The Centers for Disease Control approved a mask fitter designed by engineers at UW-Madison to combat the spread of COVID-19 last week.
The mask fitter — called the Badger Seal — is a soft, adjustable mask frame with elastic ear loops that, when worn over a non-medical-grade disposable mask, has been proven to improve air filtration by covering gaps from regular masks.
“Adding the Badger Seal to this 3-ply mask was able to reduce the effective particle penetration by about 15 times,” Dr. Lennon Rodgers, one of the principal researchers behind the project, said. “That was a significant improvement and kind of heads toward that N-95 standard.”
The mask fitter went through 15 prototypes to reach completion, according to Fox 11 News. The idea…