The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has selected three winners for the third and final phase of the Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.
The Challenge was a $350,000, three-phase contest to enhance respirator fit assessment. It looked for workable options to provide real-time information on filtering facepiece respirator fit. After submitting concept papers detailing their creative solutions in Phase 1, these winners advanced to Phase 2, where they created and presented prototypes. The third and last phase of the challenge saw the winners submit working prototypes for NIOSH review.
“We are thrilled by how each of these innovators rose to our challenge to identify practical solutions that deliver real-time monitoring of respirator fit,” stated Maryann D’Alessandro, Ph.D., Director of NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. “For those who rely on respiratory protection to safeguard their health, this knowledge that a respirator fits and is providing the expected level of protection is crucial.”
Each of the Phase 3 winners, who showcased a variety of solutions, received a portion of the $150,000 Phase 3 prize fund. The winning innovations were created to improve safety and efficacy in real-world situations by giving users instant assessment and feedback on how well filtering facepiece respirators fit.
From the Phase 3 submissions, NIOSH selected three winners. The Phase 3 winners were awarded a total of $150,000, with 1st place receiving $75,000, 2nd place receiving $50,000, and 3rd place awarded $25,000.
1st Place: MOBOMO with the “Fit and Breathe” app, which detects leaks (gaps) along the face seal of a respirator using an infrared camera.
2nd Place: OpenAeros with a low-cost, open-source, quantitative fit tester that pairs a unique non-destructive sampling probe with an open-source condensation particle counter to calculate a fit measurement.
3rd Place: Consequent Labs with a continuous pressure/temperature sensor that uses machine learning to notify the user of a respirator’s fit condition while being worn.
To learn more about the Phase 3 Challenge winners, please visit the Challenge website.
This Challenge is a collaboration between NIOSH, Capital Consulting Corporation, and the NASA Tournament Lab.