Respiratory face masks

Medical face masks are also referred to as a surgical masks. It is a mask that half covers the face and fits over the mouth and nose. An medical mask is attached to the back of the head with ties or behind the ears with elastic bands. With the built-in flexible metal nose clip, the medical face mask can be adjusted at the bridge of the nose. In this way, the escape and entry of breathing air there can be minimised.

The medical face mask filters both the inhaled and exhaled air with its three-layer structure of the non-woven fabric. The middle non-woven layer of the medical face mask is excellent to catch droplets containing pathogens from the breathing air. The mask thus reduces droplet infections and protects both the person wearing a medical face mask (self-protection) and other persons (external protection). This function sets the mask apart from every day covers, whose filtering performance is much lower. FFP2 masks also filter the breathing air or the aerosol particles contained in them but are only used to a limited extent in the medical field.

Since medical face masks - as the name suggests - are primarily used to protect against infection in the medical field, they must meet the requirements of the European standard EN 14683 according to the Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745, as well as the specifications for Class I medical devices, insofar as they are not sterile. In addition to their use in healthcare (hospital staff, during operations, in cleanrooms), medical masks are also used in semiconductor production facilities. They prevent salt crystals from breathing air from settling on the semiconductors. In addition, the masks are used to avoid illness in everyday life, as the Covid 19 pandemic showed, for example.

Which test procedures are relevant for medical face masks?

The protective covers must be tested for manufacturers of medical face masks according to the European standard EN 14683. Also relevant is a test according to ISO 11737-1, which determines the microbiological purity of the mask. Also helpful is a test for skin compatibility of the medical face mask and a test according to ISO 22609 (test method against penetration of synthetic blood).