Abstract
A surgical face mask is an important medical device used to protect both surgical patients and operating room personnel from the transfer of microorganisms, body fluids and particulate material. In this research, the effect of repellent finish on filtration ability of surgical face masks was studied. In determining the filtration ability of surgical face masks, a technique using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) was used to determine particle capture. Small particles present on/in nonwoven fabrics of the face masks were located using LSCM. Then, image analysis was used to quantify the small particles by total area to evaluate the filtration ability. The results showed that the filtration layer was the primary contributor to the barrier effectiveness of the surgical face mask. Statistical analysis was performed and the results showed that although repellent finish decreased the filtration ability of the cover layer, it did not affect the filtration ability of the filtration layer.