U.S. patent application number 16/870204 was filed with the patent office on 2021-11-11 for environmentally natural protective and therapeutic (enpt) face mask.
The applicant listed for this patent is Virothera Pharmaceuticals LLC. Invention is credited to Ali Hafez Ali Mohammed ElFar, Shaker A. Mousa.
Application Number | 20210345708 16/870204 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004886050 |
Filed Date | 2021-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210345708 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mousa; Shaker A. ; et
al. |
November 11, 2021 |
ENVIRONMENTALLY NATURAL PROTECTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC (ENPT) FACE
MASK
Abstract
An environmentally natural protective and therapeutic (ENPT)
mask and an associated method of forming the ENPT mask. The ENPT
mask includes: a face mask; and one or more essential oils embedded
in the face mask. The one or more essential oils are configured to
destroy microbes in direct physical contact with the one or more
essential oils. The method of forming the ENPT mask includes
embedding the one or more essential oils in the face mask.
Inventors: |
Mousa; Shaker A.;
(Wynantskill, NY) ; ElFar; Ali Hafez Ali Mohammed;
(Kafr El Dawar, EG) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Virothera Pharmaceuticals LLC |
Wynantskill |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004886050 |
Appl. No.: |
16/870204 |
Filed: |
May 8, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 2400/32 20130101;
A41D 13/1192 20130101; A41D 2400/36 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/11 20060101
A41D013/11 |
Claims
1. An environmentally natural protective and therapeutic (ENPT)
mask, comprising: a face mask configured to be worn by a person,
said face mask comprising ear loops and ear slits for attaching the
face mask to the person's ears; and one or more essential oils
embedded in the face mask, said one or more essential oils
configured to destroy microbes in direct physical contact with the
one or more essential oils, said one or more essential oils being
embedded in the face mask in a spatial distribution in the face
mask resulting from the entire face mask having been immersed in
the one or more essential oils or from the entire face mask having
been sprayed with the one or more essential oils.
2. The ENPT mask of claim 1, wherein the one or more essential oils
are distributed throughout the face mask.
3. The ENPT mask of claim 1, wherein the one or more essential oils
are distributed within a filter in the face mask.
4. The ENPT mask of claim 1, wherein the one or more essential oils
comprise a plurality of essential oils.
5. The ENPT mask of claim 1, wherein the microbes in direct
physical contact with the one or more essential oils are selected
from the group consisting of viruses, bacteria, funguses, and
combinations thereof.
6. The ENPT mask of claim 1, wherein the one or more essential oils
are one or more volatile aromatic oils obtained from a product
selected from the group consisting of black seeds, ginger, musk,
peppermint, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, oregano, palma rosa,
orange, lemongrass, geranium, citronella, bergamot, red thyme,
cinnamon, clove, and combinations thereof.
7. The ENPT mask of claim 6, wherein the one or more volatile
aromatic oils are configured to be inhaled by the person wearing
the ENPT mask and further configured to destroy a portion of
microbes in a respiratory system of the person.
8. The ENPT mask of claim 6, wherein a portion of the microbes are
in the respiratory system of the person, and wherein the portion of
the microbes is selected from the group consisting of viruses,
bacteria, funguses, and combinations thereof.
9. (canceled)
10. A method for forming an environmentally natural protective and
therapeutic (ENPT) mask, said method comprising: immersing an
entire face mask in one or more essential oils, said one or more
essential oils configured to destroy microbes in direct physical
contact with the one or more essential oils, said face mask
configured to be worn by a person, said face mask comprising ear
loops and ear slits for attaching the face mask to the person's
ears.
11-13. (canceled)
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more essential oils
comprises multiple essential oils, and wherein said immersing
comprises immersing the face mask in the multiple essential oils
simultaneously.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more essential oils
comprises multiple essential oils, and wherein said immersing
comprises immersing the face mask in a plurality of subsets of the
multiple essential oils for each subset individually.
16. A method for forming an environmentally natural protective and
therapeutic (ENPT) mask, said method comprising: spraying one or
more essential oils on an entire face mask, said one or more
essential oils configured to destroy microbes in direct physical
contact with the one or more essential oils, said face mask
configured to be worn by a person, said face mask comprising ear
loops and ear slits for attaching the face mask to the person's
ears.
