In the first half of 2020, hospitals in US alone have purchased $94m of PPE, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Additionally, numerous countries around the world have passed laws making face masks mandatory in public places, increasing demand even further. GlobalData expects the PPE market to grow at an unprecedented rate due to this increase in demand and continued shortage of supplies.

Following the news that a Boston-based hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a new mask prototype, Kamilla Kan, Medical Device Analyst at GlobalData, comments: "The adjustable nature of the iMASC system prototype will allow it to provide a better fit to the face and prevent the occurrence of marks and bruises after a prolonged use, which will be especially beneficial to healthcare workers that wear face masks during long shifts.

"Furthermore, it has been tested on different sterilization methods - such as autoclaving, soaking in bleach or isopropanol - which can be easily performed both at hospitals and in the home. After sterilization, the mask can be reused again, thus reducing the cost of PPE.

"However, even with a huge demand for PPE, it is hard to predict if the iMasc will be successful in the competitive market - since the new system is still in the process of development. The mask's cost of production may be too expensive and the quality control might be too hard to maintain for large-scale production."


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