Adaptive Self-sealing Soft Robotic Face Mask (SRFM) with Particle Jamming

The bag valve mask (BVM) is an essential and ubiquitous healthcare tool for ventilatory support of patients in all manner of settings, from routine operating procedures to first responder cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Despite its prevalence, the BVM is difficult and labor-intensive to use, requiring continuous pressure from one or both hands of a healthcare provider to seal the mask against the patient’s face. We propose a new category of mask that is a soft robot. By conforming, sealing, and adhering to the patient’s face using a combination of particle jamming and suction, our proposed mask requires only a one-time placement procedure, after which the mask operates hands-free. The mask is created from a soft silicone elastomer with two particle jamming rings around its circumference and a gap between them for a suction channel. In human face phantoms, we validate that our masks can support positive pressure ventilation at skin-safe vacuum pressures and show that particle jamming expands its operating region. We further demonstrate its successful operation in the presence of skin surface contaminants and hair. We believe that our soft robot face mask will relieve the provider of continuously pressing and holding a mask to seal it, enabling them to focus on other patient care tasks, reducing personnel demands in hospital settings, and stretching resources during mass casualty events.