user seal check

Totobobo mask hits 25 countries

by info on June 24, 2009

a teenage girl wearing Totobobo mask

a teenage girl wearing Totobobo mask

The current H1N1 flu triggered a sudden increase in sales of face masks and Totobobo, the first customizable face mask, is now hitting 25 countries across the world. This is a new milestone for the company, Dream Lab One, the producer of the Totobobo mask.

Travelers, cyclists, wood-turners and artists alike have found this reusable mask highly effective in blocking out polluted air and various irritants. Sales of this reusable mask has increased significantly and it has received rave reviews from users around the world.

“This mask may have saved my life. First, the mask is made out of a rubbery material, so it sticks naturally to your skin. After I found the perfect position on my face for my mask, I no longer have any problems with breathing…at all…period. My nose has cleared up, my eyes are no longer irritated, I don’t cough or sneeze at all anymore. It’s comfortable and it doesn’t fog my glasses! I hardly know I’m wearing it!” said Paula Ford, a satisfied Totobobo user and a pastel artist residing in Tennessee, United States.

Individuals who rely a lot on respiratory masks tend to live in environments that contain either polluted air or airborne disease pathogens. An effective mask helps to filter out polluted air and airborne virus. There are two conditions that determine whether a respiratory mask is effective. First, it needs to seal the wearer’s nose and mouth snugly. Second, the filter material must be able to filter out the smallest of particles.

“Money can buy high quality filters, but a good seal has been a hit-or-miss affair,” said Francis Chu, the designer of the revolutionary mask. His design provides a simple and intuitive solution call VSC (Visual-Seal-Check) for the user to check the face-seal.

Easy Visual-Seal-Check (VSC):
To ensure good respiratory seal, normal N95 mask users can only rely on their ability to feel the air-leak around their face. Such method is not reliable and sometimes it gives a fault sense of security. Francis believes his transparent mask allows users to check the seal intuitively and to ensure minimal seepage of polluted air.

To verify this, he sent the mask to a hospital and compared the Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) with the gold standard respirator fit-test, a high-end quantitative system called PortaCount from TSI Incorporated. The result showed strong correlation (90%) between the prediction of the Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) method and the result of the gold standard fit-test proving his intuitive method effective.

“The Visual-Seal-Check, or VSC, is much more reliable than the seal check found in other N95 masks. This study shows that face-seal can be determined simply by checking the seal through the transparent mask,” says Francis.

5 years old boy wearing Totobobo mask

5 years old boy wearing Totobobo mask

Over half of the recent orders are coming from parents traveling with children. They appreciate the possibility to customize the mask to fit their young children. With the VSC they are more reassured that their children are getting the optimal protection.

To buy Totobobo mask (International)
To buy Totobobo mask in Singapore

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News release
(Singapore, 4 May 2009) – As swine flu (H1N1) continues to spread, young children are at greater risk because of the lack of child-friendly respiratory masks. The customisable child-friendly Totobobo mask offers parents a reassuring solution and is seeing strong demand from around the world.

Totobobo mask fit children with small face size

Totobobo mask fit children with small face size

The patented Totobobo mask was created by product designer Francis Chu to meet the need for children respiratory protection. Made from ‘Totosoft’, a custom-blend soft plastic formulated using FDA approved sources, the mask is also equipped with two powerful German filters. The mask can be trimmed to fit children as young as five-years-old. Parents can see through the transparent mask and double check if it fits their child snuggly and leaving no gaps.

For a mask to be effective, it has to fit the face snuggly, so that airborne viruses cannot seep through any gaps. Children wearing adult-sized respiratory masks, whether NIOSH-certified or not would be exposed to contaminated air due to the ill fit.

 

normal N95 mask does not fit children

normal N95 mask does not fit children

 

 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the USA tests and certifies respiratory devices on the market such as the current standard N95 masks. This test is however only conducted on adults. The certification determines the filtration efficiency and does not guarantee how well the masks fit. All NIOSH-certified respiratory masks like the current N95 are fixed sizes and do not come in smaller sizes for children.

