US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) clearance to surgical masks produced by Freudenberg Performance Materials. The masks are meant for healthcare personnel as part of infection control measures to reduce exposure to blood and body fluids. The aim is to protect both patients and healthcare personnel from transfer of microorganisms.

For the US market, Freudenberg Performance Materials is now providing FDA cleared surgical masks meeting the Level 3 standard of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). The ASTM Level 3 surgical mask is for use in conditions where there is a high risk of fluid and aerosol transmission, such as operating procedures. The masks are for single use.

Surgical masks by Freudenberg were tested for performance in five areas - fluid resistance, differential pressure, particulate efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency and flammability. Upon completion of testing, the surgical masks consistently met ASTM Level 3 criteria in all five performance test areas. Bacterial and particle filtration efficiency test results were greater than 99 per cent.

“This was a great accomplishment for our team. It is a milestone that supports our commitment to continue manufacturing local. Meeting the ASTM Level 3 standard helps us in our goal to not only keep our healthcare workers safe, but also ensure they have a steady, reliable PPE supply so the shortages that happened at the beginning of the pandemic don’t happen again,” Alicen Pittenger, head of Sales – North America – Global Healthcare Division, Freudenberg, said.

The Durham, NC site of Freudenberg Performance Materials began mask production in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working closely with local partners, Freudenberg is also aiming to prevent future PPE supply shortages by establishing long-term face mask production for the US market. The site manufactures surgical masks and community masks and is pursuing NIOSH N95 respirator certification.