17-18. (canceled)
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more essential oils
comprises multiple essential oils, and wherein said spraying
comprises spraying the face mask with the multiple essential oils
simultaneously.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more essential oils
comprises multiple essential oils, and wherein said spraying
comprises spraying the face mask with a plurality of subsets of the
multiple essential oils for each subset individually.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an environmentally natural
protective and therapeutic (ENPT) face mask for protection against
viral and bacterial diseases.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A current face mask can function as a filter that can trap
ambient particles such as pollen and infectious microbes such as
infectious viruses, funguses and bacteria.
[0003] There is a danger that some percentage of infectious
viruses, funguses and bacteria will penetrate, or slip by
peripherally, the face mask and enter the mouth and/or nose, of a
person wearing the face mask.
[0004] After the face mask is removed from the person's face, there
is a danger that infectious viruses and bacteria trapped in the
mask may directly contact the body and/or clothing of one or more
persons and/or contact a surface (e.g., a horizontal surface of a
table or counter) and thus contact one or more persons who contact
the surface.
[0005] There is a need for an improved face mask that mitigates or
eliminates the preceding dangers in current face masks.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention provides an environmentally natural
protective and therapeutic (ENPT) mask and an associated method of
forming the ENPT mask. The ENPT mask includes: a face mask; and one
or more essential oils embedded in the face mask. The one or more
essential oils are configured to destroy microbes in direct
physical contact with the one or more essential oils. The method of
forming the ENPT mask includes embedding the one or more essential
oils in the face mask.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE. DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 depicts how an Environmentally Natural Protective and
Therapeutic (ENPT) mask provides antimicrobial protection to a
person and therapeutic treatment involving harmful microbes in the
person's respiratory system, in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 depicts an ENPT mask, in accordance with embodiments
of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 depicts a method of forming an ENPT mask, in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Essential oils are oils obtained extracting different parts
of plants, including the flowers, leaves, bark, roots, resin and
peels.
[0011] In one embodiment, essential oils are obtained via
distillation which separates the oil and water-based compounds of a
plant by steaming. The essential oils may be highly concentrated
oils having a strong aroma and may be volatile aromatic oils
because of a high concentration of aromatic compounds in the
essential oils. Such essential oils may be used in
aromatherapy.
[0012] Essential oils, which may be obtained from aromatic plants,
have beneficial human health due to antibacterial, anti-viral and
antifungal properties of the essential oils. Such essential oils
which are natural volatile oils may be used, in a face mask of the
present invention, against microbes to protect the respiratory
system from microbial invasion as well as to destroy harmful
microbes within the respiratory system.
[0013] Existing masks (e.g., commercially produced masks or
home-made masks) with or without an added filter is used for
protection against viruses and other microbes. Indeed, there are
several types of commercially existing masks with or without an
added filter for protection against viruses and other microbes but
without any protection that can add therapeutic value against the
viruses and other microbes.
[0014] Existing face masks offer varying degrees of trapping
particles, depending on how the mask is constructed, so that
different percentages of particles will be trapped in the face mask
and in different portions of the face mask. For example, some face
masks (e.g., a face mask made of cloth such as cotton or cotton
combined with other fabrics such as polyester) have a uniform
distribution of material throughout the mask, so that the entire
mask filters particles to a same extent. Other masks have a
non-uniform distribution of mask material; e.g., masks having a
pocket in which filter material (e.g., HEPA filter material) is
inserted, so that the portion of the mask in which the pocket is
located will filter particles more effectively than the remainder
of the mask.
[0015] Existing masks encompass of a variety of shapes. The present
invention may utilize a mask of any shape enabling the mask to
cover the nose and mouth.
[0016] The present invention aims to increase the protective power
and therapeutic power of the existing masks by incorporating
essential oils having an antimicrobial effect into the mask (e.g.,
into the entire mask or into mask filter(s) contained in the mask).
