Model the Interface Between a Respirator and the Human Face

This proposal outlines a multidiscipline approach to the issue of modeling the interface between the respirator and human face. Computer aided design techniques will be used to construct an AutoCAD model fo the M40 mask. A very fast laser scanning technique is proposed for scanning the head and face of representatives of the target population. THe high speed will allow data to capture changes in the shape of the human face while talking, running, etc. Finite eleemnt analysis (FEA) will be used to evaluate the adjoining surfaces of face and mask by evaluating boundary conditions. Human factors engineering will be used to build a model of discomfort factors based on the pressures, skin deflections, and location of pressure points, as well as contributing to the anthropometric and biological tissue considerations that will interact with the laser scans and finite element analyses. The deliverables for this effort will be a literature search report covering the areas of FEA and skin mechanics, mask design and discomfort, and the use of laser scanning in the mask design process; an AutoCAD file of the M40 mask; and a technical report regarding the modeling efforts in the areas of laser scanning, FEA, and fit/discomfort.