Breathable, Heat-intelligent Personal Protective Equipment

To address the environment challenges posed by disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) made of nonbiodegradable materials, such as facemasks, protective suits and gloves, a new technology has been developed to produce reusable heat-intelligent PPE by printing wearable electrical resistive heaters on non-woven fabrics with high breathability and filtration efficiency. These in-situ heaters can heat up the fabrics to a high temperature up to 95 degrees Celsius at a controlled voltage, and effectively deactivate pathogens, allowing the equipment to be reused safely. This new type of PPE is expected to make a significant impact on social healthcare and environmental protection.