The larger context

This project addresses the problem of the surgical face mask used in healthcare facilities. Because extensive use of surgical face masks, which is especially common during this period, causes healthcare providers to suffer from the elastics behind their ears. It has long been known that the elastics cause an uncomfortable fit, but nowadays it is a much discussed topic. Many designers are coming up with solutions to solve this problem. Designers are developing straps to attach to the elastics, so the elastics don’t touch the ears anymore.

Man wearing a facemask incorrectly. Image: The New York Times

In addition to the loss of comfort after wearing the face mask extensively, there is also the problem that there is only one face mask size. One universal size ofcourse doesn’t fit everyone neatly. The purpose of the facemask is to filter the air that you inhale. So that the air you breath in doesn’t contain Covid-19 droplets. If the connection, between your face and the mask, isn’t great there will be gaps. When you inhale, air will try to find the least resistive path to get into your body. Therefore if you’ve got gaps some of the air you breath in will be unfiltered air. So there’s the chance of breathing in air containing Covid-19 droplets.

The ear straps, of Somaya and Cees, being cut out of PET-G plate with a lasercutter. Image: Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Somaya Ben Allouch (lector at Digital Life Centre) and Cees Boschman (Coordinator of the Makerslab at Hogeschool van Amsterdam) developed straps as you can see in the picture above. On the internet appear a lot of straps created out of a similar shape to that of Somaya and Cees. I was curious if there could be a better shape, which creates a better fit and a better comfort (and cleanable to be able to reuse the straps).