Apparatus for a molecular imprinted protective face mask
AssigneeUtah Valley University
InventorTimothy Edwin Doyle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a molecular imprinted protective face mask comprising a supportive structure, a surface material that receives and retains a molecular imprint and that is positioned to contact airborne molecules during use, a molecular imprint of a bioactive molecule wherein an imprinted cavity is at least one of a bioactive molecule with a molecular configuration that captures a specific airborne and/or microdroplet-borne molecule and a protein with a binding site that captures a specific molecule.
Claims22
A biofunctional molecular imprint apparatus, the apparatus comprising a face mask or similar personal protective equipment for filtering air, and/or detecting hazardous substances or infectious pathogens in the air, the apparatus comprising:
- an air filtering component comprising one or more air-permeable layers of molecular imprinted fabric, woven material, non-woven material, and/or a porous material positioned to contact an airborne and/or microdroplet-borne molecule during use;
- a molecular imprint wherein an imprinted cavity of the molecular imprint is configured to mimic at least one of:
- a bioactive molecule that captures a specific airborne and/or microdroplet-borne molecule;
- or
- a protein with a binding site that captures a specific airborne and/or microdroplet-borne molecule;
- and
- an electronic enhancement integrated, dispersed, and/or deposited into, with, or onto at least a portion of the air filtering component of the mask, wherein the electronic enhancement comprises at least one of an electrode, a semiconductor, a nanoparticle quantum dot, a nano-island, a quantum wire, other nanostructured component, a piezoelectric element, an acoustic waveguide, an optical waveguide, a transducer, a sensor wire, a biomimetic microchip, or a laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.