Reusable antimicrobial SonoMasks from Israeli startup Sonovia Tech have entered the US market in four sizes. The cotton-polyester facemasks are infused with metal-oxide nanoparticles that kill germs and last through 100 washings.

“Our pioneering reusable SonoMask has been designed not only to offer advanced PPE but also to conserve the environment and spread resources effectively,” says Sonovia research scientist Jason Migdal. He points out that many countries now require wearing masks in public.

“Our SonoMask launched commercially at the beginning of March, after large quantities were donated to hospitals in Israel and Germany, and to nonprofit charity organizations in Israel, France, Germany, South Africa and Australia,” Migdal says.

Now making 20,000 masks per day at a factory in northern Israel, Sonovia is seeking to sell in bulk quantities to medical institutions and retailers globally.

Client bases have already emerged in Florida and New York, says Migdal. “We are also in talks to supply Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and hospitals in South Carolina and Texas once we have completed Emergency Usage Authorization for FDA approval for medical personnel specifically.”

The company is working with several international labs to affirm the treated textile’s active antiviral capability. It has already been shown that the SonoMask blocks nearly 100% of bacteria and 98% of 5-micron particles – the size of droplets that the World Health Organization believes transmit Covid-19 contagion. Sonovia is doing an enhanced filtration test of 3 microns to meet French standards for occupational use.

To better service American customers, Sonovia has set up a facility in Connecticut for domestic shipping. The price is $45 for one mask, with discounts for multiple units; see the website for details.

“We now provide the SonoMask in sizes S, M, L and XL. For occupational workers such as dentists working in areas of high risk of contamination, future models of the SonoMask will come with the option to insert a very fine 0.2-micron filter to protect against high-velocity aerosols,” Migdal tells ISRAEL21c.

With evidence emerging that pets and wild animals can become infected with Covid-19, Sonovia is designing a mask for dogs and cats as it awaits further scientific data on this phenomenon.

Migdal says Sonovia will soon be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its propriety fabric will be featured in a conceptual sculpture to be displayed in a New York art gallery.

“By the end of 2020 we plan to form strategic partnerships that would allow large-scale commercialization. Then we can diversify our technological application from just facemasks to all PPE.”