The present invention increases the protective power of, and adds
therapeutic power to, the existing masks or any other mask known
currently or made in the future, by embedding in the mask, one or
more essential oils, which may include one or more volatile oils
(e.g., volatile aromatic oils), obtained from at least one of:
black seeds (Nigella saliva) (Mahboubi M., Natural therapeutic
approach of Nigella sativa (Black seed) fixed oil in management of
Sinusitis, Integr Med Res. Elsevier B V; 2018; 7: 27-32.
doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.01.005; El-Far A H, Al Jaouni S K, Li W,
Mousa S A., Protective roles of thymoquinone nanoformulations:
Potential nanonutraceuticals in human diseases. Nutrients, MDPI AG;
2018. doi:10.3390/nu10101369), ginger (Zingiber officinale) (Chang
J S, Wang K C, Yeh C F, Shieh D E, Chiang L C., Fresh ginger
(Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human
respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines,
J Ethnopharmacol. J Ethnopharmacol; 2013; 145: 146-151.
doi:10.10161/j.jep.2012.10.043; Park M, Bae J, Lee D S.,
Antibacterial activity of [10]-gingerol and [12]-gingerol isolated
from ginger rhizome against periodontal bacteria, Phyther Res.
Phytother Res; 2008; 22: 1446-1449. doi:10.1002/ptr.2473), musk,
peppermint, tea tree, lavender (which may be used in aromatherapy
for anxiety, stress, and mental health), eucalyptus, oregano,
palmarosa, orange, lemongrass, geranium, citronella, bergamot, red
thyme, cinnamon (Nabavi S, DiLorenzo A, Izadi M, Sobarzo-Sanchez E,
Daglia M, Nabavi S., Antibacterial Effects of Cinnamon: From Farm
to Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries, Nutrients. MDPI
AG; 2015; 7: 7729-7748, doi:10.3390/nu7095359), clove, other
volatile oils having anti-viral and/or antimicrobial and/or
antifungal properties, and combinations thereof.
[0017] Table 1 presents Nigella Saliva seeds essential oils with
antimicrobial activities (Mahboubi M., Natural therapeutic approach
of Nigella saliva (Black seed) fixed oil in management of
Sinusitis, Integr Med Res. Elsevier B V; 2018; 7: 27-32.
doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.01.005; El-Far A H, Al Jaouni S K, Li W,
Mousa S A., Protective roles of thymoquinone nanoformulations:
Potential nanonutraceuticals in human diseases, Nutrients. MDPI AG;
2018. doi:10.3390/nu10101369; Oyero O G, Toyama M, Mitsuhiro N,
Onifade A A, Hidaka A, Okamoto M, et al., Selective inhibition of
hepatitis c virus replication by alpha-zam, a nigella saliva seed
formulation, African J Tradit Complement Altern Med. African
Ethnomedicines Network; 2016; 13: 144-148.
doi:10.21010/ajtcam.v13i6.20).
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Nigella Sativa seeds essential oils with
antimicrobial activities Medicinal Active Antimicrobial activities
plants ingredients Antibacterial Antiviral Antifungal Nigella
Thymoquinone Bacillus cereus Avian influenza Aspergillus flavus
sativa Hydrothymoquinone Escherichia coli (H9N2) Aspergillus seeds
Klebseilla Hepatitis C virus parasiticus pneumoniae (HCV) Candida
albicans Listeria Murine Chrysosporium monocytogene cytomegalovirus
evolceanui Micrococcus Chrysosporium luteus tropicum
Propionibacterium Trichophyton simii acnes Trichophyton Proteus
vulgaris interdigitale Pseudomonas Trichophyton aeruginosa
mentagrophytes Salmonella Epidermophyton Enteritidis floccosum
Salmonella Microsporum typhimurium canis Shigella flexneri
Trichophyton Staphylococcus rubrum aureus Microsporum
Staphylococcus gypseum epidermidis Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pyogene Vibrio alginolyticus Vibrio
parahaemolyticus
[0018] Table 2 presents cinnamon essential oils with antimicrobial
activities (Nabavi S, Di Lorenzo A, Izadi M, Sobarzo-Sanchez E,
Daglia M, Nabavi S., Antibacterial Effects of Cinnamon: From Farm
to Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries, Nutrients. MDPI
AG; 2015; 7: 7729-7748. doi:10.3390/nu7095359; Fauvelle C, Lambotin
M, Heydmann L, Prakash E, Bhaskaran S, Vishwaraman M, et al., A
cinnamon-derived procyanidin type A compound inhibits hepatitis C
virus cell entry, Hepatol Int. Springer; 2017; 11: 440-445.
