The TPA NETWORK Research Consortium announced that Richard Nicholas, its founder, invented and filed a patent for a new type of reusable face mask to help curb community spread and to provide a meaningful degree of protection for the wearer.

The Stay Safer PRN95+ Protective Face Mask™ was the result of research Nicholas conducted for a 70-page guide he wrote to help employers understand the disease and evaluate face masks: The Definitive Employer Guide to Purchasing Face Masks for Your Valued Employees.

Discovering that most viruses (e.g., COVID-19) have an outer protein membrane having a negative electric charge, Nicholas looked for ways to introduce a positive charge that would electrocute it. Leveraging proven technology and well-established science, his mask pairs a proven chemical antimicrobial created by Dow Chemical with a triboelectric air filter that is based on the science relied upon by N95-type respirators. More than just a physical barrier for in- and outbound infected particles, Nicholas says the mask provides the wearer with some degree of protection by actually killing most pathogens; sanitizing the inhaled and exhaled air; and ensuring that the mask's surfaces are safe. The mask prevents a bio-burden build-up by actually killing dangerous microbes so that the mask wearer doesn't get infected by, or transport, a mask rife with infected particles.

The Stay Safer face mask was designed with the help of Privy Label, a high-tech, private-label clothing design firm that specializes in curated products for targeted audiences. It will be made of all natural fabrics in the US, with domestically-sourced materials, by a network of 10 apparel manufacturers.

While Nicholas touts the unique features of his mask, he notes that no face mask or antimicrobial can specifically claim to be effective against COVID-19 as no commercial entity has been provided with the virus for testing.

To download the free employer guide, or learn more about the face mask, visit www.ResearchConsortium.org