Israeli researchers have come up with a brilliant new prototype for a self-cleaning face mask which can kill pathogens—such as COVID-19—simply by drawing power from a smartphone charger.

Scientists from the Technion Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering in Haifa—one of Israel’s leading scientific research institutions—say the mask can use an electrical current from any standard 2-amp mobile phone charger to heat up a carbon fiber layer inside the mask and kill off any dangerous viruses that may have accumulated on its surface.

Since announcing the success of their innovative device this week, a Technion spokesperson told reporters that the researchers have already filed a patent application for the mask with the aim of making it commercially available in the United States for just $1.

That being said, the team has not yet commented on whether the mask will be made available in Europe.

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However, conservationists hope the mask will help to alleviate the large amounts of medical waste currently being generated by disposable face masks and other single-use personal protective equipment (PPE).

Not only that, the reusable masks are expected to relieve mask shortages in US regions that have been hit hardest by the novel coronavirus.

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