doi:10.1007/s12072-017-9809-y; Fatima M, Zaidi N us S S, Amraiz D,
Afzal F., In vitro antiviral activity of Cinnamomum cassia and its
nanoparticles against H7N3 influenza a virus, J Microbiol
Biotechnol. Korean Society for Microbiolog and Biotechnology; 2015;
26: 151-159. doi:10.4014/jmb.1508.08024; Connell B J, Chang S Y,
Prakash E, Yousfi R, Mohan V, Posch W, et al., A cinnamon-derived
procyanidin compound displays anti-HIV-1 activity by blocking
heparan sulfate- and co-receptor-binding sites on gp120 and
reverses T cell exhaustion via impeding Tim-3 and PD-1
upregulation, PLoS One. Public Library of Science; 2016; 11.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165386; Lane T, Anantpadma M, Freundlich
J S, Davey R A, Madrid P B, Ekins S., The Natural Product Eugenol
Is an Inhibitor of the Ebola Virus In Vitro, Pharmaceutical
Research. Springer New York LLC; 2019.
doi:10.1007/s11095-019-2629-0).
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Cinnamon essential oils with antimicrobial
activities Medicinal Active Antimicrobial activities plants
ingredients Antibacterial Antiviral Antifungal Cinnamon Cinnamic
acid Bacillus cereus Ebola virus Aspergillus niger Cinnamaldehyde
Bacillus (EBOV) Candida albicans Eugenol megaterium Hepatitis A
virus Colletotrichum Corynebacterium (HAV) acutatum xerosis
Hepatitis C virus Fusarium Enterobacter (HCV) graminearum cloacae
Human Escherichia coli immunodeficiency Klebsiella virus-1 (HIV-1)
pneumonia Influenza A virus Lactobacillus (H1N1) acidophilus
Influenza A virus Moraxella (H7N3) catarrhalis Salmonella typhi
Mycobacterium avium Mycobacterium tuberculosis Photobacterium
leiognathid Porphyromonas gingivalis Propionibacterium acnes
Staphylococcus epidermidis Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pseudomonas
fluorescens Salmonella paratyphi A Salmonella Typhimurium
Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus faecalis Streptococcus mutans
Yersinia enterocolitica
[0019] Table 3 presents ginger essential oils with antimicrobial
activities (Chang J S, Wang K C, Yeh C F, Shieh D E, Chiang L C.,
Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against
human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell
lines, J Ethnopharmacol. J Ethnopharmacol; 2013; 145: 146-151
doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.10.043; Park M. Bae J, Lee D S,
Antibacterial activity of [10]-gingerol and [12]-gingerol isolated
from ginger rhizome against periodontal bacteria, Phyther Res.
Phytother Res; 2008; 22: 1446-1449. doi:10.1002/ptr.2473; Lei H,
Wei Q, Wang Q, Su A, Xue M, Liu Q, et al., Characterization of
ginger essential oil/palygorskite composite GEO-PGS) and its
anti-bacteria activity, Mater Sci Eng C. Elsevier Ltd; 2017; 73:
381-387. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2016.12.093; Athawale V, Paralikar P,
Ingle A P, Rai M., Biogenically engineered nanoparticles inhibit
fusarium oxysporum causing soft-rot of ginger, IET
Nanobiotechnology. Institution of Engineering and Technology; 2018;
12: 1084-1089. doi:10.1049/iet-nbt.2018.5086; Wang H, Ng T B., An
antifungal protein from ginger rhizomes, Biochem Biophys Res
Commun. Academic Press; 2005; 336: 100-104.
doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.08.058).
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Ginger essential oils with antimicrobial
activities Medicinal Active Antimicrobial activities plants
ingredients Antibacterial Antiviral Antifungal Ginger 6-shogaol
Escherichia coli Avian influenza Botrytis cinereal 6-gingerol
Fusarium virus (H9N2) Candida albicans Gingerenone- oxysporum
Caprine Candida glabrata A Klebsiella alphaherpesvirus Fusarium
oxysporum ornithinolytica 1 (CpHV-1) Fusarium spp Klebsiella
oxytoca Feline calicivirus Mycosphaerella Klebsiella (FCV)
arachidicola pneumonia Herpes simplex Physalospora piricola
Klebsiella terrigena virus type 2 Pythium spp. Porphyromonas
(HSV-2) endodontalis Human norovirus Porphyromonas Human gingivalis
respiratory Prevotella Syncytial virus intermedia (HRSV)
Pseudomonas Human rhinovirus aeruginosa pulmonary TB patients
Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Streptococcus pyogenes
[0020] The inventive mask containing one or more essential oils,
which may be volatile oils (e.g., volatile aromatic oils), embedded
therein is named herein as an Environmental Natural Protective and
Therapeutic (ENPT) mask. The essential oils in the ENPT mask may be
volatile oils which are inhaled by the person wearing the mask to
combat viruses and other microbes in the respiratory system of the
person wearing the mask.
