Face coverings are essential for protection against COVID-19, but frustrations with prolonged wear can limit their use, including contact dermatitis, difficulty communicating, and fogging of eyeglasses.

The US Department of Health and Human Services are looking for new and innovative mask designs that address the common complaints associated with face coverings while still meeting desired performance standards.

The Seeker is looking for designs that address these issues:

• Currently available retail devices are often untested, with unknown protective capability.

• Physical discomfort with use, particularly in hot and humid environments.

• Contact dermatitis with extended wear.

• Inability to effectively communicate with others using facial expressions.

• Speech intelligibility.

• Lack of understanding of the device’s features.

• Fogging of eyeglasses during use.

• Difficulty finding a device that is the proper size.

  Do you have ideas for this? Enter today!