In 2003, when SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) first broke out, Francis himself a parent of two, got first-hand experience of the anxiety of a parent concerned about his children’s safety. His children were only six and eight-years-old at the time and he could not find a mask that would fit their small faces.

“I felt hopeless knowing that my children were in imminent danger if they go into crowded public space like schools or playgrounds and that I could not do anything about it.”
“The sense of threat prompt me into looking for a design solution that will fit all face shapes including children.” explains Francis.

The customisable Totobobo respiratory mask that Francis eventually created, after experimenting with hundreds of prototypes, fits both adult and child. Its soft and light material (only 20grams) makes it less irritable for children who might find it uncomfortable wearing a normal mask.

“I believe that I was thinking from a parent’s perspective during the design process and that pushed me harder to make the mask as practical as possible. I am just happy knowing that with the child-friendly Totobobo mask, parents now have a practical way to better assured of their children’s safety,” adds Francis.

Related:
Time for a better mask to protect children
Parent testimonial

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How to choose a pollution mask for cycling?

by info on October 4, 2008

Coolest pollution mask for city cyclist

Coolest pollution mask for city cyclist

Cycling is the greenest and healthiest mode of transportation, and its popularity in urban environments is growing. But cyclists face a major problem in cities: air pollution. In order to safely cycle without taking in a lungful of smog, soot, and who knows what else, a filtration mask is the solution. Cyclists worldwide would greatly benefit from the development of a rider-friendly respiratory mask.

Commuters riding through heavy motor vehicle traffic could wear protective masks to reduce harmful inhalation, but it is hard to decide which one is effective for cyclist.

Nagaraj, a cycling enthusiast from Bangalore, India, compared the TOTOBOBO with the Respro as a means of quality evaluation. His review is detail and comprehensive. In summary the following criterion serve as a useful reference tool for all cyclists:

Fit & Seal

The mask ought to form a seal against the wearer’s face so that airflow is limited to the filter intake.

Filter
Capable of keeping microscopic particles as well as noxious gases out.

Comfort
Breathing through the filters  should be unlabored, condensation formation on the inside of the mask should be limited. The mask should be lightweight to minimize wearer discomfort.

Ease of use
Attachment, cleaning, and carrying should all be simple tasks involving a minimum of hassle.

Cost
Cost of the mask, and replacement filters, should be reasonable.

Availability
For ease of acquisition and replacement, masks and filters should be readily available.

Respro maskVS TOTOBOBO mask

Respro mask VS Totobobo mask
Respro mask VS Totobobo mask

In evaluating both products, Nagaraj arrived at the conlcusion that TOTOBOBO and Respro are both top-grade products. The Respro mask filters some harmful gases through its Dynamically Activated Charcoal Cloth (DACC), and its velcro strap permits easy and secure attachment. On the other hand, the TOTOBOBO mask allows more comfortable breathing, is significantly lighter, and is a fraction of the cost.

Totobobo mask is very effective. It seals your nose and mouth completely. With the pollution levels in Bangalore, within 45 minutes of its usage, the filters turned black for me.- Nagaraj, India

There are other pollution-reducing masks on the market, but each has its drawbacks. Although the disposable N95 is lightweight and cost-effective, purchase for daily use runs up a considerable tab. Industrial gas masks seal to the face the best and may be the most economical, but who wants wear a heavy duty mask in public? They are unattractive and excessive for ordinary daily use. Moreover, unless a gas mask is professionally fit-tested, particulates will easily enter nonetheless.

