Rather than filtering them out, an electric facemask could kill coronavirus particles by passing the air you breathe through a fine copper mesh heated to 194°F (90°C).
If commercialised, the battery-powered device would likely be more expensive than a cloth mask, surgical mask or an N95 respirator, the researchers said.
However, the heated mask would be ideal for situations where risk of viral exposure was high — such as in a healthcare setting, or on crowded public transport.
Rather than filtering them out, an electric facemask, pictured, could kill coronavirus particles by passing the air you breathe through a fine copper mesh heated to 194°F (90°C).
In their study, the researchers created mathematical models to determine the optimum temperature range the mesh will need to reach in order to thermally inactivate coronavirus particles as they are breathed in or out of the mask.
The team were also able to improve the mask's efficiency by creating it as a so-called 'reverse flow reactor' — in which breathing in and out causes the air flow through the mesh to reverse, passing viral particles back across the mesh many times. ?
 The battery-powered device would likely be more expensive than a cloth mask, surgical mask or an N95 respirator, the researchers said.
However, the heated mask would be ideal for situations where risk of viral exposure was high — such as in a healthcare setting, or on crowded public transport.
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