Anti-fog medical face mask and a device for preventing formation of fog on eyewear while wearing face cover

Abstract

Toward prevention of the spread of COVID-19 virus and suppressing the pandemic caused by this outbreak, many local governments, states within the Unites States, and countries around the globe have mandated wearing of face covering masks. This mandate has introduced new challenges to the society. One of these challenges is formation of fog on the eyewear while wearing a mask. The direction of the leaked exhaled air from the upper edge of a face covering mask is upward. The location of the portion of the lens of the eyewear that is in front of the eye of the user is on top of the upper edge of the mask (because pulling up the mask further than the eye is not practically possible as the mask would block the eyesight). Hence, the leaked exhaled air (leaked from the top of the mask) moves over the surface of the lens of the eyewear and causes formation of fog on the surface of the lens of the eyewear. To solve the problem of formation of fog on the lens of an eyewear while wearing a face cover, this disclosure proposes a device that prevents the eyewear from getting exposed to the air of exhaling. For this aim, this device redirects the flow of the exhaled air that leaks from the top of the mask. Unlike the solutions in the prior art, the main embodiment of the device disclosed in this application is a standalone device. No modification to the eyewear is needed (although one embodiment of this invention is integrated in the eyewear during manufacturing the eyewear). No modification to the face covering mask is needed either (although one embodiment of this invention is integrated in the face covering mask during manufacturing the face covering mask). Hence, people in the society who need to wear mask, may use this device without needing to purchase new types of eyewear or new types of mask. This device prevents formation of fog on eyewear regardless of the type of eyewear or the type of the mask worn by a user. Hence, compared with the prior art, this device introduces the least amount of discomfort and financial burden on the users and on the society. A significant advantage of the disclosed invention is its contribution to the health of the society and reduction of the spread of viruses. Thanks to this invention a large portion of the society (who refuses wearing masks at all, or who wear masks improperly to avoid formation of fog on their eyewear) shall start using masks and shall wear masks properly. For example, people who may refuse wearing masks during pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, because of discomfort resulted by formation of fog on their eyewear, or people who may wear masks improperly (for example by not covering their noses) or those who may create vents in their masks, to prevent formation of fog on their eyewear, will start wearing their masks properly since the device disclosed in this disclosure prevents formation of fog on the eyewear.