IIT Hyderabad, start-up launch ‘most affordable respirator mask’

The Centre for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) at IIT-Hyderabad has launched what its developers call is the “world’s most affordable respirator mask”, which is “highly durable and adheres to the highest safety standards”.

Developed and commercialised by USafe Healthcare, the CfHE’s latest entrepreneurial entity, the mask — called US9 — will cost Rs 13 per day and has “98.03% PM0.3 filtration rate and 99.7% bacterial filtration rate (better than N95 standards)”, the company stated in a media release on Tuesday.

Telangana Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, who launched the mask, said, “The innovation of reusability in US9 respirator mask not only reduces the recurring cost but also drastically decreases biowaste generated due to protective masks. I congratulate the entrepreneurs backing this product.”