"Fitbit for the Face" Can Turn Any Face Mask into Smart Monitoring Device

A properly functioning N95 mask is essential protection for healthcare workers these days. As many of us have experienced, though, extended use often means that masks will shift slightly on the face, and a broken mask seal poses an obvious danger in an ICU ward. While regular, time-consuming mask fit tests provide some protection, a new attachable smart sensor from Josiah Hester able to monitor a wearer’s physiological data offers the promise of additional protection. Dubbed a ”Fitbit for the face”, the sensor platform reports mask fit information, heart and respiration rate to a smartphone app monitoring dashboard. Much of the power for this device can be drawn from heat and light generated by the user or their surroundings, allowing the device to operate for eleven days between battery charges. Hester plans to continue augmenting the device’s ambient energy capabilities to eventually remove the need for a battery entirely, allowing it to operate entirely on passively generated sustainable energy. Learn more about the FaceBit here. Read more here.