Pollution Mask | Customisable | Totobobo

A research published on 13-3-2009 in the Particle and Fibre Toxicology indicates that wearing a respirator may reduce the risk of heart attack.

“This simple intervention has the potential to protect susceptible individuals and prevent cardiovascular events in cities with high concentrations of ambient air pollution.” stated in the website.

The research study:

The research was led by Dr. Jeremy Lingguish of the Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Edinburgh University. The team consist of experts from Centre for Environmental Health (The Netherlands), Institute of Occupational Medicine (UK) and Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, China.

The randomised controlled study involves 15 volunteers walked on a predefined city route in Beijing. The subject exposed to ambient air pollution and exercise was assessed continuously using portable real-time monitors and global positional system tracking respectively. Cardiovascular effects were assessed by continuous 12-lead electrocardiographic and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Walking test route in Beijing

The mask-wearing group result might have been affected due to poor mask-to-face fit. Despite this, the mask-wearing group demonstrated least affected by exposure to air pollution.

Current status:

Exposure to fine particulate air pollution is known to associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity, but it is not clear how this happens.

In another experiment, Magnus Lundb ck et. al developed a simple non-invasive method of assessing arterial stiffness and apply the method to demonstrate exposure to unnoticeable among of diesel exhaust can indeed increase arterial stiffness. This is possibly the best way to explain the link between air pollution and heart attack.

The team from Sweden and UK discovered that men exposed to small, unnoticeable concentration of diesel exhaust (350 ug/m3) increased the augmentation pressure by 3 mmHg and augmentation index by 8 %- indicating an increase in arterial stiffness. In a patient with established hypertension or coronary artery disease, small changes in central aortic pressure may be sufficient to trigger an acute cardiovascular event (e.g. heart attack, or stroke)

A point to note is PM concentrations can regularly reach levels of 300 ug/m3 and above in heavy traffic, occupational settings, and in the world’s largest cities.

Related article:

WHO: Health impact of air pollution

http://totobobo.com/blog/2018/10/pollution_cycling_mask/

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Thanks in advance for your time.

Sunday, March 08, 2009, is not only the International Women’s day, it is also a new milestone for Totobobo mask-the Singapore designed and produced respirator mask has been sold to 20 countries across Asia, Europe and America!

The milestone order was received from Israel at 3:23am in the morning.

“I am surprised that my order makes Israel a new country for the Totobobo mask to reach, because cycling is becoming quite popular here. I reckon that I will be the first of many others, once they see me with your mask.” said Ralph Dobrin in an email. “Jerusalem, where I live, has quite a lot of vehicular pollution. I use a bicycle as transportation. Surprisingly none of the dozen bicycle shops here stock masks. So, I surf the net, and Totobobo mask seemed the wisest choice in every way.”

Recent visitors of Totobobo mask

“While the total volume is still small, the trend is very promising.” said Sharon Li, the managing director. “Over the past 12 months, our monthly website traffic has increased by 300% and more importantly our monthly sale has expanded by 500%! More and more new customers are referred by their friends and relatives.”

The key applications of this 100g ultra lightweight reusable mask include cycling (+motorcycle) wood turning, as well as allergens & flu prevention.

Most wood turners and cyclists are impressed by the ease of use, wearing comfort and the effectiveness of the filters:

“The Totobobo mask is so easy to wear and comfortable that I forget I am wearing the mask. It is absolutely incredible how much dust particles the filters will pick up. I think it is the best thing you can use to protect your lungs.” said Bob Edwards from Texas, who is an experienced wood turners and demonstrator at SWAT.

Other users, especially parents, appreciate the ease of customizing the mask for their children as well as the simple fit-check through the transparent body.

“My wife trims the Totobobo mask to fit our son. I could not find any other mask that would fit him. He wears it regularly when the weather is dry and dust and pollution increases.” Said Thomas Eric Johnson PhD – Thailand, Bangkok.

The Singapore invention was triggered by the SARS in 2003 when the inventor, Chu Wa was looking for a fitting mask to protect his sons.

“The recent cases of human bird-flu in Turkey also raised some concerns early this year. Because once a flu pandemic emerges, it will take at least 3 month to start work on a vaccine. Similarly, it takes time to develop and test a mask that can fit many people with different face shapes and sizes. I trust when the next flu pandemic hits, Totobobo mask will be ready to help protect people, especially children” said Chu Wa.

BBC News: Global impact of bird flu

The 20 countries where Totobobo mask has reached so far includes:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, India, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Malta, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA.

Contact for media release: pr @ dreamlab1 . com

Contact for distributor enquiry: totobobomask @ gmail . com

I did a small experiment to visualize how totobobo filter block incense smoke, and how a deliberated gap could render the filter useless.

The setup consist of a vacuum cleaner to provide suction toward the right. This represented the suction force during inhalation. The nose and mouth was marked out by playclay. Another playclay border in front of the nose and mouth represent the mask and formed the breathing zone. A piece of Totobobo filter was inserted to close the opening of the mask, this effectively represented a cross-section of a person wearing a Totobobo mask and covering the nose and mouth.
A glass plate was put on top of the playclay to provide air-tight compartments.

The first demo represented a good seal existed between the mask and the face. The only possible entry for the air was through the filter. At least 94% incense smoke were trapped by the Totobobo filter.

Here is a picture illustration and a video demo:

The second experiment was to simulate the effect of a leak.
I opened up the “mask” near the “chin” of the playclad “face”, to show what happen if there is a gap between the mask and the face.

