Foss wins New Hampshire High Technology Council 2011 Product of the Year
November 23, 2011 - United States Of America
Foss Manufacturing, a leading innovator and pioneer in the specialty fibers, Nonwoven and needle-punch fabrics industry, announced today that the SpectraShield™ 9500 Surgical N95 Respirator Mask won the New Hampshire High Technology Council's 2011 Product of the Year honor.
The mask's antimicrobial effectiveness is powered by Fosshield® featuring Sciessent's Agion® antimicrobial technology - a first-of-its-kind, safe and natural antimicrobial. The SpectraShield™ mask has FDA 510K clearance and NIOSH approval, making it the first and only antibacterial respirator mask of its kind to achieve FDA clearance in the United States.
Unlike antimicrobial agents that are applied via topical chemical coatings or include actual metals, the patented, non-leaching and non-metallic anti-microbial technology in Fosshield® is blended right into the fabric. Fosshield® fiber is the first and only antimicrobial technology to successfully use a balance of silver and copper ions in a fiber.
The key to the respirator mask's effectiveness is the unique combination of silver and copper ions in Fosshield ®. The Fosshield ® ions are given a positive charge to bind to a microbes' ion charged surface. Thus, Fosshield® ions attract any microbe that may be present on the fiber and disable their critical functions (metabolism, respiration, and reproduction).
With this silver and copper ion fiber system, the Nexera Medical, Inc. SpectraShield™ mask has also gained European CE clearance as an FFP2 and FFP3 antiviral respirator offering 14 days of reusability opposed to the three to four hours offered by other masks currently available on the market.
The durable SpectraShield™ mask eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria on the treated surface within one hour and certain strains of harmful bacteria on contact before they can enter the body, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus.
This next generation respirator mask meets CDC and WHO guidelines for infectious disease exposure control, is ideal for pandemic preparedness and gives healthcare workers the best available long-duration protection against infectious diseases, especially Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs).
"The SpectraShield™ mask with Fosshield® is unlike any other respirator mask ever created and is truly an example of disruptive, game changing technology," said A.J. Nassar, chief executive officer, Foss Manufacturing Company. "With FDA clearance and NIOSH approval, we are fully confident in the mask's ability to protect people from the world's most dangerous microbes. What’s more, Fosshield® is a technology with enormous potential; and we are currently working to bring its microbe-fighting power beyond the SpectraShield™ mask to many other products across several markets, including automotive, apparel, building, and hospitality."
About Foss Manufacturing Company, LLC
Fosshield® fabric is manufactured by Foss Manufacturing, LLC (Foss®) based in Hampton, New Hampshire. Foss is a well-known leader and pioneer in the use of non-woven fabrics and specialty synthetic fibers in an ever-expanding number of environments and applications. Using new technologies and state-of-the-art computerized production, it is unrivaled in its ability to efficiently and effectively design, manufacture, convert, package, and distribute a vast array of specialty textile products worldwide. Foss is one of the world's largest needle-punch based manufacturers, and it has the expertise and experience to support customers' needs across virtually all applications and markets.
The mask's antimicrobial effectiveness is powered by Fosshield® featuring Sciessent's Agion® antimicrobial technology - a first-of-its-kind, safe and natural antimicrobial. The SpectraShield™ mask has FDA 510K clearance and NIOSH approval, making it the first and only antibacterial respirator mask of its kind to achieve FDA clearance in the United States.
Unlike antimicrobial agents that are applied via topical chemical coatings or include actual metals, the patented, non-leaching and non-metallic anti-microbial technology in Fosshield® is blended right into the fabric. Fosshield® fiber is the first and only antimicrobial technology to successfully use a balance of silver and copper ions in a fiber.
The key to the respirator mask's effectiveness is the unique combination of silver and copper ions in Fosshield ®. The Fosshield ® ions are given a positive charge to bind to a microbes' ion charged surface. Thus, Fosshield® ions attract any microbe that may be present on the fiber and disable their critical functions (metabolism, respiration, and reproduction).
With this silver and copper ion fiber system, the Nexera Medical, Inc. SpectraShield™ mask has also gained European CE clearance as an FFP2 and FFP3 antiviral respirator offering 14 days of reusability opposed to the three to four hours offered by other masks currently available on the market.
The durable SpectraShield™ mask eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria on the treated surface within one hour and certain strains of harmful bacteria on contact before they can enter the body, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus.
This next generation respirator mask meets CDC and WHO guidelines for infectious disease exposure control, is ideal for pandemic preparedness and gives healthcare workers the best available long-duration protection against infectious diseases, especially Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs).
"The SpectraShield™ mask with Fosshield® is unlike any other respirator mask ever created and is truly an example of disruptive, game changing technology," said A.J. Nassar, chief executive officer, Foss Manufacturing Company. "With FDA clearance and NIOSH approval, we are fully confident in the mask's ability to protect people from the world's most dangerous microbes. What’s more, Fosshield® is a technology with enormous potential; and we are currently working to bring its microbe-fighting power beyond the SpectraShield™ mask to many other products across several markets, including automotive, apparel, building, and hospitality."
About Foss Manufacturing Company, LLC
Fosshield® fabric is manufactured by Foss Manufacturing, LLC (Foss®) based in Hampton, New Hampshire. Foss is a well-known leader and pioneer in the use of non-woven fabrics and specialty synthetic fibers in an ever-expanding number of environments and applications. Using new technologies and state-of-the-art computerized production, it is unrivaled in its ability to efficiently and effectively design, manufacture, convert, package, and distribute a vast array of specialty textile products worldwide. Foss is one of the world's largest needle-punch based manufacturers, and it has the expertise and experience to support customers' needs across virtually all applications and markets.