[0021] The one or more essential oils may be embedded in any
commercially existing masks or in any home-made masks, of any shape
enabling the mask to cover the nose and mouth, known currently or
created in the future, to create the ENPT mask of the present
invention.
[0022] In one alternative embodiment, the embedding of the one or
more essential oils into the ENPT mask (e.g., into mask filter(s)
in the ENPT mask) is implemented by immersing the mask, partially
or fully, in the one or more essential oils.
[0023] If the one or more essential oils are multiple essential s,
then immersion of the ENPT mask may be accomplished by immersing
the entire ENPT mask, or a portion of the ENPT mask that is less
than the entire ENTP mask, into all oils of the multiple volatile
oils simultaneously or into a plurality of subsets of the multiple
essential oils for each subset individually. For example, in a
first embodiment in which the multiple volatile oils consist of
five different essential oils, the ENPT mask may be immersed into
the five different essential oils simultaneously (i.e., in a
mixture of the five different essential oils). As another example,
in a second embodiment in which the multiple essential oils consist
of the five different essential oils, the ENPT mask may be immersed
into a first mixture of only three essential oils of the five
different essential oils, followed by immersion of the ENPT mask
into a second mixture of only the remaining two volatile oils of
the five different essential oils. In other embodiments in the
immersion alternative, one of the subsets may consist of only one
of the essential oils of the five different essential oils. The
amount of time of immersion of the ENPT mask in each subset of
essential is 5-10 minutes at 1-10% dilution of the essential
oils.
[0024] In one alternative embodiment, the embedding of the one or
more essential oils into the ENPT mask (e.g., into mask filter(s)
of the ENPT mask) is implemented by spraying the one or more
essential oils onto the entire mask or onto a portion of a mask
that is less than the entire mask (e.g., the pocket portion of a
mask having a pocket). If the one or more essential oils are
multiple essential oils, then immersion of the ENPT mask may be
accomplished by spraying, onto the ENPT mask, all oils of the
multiple essential oils simultaneously or spraying, onto the ENPT
mask, a plurality of subsets of the multiple essential oils for
each subset individually. For example, in a first embodiment in
which the multiple essential oils consist of three different
essential oils, then the ENPT mask may be sprayed by the three
different essential oils simultaneously (i.e., by a mixture of the
three different essential oils). As another example, in a second
embodiment in which the multiple essential oils consist of the
three different essential oils, then the ENPT mask may be sprayed
by a first mixture of only two of the essential oils of the three
different essential oils, followed by a spraying of the ENPT mask
by a second mixture of only the remaining essential oil of the
three different essential oils. The amount essential oil sprayed on
the ENTP mask with each subset of volatile oils at 1-10% dilution
of the essential oils is sufficient to spray 1-5 mils thickness of
the essential oils on the ENTP mask
[0025] After the one or more essential oils are embedded in the
ENPT mask, the one or more essential oils should dry before a
person actually wears the ENPT mask. Drying the mask may be
accomplished by allowing the mask dry naturally via exposure to
ambient air, or by applying heat (e.g., in a range of 80 to
120.degree. F.) to the mask by placing the ENPT mask in a heated
enclosure such as an oven or by blowing hot air onto the ENPT
mask.
[0026] FIG. 1 depicts how an ENPT mask 14 may provide antimicrobial
protection to a person, in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention.
[0027] In FIG. 1, a person 10 is wearing the ENPT mask 14 that is
covering the mouth and nose of the person 10. Microbes 12 (e.g.,
bacteria, viruses, funguses, or combinations thereof) are incident
upon (i.e., striking) the ENPT mask 14. Most if not all of the
incident microbes 12 are destroyed by the one or more essential
oils in the ENPT mask 14.
