Dr. Yuli Setyo Indartono, who earned his doctorate degree from Kobe University, Japan, said that this 3 in 1 Face Protector is an equipment with three functions, as the name implies. These functions replace the N-95 mask, face shield, and goggle with a single equipment that is supplied with air from a blower. However, 3 in 1 Face Protector has a very broad range of usage and is not limited to only handle the COVID-19 problems.

“Try to imagine the workers at the sawmill. There are a lot of dust flying. People in the industry dealing with dust, fume, and any other pollutes can also use this equipment,” he stated.

Dr. Yuli also mentioned the 3 in 1 Face Protector’s ability to alter its filter. For example, N-95 filter is used for medical purposes since it can block almost 95% virus and bacteria. Nonetheless, this equipment is not only specified for medical purposes but also for other industries and services.

He explained that the work process of 3 in 1 Face Protector is to filter the air, let them enter the blower through the N-95 filter, then spray it to the vacuum snorkeling mask that sticks to our face. This causes positive internal pressure so no external air can pass through the side gaps. It makes 3 in 1 Face Protector safe to use.

Initial Manufacturing Idea
Dr. Yuli revealed that initially, the idea to create 3 in 1 Face Protector came abruptly while looking at the snorkeling mask. Besides that, he also felt that the health workers are quite overwhelmed to use a lot of equipment (mask, face shield, and goggles) separately.

“At first, I realized that the snorkeling mask can be used to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 if it is equipped with more mask features. But of course, it will make a stifling sensation because there is no flowing air. Thus, I thought of using a blower to supply the air. After inventing 3 in 1 Face Protector, I just found out that manufacturers abroad have also invented similar equipment (PAPR) but with a much more expensive price,” he said.

After ten units were manufactured, we tested them at various health facilities; Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Dustira Hospital, Cibabat Hospital, private clinics, Puskesmas and requested feedback. “The most memorable one is that the Puskesmas we gave was very happy to receive such equipment. For them, Rp25 million budget was very expensive to buy PAPR equipment,” he added.

Manufacturing Process
3 in 1 Face Protector has gone through a very long process from September 2020 until now. In November 2020, two trial units were manufactured to be evaluated using various parameters, including the inlet current. LPIK ITB is the one that provided assistance in this research.

Afterward, the research was developed to the commercialization stage. It was marked by the establishment of the ten initial prototypes. “Improvements and inputs, of course, come from a lot of groups like doctors, health workers, and industrial parties. This year, we aim to earn the distribution and manufacture permits. Hopefully, there are industries that are willing to collaborate with us in this manufacturing process. As a lecturer, it is difficult to do everything from the beginning until the end. A bridge with the industry is needed for further development. Institutions, like LPIK, can also have this particular role.

The 3 in 1 Face Protector created by Dr. Yuli and some magister students namely Ivan Farozan, Muhammad Azka, and Wildan Rahmawan Ruiss owned several advantages. According to Dr. Yuli, some of them are convenient and energy efficient.

Aside from that, the N-95 filter used (industrial grade) is easy to replace and abundantly available in the market so there is sufficient stock of the N-95 masks for health workers. This is based on last year’s experience in which the N-95 masks were hard to obtain and expensive. Therefore, Dr. Yuli used the industrial grade N-95 filter which has equivalent abilities, but in different forms.

Of course, various challenges were also experienced in manufacturing this equipment. “The medical hose is very long so the flowrate towards the mask is reduced. The suggestions we can offer for this point is to make a blower on the head mount, meanwhile the power unit can be put inside the pocket. Moreover, we developed this equipment during the early COVID-19 outbreak when the industry was not fully operated. At that time, components, like medical grade hose and some other 3D printers, were difficult to be accessed. But now, Insya Allah, the supplies have run smoothly.”

For immediate implementation, Dr. Yuli and his team continue to improve the equipment according to health workers’ needs. Market research has also been done to analyze the demand and the markets’ purchasing powers. In addition, the effort to earn the distribution and manufacture permits is also carried out. They hope by the end of 2021, 3 in 1 Face Protector can be handed over to the industry for commercialization with the help of ITB Industrial Engineering Center.

“This equipment is still being developed and hopefully, can be commercialized soon at an affordable price for health facilities or industries. The pandemic condition teaches us that in fact, Indonesia is capable of creating useful innovations. For example, ITB has also produced Vent-I, a portable ventilator to handle COVID-19. We can work hand in hand to bring benefits to the community,” he declared.

Reporter: Christopher Wijaya (Sains dan Teknologi Farmasi, 2016)
Translator: Sekar Dianwidi Bisowarno (Rekayasa Hayati, 2019)