RESPIRATOR MASK CLEANER
The present disclosure provides cleaning apparatus for respirator masks (e.g., N95 respirator masks) and methods of using same.
1 . A respirator cleaning apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a superior lamp;
an inferior lamp; and
a respirator support disposed between the superior lamp and the inferior lamp.
2 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a door.
3 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator support is configured to slide into and out of the housing.
4 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator support is configured to support a plurality of respirator masks.
5 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the superior lamp includes at least two lamps for each respirator mask housed within the housing.
6 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the superior lamp includes five lamps for each respirator mask housed within the housing.
7 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inferior lamp includes at least two lamps for each respirator mask housed within the housing.
8 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the inferior lamp includes five lamps for each respirator mask housed within the housing.
9 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator support includes a reinforcement hoop for associating with each respirator mask to be housed within the housing.
10 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator support includes a stand.
11 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator support includes two visor band clips configured to temporarily retain visor bands of each respirator to be housed within the housing.
12 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the superior lamp is configured to illuminate substantially all or all of an interior surface of a respirator mask housed within the housing.
13 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inferior lamp is configured to illuminate substantially all or all of an exterior surface of a respirator mask housed within the housing.
14 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the superior lamp comprises a UVC LED.
15 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inferior lamp comprises a UVC LED.
16 . The respirator cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respirator cleaning apparatus is configured to house four respirator masks within the housing.
17 . A method of cleaning a respirator mask, the method comprising:
providing a respirator cleaning device of claim 1 ;
inserting the respirator mask into the housing;
illuminating the respirator mask with the superior lamp and with the inferior lamp for a period of time sufficient to incapacitate substantially all or all pathogens associated with the respirator mask; and
thereafter removing the respirator mask from the housing.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the period of time is not more than about 5 minutes.
19 . The method of claim 17 further comprising applying a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic coating to the respirator mask before the step of inserting the respirator mask into the housing.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method does not include applying a chemical cleanser to the respirator mask.
21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of inserting the respirator mask into the housing comprises:
removing or substantially removing the respirator support from the housing;
attaching the respirator mask to the respirator support; and
reinserting the respirator support into the housing.