LuminoGO is 3D-printed with SHAPEWAYS, it's equipped with 3M FFP3 filters, and the UV-C module works with a light from Philips. These trusted sources enable a qualitative product, and you do not need to rely on us to be sure if the filters are certified or not (as with many other projects who build the filters by themselves which is a highly difficult task).
LuminoGO Features
Use of approved FFP3 3M Filters
Many masks want to produce their own filters, this comes with a ton of problems, supply is difficult and quality must be checked for every production cycle, materials can be of very different quality and making it an approved product is almost impossible for a small company. To supply a cheap replacement part such as a filter worldwide is not feasible, therefore we are using filters by 3M, thousands of shops in 180 countries can supply these. We rely on 3M since they are the leader in filter technology worldwide and they can offer better quality than we ever could with our resources. As well important is the fact that probably a lot of projects won’t be around for the next years to come, so you can not rely on them to deliver you new filters. The LuminoGO mask, once bought, does not rely on us to produce new filters, you can simply buy certified filters online when you need new ones.
Ventilated See Through Mask
What we really love about the LuminoGO is the fresh air! The mask is equipped with a strong radial fan that makes sure you will always have enough fresh air in front of you to not breathe in your own exhaled air. The fan is so important since it is the only way to prevent your breath from condensating within seconds at the cooler mask shield. No nano coating, no special material, nothing else will work except a strong fan since the air must be replaced with fresh air inside the mask during each new breath you take.
Our patented sound membrane technology
LuminoGO uses a patented sound membrane technology, AT-MU50094/2020, which allows the sound to be transported from inside of the mask to the outside. We used a hard material to cover the mask, since this does not absorb the sound, but rather reflects it back, which is only useful with our proprietary membrane technology. If you use a soft material like silicon, this will absorb the sound, so it will not make understanding people with a mask easier.
With LuminoGO there will be no barrier to understanding, as you can see and hear what people with a LuminoGO mask say.
Working UV-C technology
We usually do not like to offend other projects or products, but when it comes to health and safety issues, we believe a bit of open information is necessary to protect people from false promises.
A UV-C LED will by no means achieve anything to help to sterilize air in a facemask. In short: The strongest UV-C LED on the market at a wholesale cost of 52 USD emits only 48 mw of UVC light. Typical projects use either one or 2 but usually weaker ones. It would need about 100 seconds to sterilize about 1 litre of air, the amount you breathe in and out with each breathing cycle. So UV-C LED simply will not work and will not do anything to the incoming or outgoing air at all since it is just not strong enough to perform the sterilization of the amount of air you in- and exhale.
LuminoGo uses a Philips fluorescent UV-C light with our own developed electronics and it emits 1100 mW of UV-C light, around 100x as much power as the typical UV-C LED. The light cost around 9USD and you can replace it yourself.
However, we recommend to use the UV-C module, if only, for the sterilization of the exhaled air. Use of UV-C light for the sterilization of air is well researched and many applications are in place, BUT to this day there is no facemask using this technology that has approval as a medical device. We provide the Lumino UV-C module for you to experiment and to help us to push this technology forward.
If you wish to inform yourself about the use of UV-C light for sterilization we recommend to visit the International Ultraviolet Association
Filtration of in-and exhaled air
Since it is not only important to protect yourself through the filtration of the inhaled air through approved FFP3 3M filters, as well others should be protected through the filtration of your exhaled air. That is why LuminoGO has the option to filter the exhaled air in various ways, through FFP3 3M filters or through the UV-C module. You have as well the option to not filter the exhaled air at all.
So many masks on Indiegogo!
When you have a transparent mask that you do not want to fog up, there is only one solution to for this: use a really strong fan, which can create pressure. The transparent masks on Indiegogo, if they use a fan at all, use an axial fan, this one does not create pressure, meaning it is so weak that it does not prevent the mask from fogging up from the inside. A human can emit up to 70ml of water through his breath in 1 hour. If you do not have a very strong fan the mask will instantly fog up. This can as well be seen in a few videos which are supposed to show how the mask work.
LuminoGO uses a 5 Watt radial fan, which is a really strong fan, able to create pressure to always deliver enough fresh air so the mask will stay transparent. As well, the pressure is important since it creates a constant excess pressure, therefore leaks are less dangerous since the excess pressure will prevent air entering from those leaks.
By the way, do not wear a mask over a beard since this would mean a lot of leaks and air leaking.
We do not promise, like a lot of other projects, features, like CO2 sensors, which alone cost around 140$ (here is the link for one) or microbatteries that can magically last for up to 10 hours.
As well, the claim of many projects to sterilize the air with UV-C light is absurd, since they are only using UV-C LEDs, which are very expensive, one with 10-18 mW radiant flux of UV-C light costs around 50$. Since around 200 mW of radiant flux are needed to sterilize the air, only the UV-C LED’s would cost around 800$ to 1000$.
The LuminoGo has an optional UV-C module, but this does not work with LED’s due to them being this expensive, but with a UV-C fluorescent light from Philipps, which doesn’t emit ozon, and only costs about 9$, with a UV-C radiant flux of 1100Watt, not 10-18mW like the LED’s. (Here is the link for our UV-C lamp at Philips)
LuminoGO versions
The LuminoGO Story
We are a team of engineers and industrial designers passionate about design and functionality, we usually work for large corporations and develop industrial machinery, this our first personal project directly for you and your safety. Our team is based in Vancouver, Canada, and Vienna, Austria.
