Mechatronic face mask anti COVID-19 to remotely record cardiorespiratory variables in farm?s workers engaged in jobs at high risk of infection

Abstract

The most frequent prodromes of COVID-19 infection are fever, signs of respiratory diseases,cough and shortness of breath. Nevertheless, it is not infrequent that patients with COVID-19 alsoshow cardiac symptoms. So, it is of importance to detect the prodromal symptoms of the COVID-19 infection in order to be able to make a diagnosis as quickly as possible to provide theimmediate insertion of the infected people in isolation/therapy protocols. Here is presented aprototype of a smart face mask, named AG47-SmartMask that, in addition to the function of bothan active and passive anti COVID-19 filter by an electro-heated filter brought to a minimumtemperature of 38°C, it also allows the continuous monitoring of numerous cardio-pulmonaryvariables. Several specific sensors are incorporated into the mask to assess the inside masktemperature from which synchronous waving with the breathing was acquired the breathfrequency, relative humidity, air pressure together and end tidal carbon dioxide percentage, and anauricular assessment of the body temperature, the heart rate and the percentage of oxygensaturation of haemoglobin. Sensors are embedded within an advanced ICT platform. To validatethe AG47-SmartMask tool, were engaged twenty seven Farm?s workers of a vegetable packagingchain and they dressed the face mask device to simulate, while working, both tachypnea andcough, and the AG47-SmartMask faithfully quantified the simulated dyspnoic events.