easy fit-check, Customized fit and “Pocketability”. These are important factors if cutting off air borne triggers is in your plan against asthma attack.

Do consult your physician to come up with an overall plan for your own situation. You may consider TOTOBOBO mask as part of your overall strategy to reduce, but not to replace the use of medicine. A small percentage of patients’ asthma triggered by high moisture air might become worse after putting on a mask.

Below are some of the asthma triggers:

Air borne triggers

Irritants:
• Cigarette smoke
• Air pollution
• Cold air or changes in weather
• Strong odors from painting or cooking
• Scented products
Allergens:
• Animal dander (from the skin, hair, or feathers of animals)
• Dust mites (contained in house dust)
• Cockroaches dropping
• Pollen from trees and grass
• Mold (indoor and outdoor)
Cold air

Allergic triggers (non air borne)

• Cockroaches
• Mold (indoor and outdoor)
• Artificial sweetens
• Animals

Psychological triggers

• Stress
• Threaten
• Anger
• Shock

Physiological triggers

• Exercise
• Laughing
• Crying
• Sneezing

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More information:

Detail list of asthma triggers

Asthma may not require daily medication

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Testimonial from Teresa Lam, Hong Kong (edited March 28, 2008)
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“After trying the mask for a few weeks, I can say the TOTOBOBO mask does feel very comfortable. I’m quite positive that the mask had helped to reduce my asthma. The masks I used to use were not very air tight so most air I inhale would have gone through the side of the mask instead of any filtering.”

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