We have investigated the masks on the market and concluded that there seem to exist so many possibilities to improve the current designs. Consequently our aim was to create the perfect mask, a mask that helps to see the person wearing it, to be able to talk, to constantly have fresh air for breathing and to eliminate the need for disposable filters in order to reduce waste.
Since the LuminoGO mask is an existing mask, we want to bring this comfortable mask to as many people around the globe as possible, especially to support those who have to work long hours wearing a mask and need to travel. Our transparent mask is expacially important when communicating with the hard of hearing, eldery and children.
We have come a long way already, starting with various prototyps, our second one can be seen below in the gif.
What We Need & What You Get
The mask can be already produced right now, but 3D printing and custom electronics are expensive at low volume, the aim of this campaign is to mass produce the product and to source better customized parts at a better price for everyone. Therefor the funding goal is set to 10.000$ since this way we will get a better deals for all the components of the mask.
Please note that every version of the mask comes with a eye shield!
LuminoGO - Filter: the version with 2x FFP3 3M filters and a strong fan for the freshest possible experience under a mask.
LuminoGO - UV-C Module: the package that has it all, 2x FFP3 filters, a fan as well as the future of filters, the UV-C light module for you to test and experiment. Please note that we do not advice to use the UV-C module for inhalation and we want to make sure that this experimental set is aimed at those who wish to experiment, this is not a proven product.
The LuminoGO mask has a price that resembles the quality - a long-lasting mask that will support you during travel, long working hours and in everyday life.
The price will enable all the features we are presenting to you to actually work! We are, unlike other projects, transparent about the products we use and what the mask can and can not do!
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As it can be seen on the picture below every mask comes with an eyeshield:
- The exact name of the FFP3 3M filters we used and that come with the mask (2x): 3M 2135 P3R. You will be able to easily buy them online once you need new ones. Please note that you can use every filter with a round bayonet.
- Sealing of LuminoGO: soft silicone foam is used for the inside of the mask, it is about 7mm thick, very confortable through its softness and does not leave air pass.
Sizes
LuminoGO comes in 3 different sizes, so all your family members can be equipped with a LuminoGO mask. You can choose between these after placing your order:
*Small *Medium *Large
(for youngsters from 14 to 18)
On the picture below you can see how to measure your head size:
Colours
If you wish you can choose a colour for your LuminoGO when ordering your Corporate Set with 5 complete LuminoGO Filter masks. Match the colour with your corporate identity!
The Impact
LuminoGO is not only a new type of mask, it solves several real-world problems:
- It eliminates the effort to breathe through a filter, which causes severe headaches after 2-3 hours.
- It always provides fresh air, you will never breathe your own exhaled air again wearing the mask.
- Your whole face is always visible which improves communication substantially, especially for people with a hearing problem.
- You have great acoustics; you can be heard as if you don’t wear a mask (LuminoGO’s patented technology)
- It is reusable, dramatic reduction of produced waste!! The UV.C version will have no wearing parts.
- Costs are low since you can reuse it, over a year of use it is almost 90% cheaper than a regular mask.
LuminoGO improves your experience when wearing a mask significantly, you can be seen and heard much better, you can work longer hours and stay concentrated much longer.
Cleaning of LuminoGO
The material which is used for the 3D-print of the LuminoGO can be sterilized with common methods such as using an autoclave, steam, heat, UV-Cor vapor of sterilization liquids. The autoclave and steam options can over time harm the ventilator. To avoid this close the opening to the filter.
Risks & Challenges
The current LuminoGO model is provided with industry standard FFP3 filters by 3M, most of the advantages of the mask can be used and enjoyed this way. Our goal however is to have the first certified UV-C mask on the market, therefore Lumino needs to undergo a series of certifications and testing. The UV-C modules are therefore only provided for testing and we cannot claim the effectiveness or safety of the UV-C module. The use of the UV-C module happens at one’s own risk.
After this campaign this will be the main focus of the company, anyone that takes part in this campaign will be kept informed about the progress and will have an opportunity to purchase these modules as well new modules also later on at an exceptional price.
Other Ways You Can Help
LuminoGO is not only a tech gadget or design item, it was created to actually help people during this difficult time.
Older patients often have troubles understanding people wearing regular masks, people who are hard of hearing also need to see the face to be able to communicate.
In many situations being surrounded by people all wearing masks can be scary, recognizing und reading the expression of the faces is important and allows to stay calm.
Working long hours with masks is tiering, first because of the effort to breath in air through a regular mask, second because of rebreathing the own air. Both cause headaches extremely fast.
LuminoGO solves these important problems, if you know an organisation or people that need our improved masks, please let us know, and share our project.
We are giving away masks for free to institutions who do need help in this matter such as the hard of hearing.
Shipping
We charge a flat fee of 19$ for the shipping. Since we operate from Canada and Austria, we will print and ship masks ordered from Canada, the US and Australia in the US, meaning the shipping time will be fast. If you order from Europe, Asia or Africa, your mask will be shipped from Austria.
The Team