Japanese scientists have created a face mask that glows upon contact with coronavirus
Miscellaneous / / December 11, 2021
Ostrich eggs are used in its manufacture.
A team of scientists from Kyoto University, led by Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, has created a protective face mask that instantly signals COVID-19 disease. This is done using a special removable filter treated with a fluorescent solution, which glows under ultraviolet light when in contact with the coronavirus. About it writes The Japan Times.
The first component of the solution is antibodies extracted from ostrich eggs, which were injected with an inactive and safe form of coronavirus. The second is a special dye that is activated upon contact with SARS-CoV-2.
The testing of such a composition involved 32 people who became ill with coronavirus. For 10 days, they wore these masks, and the glow dimmed as the viral load went down. In other words, the dye stopped responding to the virus as the patient recovered.
Yasuhiro Tsukamoto himself also discovered a coronavirus when he put on one of the experimental masks during the development of the composition. Later, he did a PCR test, which confirmed the disease. This coincidence is the best way to demonstrate the special benefit of such testing in asymptomatic form of COVID-19.
The vice clarifiesthat Tsukamoto uses ostrich eggs, since their yolk is about 24 times larger than chicken eggs. This allows you to get much more antibodies, and antibodies are transmitted to the offspring precisely through the yolk. And it only takes 6 weeks instead of 12 for chickens.
The team is now planning to expand the experiment to include 150 participants. After large-scale testing of masks, it will be necessary to obtain the necessary government approval for mass production.
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