N95 mask VS Reusable gas mask

N95 mask vs Reusable Gas mask

N95 mask vs Reusable Gas mask

Totobobo, the best cyclist mask in the market

Weighing the various parameters including cost, usability, comfort, portability and protection, TOTOBOBO mask is probably the best out in the market. Below are features of the TOTOBOBO that make it ideal for cyclists and motorcyclists:

yclist wearing Totobobo mask in Bangkok

Cyclist wearing Totobobo mask in Bangkok

Electrolet filter
The powerful filters the finest of airborne particulates— as small as .3 microns— since suspended particulate matter (SPM) is most concerning. Very fine pollution is known to damage the lungs and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Ultra-flexible strap
Although the invisible strap looks delicate, it lasts three times longer than rubber and can be stretched four times its length more than five thousand times without breaking. Additionally, removing the mask while riding the bike is made especially simple with this feature. Easy removal of the TOTOBOBO mask while riding allows greater user comfort and control.

Mask Flexibility
The mask’s unique, flexible material permits adaptability for a variety of workout regimens. The following breathing technique will assist those seeking an invigorating workout or simply a cruise on a bike:
- inhale through the mouth: stretching the mask up and down will tighten the seal for ideal filtration
- exhale through the nose: this will break the seal for ease in exhaling.
In hot weather, this technique will reduce heat and moisture in the mask. TOTOBOBO might be the coolest mask on the market, but every trick to reduce heat helps. I admit that wearing any mask, even the TOTOBOBO, is never as comfortable as no mask at all.

Adaptive to a range of face sizes
One mask fits all. Shopkeepers and customers benefit from the simplicity of a single size that can be fitted. No need to stock multiple sizes.

Easy to clean
Washing and wiping down in a hurry is easy, and the mask dries instantly.

Anti-viral
You never know what you might catch on the road, so the TOTOBOBO mask is made with a silver ion anti-viral material that will prevent any viruses from growing on the mask.

The benefits for cyclists in wearing a TOTOBOBO mask (chart):

Update: 2010-09-01
Based on the feedback from many cyclists, the original Totobobo mask has been further improved. The latest SuperCool model captured the strengths of the original design, such as lightweight, reuse, easily clean, fold-flat, anti-virus, customization and further improve on the comfort and fit. The SuperCool makes heavy breathing easier through the mouth, completely eliminated the glasses fogging problem while improving the fit and face seal. Early adopters like Ross from California, Maurice from Thailand and Erika from New Zealand has given their seals of approval.

The coolest pollution mask for cyclist and motorist, Totobobo Super-Cool mouth mask

The coolest pollution mask for cyclists

The coolest pollution mask

The coolest pollution mask

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The Coolest cyclist mask- SuperCool

Totobobo new SuperCool mask for cyclist sucks?

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12 useful features for cyclist

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Buy TOTOBOBO mask

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Document title
Predictive value of the user seal check in determining half-face respirator fit

Author(s)

DERRICK J. L. (1) ; CHAN Y. F. (1) ; GOMERSALL C. D. (1) ; LUI S. F. (2) ;

Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, HONG-KONG
(2) Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, HONG-KONG
Résumé / Abstract

Guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization state that healthcare workers should wear N95 masks or higher-level protection during all contact with suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Before use, the manufacturer recommends performing a user seal check to ensure that the mask is fitted correctly. This study aimed to test the ability of the user seal check to detect poorly fitting masks. This study is a retrospective review of a mask-fitting programme carried out in the intensive care unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong. In this programme, all staff were tested with two types of N95 mask and one type of N100 mask. The results of the documented user seal check were then compared with the formal fit-test results from a PortaCount. Using a PortaCount reading of 100 as the criterion for a correctly fitted mask, the user seal check wrongly indicated that the mask fitted on 18-31% of occasions, and wrongly indicated that it did not fit on 21-40% of occasions. These data indicate that the user seal check should not be used as a surrogate fit test. Its usefulness as a pre-use test must also be questioned.

Revue / Journal Title
The Journal of hospital infection ISSN 0195-6701

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Clearly a Better Way to Check for Safety

January 11, 2008

The protective function of a respirator mask is based on two functions; (1) the filter media must let in air but stop harmful and unwanted particles from entering the breathing zone. (2) the mask must fit the user’s face and form a complete seal so that no air bypasses the filter media and enters the [...]

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