Entreprise Prémont announced the launch in production of Humask-Pro Vision, a windowed mask specially designed for the family and professional circle of people with hearing loss. This new mask, which will be manufactured at its Louiseville plant in Québec, has a transparent window allowing lipreading.
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“This revolutionary new product will protect people in the professional and family circle whose facial expressions must be seen to communicate easily in situations and places when two meters of distancing can’t be maintained – for example, in the hospital, at school, at daycare, and at work. Our R&D team has succeeded in developing a safe and ergonomic product on the technological cutting edge,” said Luc Girard, an Entreprise Prémont partner.
According to the company, production has already begun to meet the demand for this type of mask in Québec, Canada, and the United States.
“We are currently able to manufacture thousands of masks per week. Starting in January 2021, output will speed up to millions of units per week, because we are on the way to fully automated production,“ said Girard.
Its design was conceived to offer space between the mouth and the transparent window for “greater comfort and optimum breathability,” the company says. Made from hypoallergenic and microporous membranes, this mask “stands out for its anti-fogging and anti-glare properties obtained from the unique HUcare filtration technology, a Québec innovation.”
“Humask-Pro Vision is the result of Québec ingenuity and knowhow in technical textiles and manufacturing,” said Dany Charest, general manager of TechniTextile Québec. “The local supply of medical personal protective equipment is at the core of Québec’s health and economic recovery. The pandemic has confirmed the importance for governments and healthcare institutions to procure locally. This innovation clearly proves our ability as an industry to mobilize in order to provide a sustained supply of the equipment necessary for the protection of healthcare workers, patients, and the public, as well as the quality of life of people with hearing loss.”
“Humask-Pro Vision is impatiently awaited by everyone with a hearing loss,” said Jeanne Choquette, President of Audition Québec. “Opaque artisanal masks or face coverings prevent lipreading, which is often essential to compensate for hearing loss. We hope healthcare professionals, school and daycare staff, employers, and retailers will procure Humask-Pro Vision to better meet the needs of people with hearing loss. Children and people who are learning the language or have a developmental language disorder can also benefit if their educators wear this mask.”
This new product is said to comply with Health Canada‘s requirements (ASTM F2100-19 standard) regarding flammability, breathability, and protection against fine particulates (viruses), bacteria, and fluid and blood projections. Therefore, it also meets the requirements of the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST).
Available now!
Humask-Pro Vision will be distributed through the schools, hospitals, and government institutions, as well as specialized distributors. The mask will also be available to the public from the beginning of 2021 on the company’s website at: humask.com.
“This Québec innovation is a fine example of collaboration and complementarity, combining economic and technological development with socio-community engagement,” said Girard. “A portion of the profits from the sale of Humask-Pro Vision will be turned over to Audition Québec. This project is especially dear to me because one of my two children – like thousands of children in Québec and the rest of the world – will be able to continue her development normally, despite her hearing loss, thanks to the ingenuity and perseverance of our team and all our partners in this project.”
Source: Entreprise Prémont
Image: CNW Group/Entreprise Prémont