It was clear that most of the incense smoke leaked through the gap due to strong pressure drop there, and hardly any smoke got attracted towards the filter.

In order to demonstrate a clear cut effect, I’d created a gap much more than what we will see normally.

It was not difficult to see how the incense smoke flow towards the lowest pressure area. When the mask-face seal was good, the maximum pressure drop exist near the filter and the smoke got attracted there. When there was an opening below near the “chin” and created a stronger pressure drop area, the smoke got pull over there.

Therefore it is important to ensure a good seal between the mask and the user’s face. Otherwise, pollutant will by-pass the filter and zip through the gaps wherever easier.

Related post:
Protect children from cancer causing incense smoke

How to do a TOTOBOBO user seal check?

Special features of Totobobo mask

We are working with G6V, a Venture team from the MBA Program of Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur, to conduct a survey about Pollution and the potential market of pollution mask in India cities.

If you are from India or have experienced living in India, please check out the Pollution Protection Gear Survey here.

Part 2 of the survey contains an offer to try Totobobo mask. Please help to forward the survey to your friends from India.

We will post an update of the results later next week.

A email from Jim Waldron yesterday is a perfect user endorsement:

I bought a mask from my woodturning club, Alamo Woodturners association. (alamoturners.com) about a year ago.We have your web site on our club home page.
I wear glasses and I have allergies. I have tried many different masks, Yours is the best by far. It is comfortable efficient and easy to clean. (Now) I bought a second mask because I depend on my Totobobo mask and do not wish to be without it if something should wear out. I do wish you sold the filters in larger quantities as I like to change filters with each new project that I start. Packs of 25 or 50 would be very useful and save on shipping.
Please let me know if or when larger quantities of filters are available. I ordered two packages of 10 filters each with my order for the new mask. But that will last me just a few months.
Sincerely,
Jim Waldron (TX, USA)

Thanks to Jim’s   suggestion, we added a cost saving bulk pack filter (50 pairs) button in our BUY page.

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Please forward your experience or suggestion email to : totobobomask (at) gmail . com

more:

User testimonial

London, January 26 (ANI ): Respiratory infections like flu can be guarded against if people use protective facemasks, according to a study led by British and Aussie scientists.

In their study report, the researcher also say that protective facemasks can even be helpful in defending against a pandemic.

Researchers at Imperial College London and the University of New South Wales, however, have also found that persuading people to wear a mask and to fit it properly is a difficult task, which could limit their effectiveness.

In a clinical trial of the effectiveness of masks, the researchers studied 280 adults from 143 families living in Sydney during the winter flu seasons of 2006 and 2007.

When a child in the household was ill with flu, the volunteers were asked either to wear a mask or not, on a random basis.

The researchers observed that people who wore a mask while their children were sick were four times less likely to become infected by their sick children than non-wearers.

Led researcher Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College, said that the findings suggested that masks could be useful in protecting against flu infections, and could be important in a pandemic.

In a severe influenza pandemic, there may be limited availability of vaccines in the first few months. In that context, masks are a potentially important additional weapon, he said.

The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, indicates that masks could be an effective extra element of the defence plan, provided that people could be made to wear them consistently.

During the study, fewer than half of those who were asked to wear masks kept them on as directed. (ANI)

link

Totobobo masks can fit a wide range of faces from children to adults. However, no product in the market can claim that it fits all the face perfectly. We provides a wide range of adjustments to improve the fitting and seal. In most cases, adjustment of the straps and the position of the mask is enough to provide a good seal. In order cases, reshape the mask, or trimming the mask to a smaller size can help. What sets apart the Totobobo mask from the rest is the ease of checking the fit and the seal.

How do you know if the mask is making a good seal or not?

Unlike most of the masks on the market, Totobobo mask is transparent and it is visually easy to see if the mask is touching the skin and forming a good seal. We call this Visual-Seal-Check.

User-seal-check of a normal respirator (e.g. N95 mask) involves the steps of cupping the filter area with hands, forcefully inhaling and/or exhaling to sense if there is air-leak. Such method relies on the user’s ability to feel the air movement around the leak area. Several studies have shown that this method is not reliable.

The Totobobo Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) method (patented) is facilitated by a very fine texture moulded on the inside of the transparent mask. In normal condition, the surface is dry and it appears as semi-transparent. The surface turns transparent if there is water stuck on the surface. Even a tiny layer of water between the mask and the face will change the appearence from semi-transparent to complete transparent.

To perform a Visual-Seal-Check, first wet your face (e.g. use dampen cloth) than put the mask on. Observe the area near the edge where the face touches the mask. Totally transparent indicates good seal. It is consider a good seal if there is a continuous transparent band circle around the nose and mouth. You need to adjust the mask if the transparent band is broken somewhere which appear to have a milky colour.

Our user test using a TSI PortaCount system – the gold standard of respirator fit test, shows there is a strong correlation (90%+) between the Visual-Seal-Check (VSC) and the standard fit-test results. This is particular reassuring for the public who don’t have access to a professional fit-test system.

Therefore, the Totobobo Visual-Seal-Check provides a fast and reliable method to evaluate the face seal, without the need for complicated fit-test equipment.

 

 

Milky surface indicates the face seal leak location

 

Transparent surface indicates good face seal of Totobobo mask

Ganesh cycle to work path is about 11km. Since December 4th, 2008 he has been testing his new Totobobo mask. Over a period of 2 weeks, he clocked 129 km in 425 minutes of riding. Approximately 25% of the time was “off peak” hours. He is very pleased with the result. To him getting a whiff of clean air behind a smoking bus is really refreshing for a change!