NOBIC advances mask innovation through partnerships with BARDA DRIVe Accelerator Network

While it’s tempting to throw out our old masks now that the CDC has rolled back mask requirements for those fully vaccinated, the reality is that these protective face coverings continue to be a vital part of preventing disease transmission. New variants of the virus are spreading rapidly, and the global population has had limited access to vaccines.

N95 masks and other types of face barriers have reduced the spread of COVID-19, but we all know there are limitations in mask fit, function, and access. New respiratory viruses and health security threats may emerge in the future and the time to prepare is right now. To address this pressing need for mask innovation, the New Orleans BioInnovation Center has partnered with multiple entities across the US to facilitate advancements in the consumer mask market.

To accelerate the development of the next generation of masks, Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched the $500,000 Mask Innovation Challenge:  Building Tomorrow’s Mask.  The goal of the challenge is to improve the comfort, utility, and protective capabilities of products worn by the general public to provide protection against respiratory disease pathogens.

The competition began in April 2021, and 1448 mask designs were submitted by the public for evaluation. The submissions were screened for their technological feasibility, innovation, and overall merit by a panel of more than 80 judges.  A total of 263 mask designs were selected for consideration in phase I of the competition, and the top 40 mask teams advanced to regional pitch competitions hosted by the BARDA DRIVe Accelerator Network.

NOBIC partnered with BARDA and neighboring DRIVe accelerators, Biolocity (Atlanta, GA) and First Flight Venture Center (Research Triangle Park, NC), to host the Southeast Regional Mask Innovation Challenge on May 25.  Using a rapid pitch format, 10 of the top teams presented their masks to a panel of expert judges and received feedback on their designs.

“The New Orleans BioInnovation Center is excited to partner with BARDA and the national health-security community on the Mask Innovation Challenge. We are actively sourcing and developing innovative and effective designs for mass-producible, low-cost-per-use devices. Everyone can appreciate a coordinated attempt to build a better mask to be used to protect citizens in the event of another outbreak or respiratory disease scare,” said Kris Khalil, Executive Director of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center.

In parallel to the Southeast Regional event NOBIC hosted with Biolocity and First Flight Venture Center, ten additional DRIVe accelerators partnered to host the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and West Coast regional events.  Collectively, these four virtual challenges drew a crowd of more than 700 spectators from around the world, demonstrating widespread enthusiasm for mask innovation and health security.

M2D2 hosted the Mask Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony on June 24 and spotlighted the tremendous efforts of ten winning teams.  Dr. Gary Bisbrow, Director of BARDA, remarked that “the competition was fierce,” and he applauded the innovative solutions that were put forward.  Dr. Sandeep Patel, Director of DRIVe, stated that “the entire population can empathize with this experience [of relying on masks]” and he congratulated the efforts of the winning teams.

The phase I winners are BreSafe^TM Transparent Mask (4C Air, Inc), The Makery Mask (The Makery Hilo), Amazon PerfectFit Mask (Amazon), Project: Veil (Levi Strauss & Co.), PaciMask (PaciMask, LLC), Reusable smart face masks (Georgetown University), AtmoBlue v2 (AtmoBlue, Inc.), Rechargeable Electrostatic Capacity Mask (RECm), Flo Mask (Air Flo Labs, LLC), and Airgami® Mask (Air99, LLC).  Each winning team will receive $10,000 to develop a prototype of their concept.  The BARDA DRIVe Accelerator Network will provide wrap-around support to these companies as they work to bring their innovative masks to market.

Phase II of the challenge will launch in Fall 2021 with a total prize purse of $400,000.  Finalists will be invited to submit prototypes for proof-of-concept testing by NIOSH laboratories and other partner laboratories.

Follow BARDA and NOBIC on social media for updates about the Mask Innovation Challenge and to discover other exciting opportunities to advance health security.

 

At Trach Tech, BioInnovation Students Tackle Bio-Film

I am Sh’nai Royal, a high school graduate from Sophie B. Wright and an aspiring scientist and activist. Through my YouthForce NOLA internship at NOBIC, I had the pleasure of interviewing members of the Trach Tech team including Alex Verne, a bio-engineering student at the University of Washington, as well as biomedical engineering students at Tulane Michael L’ecuyer and Stephen Hahn. As an incoming freshman at LSU, I wanted to learn more about this graduate student-led startup, what their technology does, and their experience creating and sustaining a company during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Trach Tech team came together through a senior capstone project at Tulane University, where they were introduced to the intubation process. In Stephen’s words, “We talked to a trauma surgeon at Tulane Medical Center, Dr. Chrissy Guidry. She listed a bunch of issues that she wanted help with or thought we could tackle. One of them had to do with intubation. From there, she set us up with a respiratory therapist at University Medical Center.” The team learned that Biofilm build-up within an intubation tube will increase the resistance that the patient will feel when attempting to breathe without a ventilator, and can also cause infections such as Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP). After going at it for a year, the Trach Tech members decided to continue their work resulting in the creation of extraordinary technology — a spinning device that effectively knocks out all of the biofilm mucus, a highly antibiotic bacterial buildup present in intubation tubes, and safely pulls it out without extubating patients. 

Trach Tech offers an entirely different solution to cleaning endotracheal tubes that minimizes the insertion of medical devices into a patient. The device thus helps patients survive, and both the patient and the hospital save money that would otherwise be dedicated to treating bacterial infections arising from the biofilm build-up. With COVID-19 resulting in record levels of patient intubation, Trach Tech’s technology could not be introduced at a more critical time. Stephen notes, “In 2020 … there were thousands [of patients] a day, or even like tens of thousands being ventilated.” Ventilation is just one of the several uses for endotracheal intubation. Endotracheal intubation allows air to freely flow into and out of the lungs by providing oxygen. 

Additionally, Trach Tech is setting its sights beyond endotracheal tubes. As compared to existing treatments for cardiovascular plaque build-up, their solution would potentially reduce the number of items introduced into patients. Current solutions presently require a second point of entry to clean & remove buildup, whereas Trach Tech’s solution would operate within the tubes that are already in place.

Trach Tech expressed that a ‘pro’ of working through the COVID-19 pandemic is that you can collaborate with team members and others around the world virtually. Alex points out that, “we are really spread out at this point and going virtual has helped us coordinate.” Stephen adds, “we can also meet with mentors and advisors that are all across the country.” The Trach Tech team also pointed out that the pandemic has drawn more attention to the matter at hand by increasing awareness of the issues with intubation. 

On the other hand, COVID has created an obstacle for their technology because the biofilm build-up may contain COVID particles which pose a risk to other patients and hospital personnel when removed. Alex observes, “a lot more people are aware that there can be additional complications that come from being intubated, but [the pandemic] has also made it a little challenging for us to get some testing done.” This means that even though COVID has created an increased need for their device, the device isn’t ready to be used on patients just yet. 

The pandemic prevented Trach Tech from learning more about the intubation process through hospital visits, and also made it difficult to conduct clinical trials. Michael spoke on this issue, mentioning how, “[the team has] been invited on several occasions to visit an ICU to see what the normal procedure looks like, but that hasn’t been possible.” 

As a scientist, this interview helped me learn more about biofilm-related phenomena. Trach Tech’s cutting-edge approach to removing biofilm eliminates the need to find out how to destroy the bacteria. Furthermore, I asked the team to give a soon-to-be college student, such as myself, some advice. They all agreed that it’s key to build your network throughout your time in college and to engage with your teachers on topics you’re passionate about.