[0028] As the person 10 inhales air, a portion of the one or more
essential oils, which are volatile oils in this embodiment, in the
ENPT mask 14 is carried by the inhaled air as inhaled volatile oil
16 into the mouth and/or nose of the person 10 and travels through
the respiratory system (including mouth, nose, pharynx, larynx,
trachea, bronchi, lungs, and diaphragm) as travelling volatile oil
18. Some of the travelling volatile oil 18 ends up in the lungs 20
of the person 10.
[0029] The travelling volatile oil 18 destroys a portion of harmful
microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungus, or combinations thereof)
in the respiratory system of the person 10, including in the lungs
20. The harmful microbes in the respiratory system of the person 10
may include a portion of the incident microbes 12 that is not
destroyed by the one or more essential oils within the ENPT mask 14
and thus enters the respiratory system of the person 10 via mouth
and/or nose. The microbes in the respiratory system of the person
10 may also include microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungus, or
combinations thereof) that are pre-existing in respiratory system
of the person 10 before the microbes 12 are incident upon the ENPT
mask 14.
[0030] The amount of essential oil in the ENPT mask 14 is 1-5 grams
at 1-10% dilution of the essential oils.
[0031] Thus, the ENPT mask 14 may be used to protect the person 10
against microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungus, or combinations
thereof) via prevention and/or therapeutic treatment.
[0032] The ENPT mask 14 may be used to protect the person 10
against microbes 12 via prevention by destroying the incident
microbes by the essential oils in the ENPT mask 14 while the
incident microbes 12 are in direct physical contact with the
essential oils in the ENPT mask 14.
[0033] The ENPT mask 14 may be used to protect the person 10
against harmful microbes via therapeutic treatment by having the
travelling volatile oil 18 destroy a portion of the harmful
microbes that are in the respiratory system and have infected the
respiratory system.
[0034] Examples of viruses that may be protected against by the
ENPT mask 14 via prevention and/or therapeutic treatment include:
flavivirus family (e.g., dengue virus, or DENV), influenza, CHIKV,
Enterovirus 71 (EV 71), SARS Co-V, and Coronavirus (COVID-19).
[0035] Examples of bacteria that may be protected against by the
ENPT mask 14 via prevention and/or therapeutic treatment include E.
Coli, Bacillus Cereus, Pseudomonas acnes, salmonella,
staphylococcus aureus, other staphylococcus, and other
bacteria.
[0036] Examples of funguses that may be protected against by the
ENPT mask 14 via prevention and/or therapeutic treatment include
Aspergillus flavus, aspergillus parasiticus, candida albicans,
trichophytons, and other funguses.
[0037] Uses of the ENPT mask include: [0038] environmental
protection for human subjects by the natural essential oils against
harmful microbes including bacteria, fungus, and viruses in the air
and therapeutic treatment by the essential oils (which are volatile
oils) that destroy harmful microbes within the respiratory system
of the human subject; [0039] environmental protection against
microbes by the natural essential oils and against particles or
pollen in the air for human subjects with allergic sensitivity;
[0040] natural essential oils, which are volatile oils, embedded
into the mask's filter may provide aromatherapy for anxiety and
stress and other mental disturbances.
[0041] An example of preventive and therapeutic impact of essential
oils is with Eucalyptus essential oil in the ENPT mask. Eucalyptus
essential oil provides both physical and psychological benefits.
Eucalyptus essential oil can help treat symptoms of colds and the
flu, fever, body pains, and congestion. Eucalyptus essential oil
originates from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree and has a long
history of helping treat several kinds of illnesses and health
conditions. Eucalyptus essential oil combats bacterial strains that
have become resistant to antibiotics.
[0042] Several essential oils, which are volatile oils that may be
embedded in the ENPT mask (e.g., orange, lavender, musk oil), have
been shown in studies to help people be a little less anxious.
Lavender has been shown to boost the ability to get to sleep and
wake up feeling better.
[0043] Musk oil, and other volatile oils have anti-viral and
antimicrobial properties (Inouye I, Takizawa T, Yamaguchi H.
Antibacterial Activity of essential oils and their major
constituents against respiratory tract pathogens by gaseous
contact. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2001, 47, 565-573;
Winska K, Maczka W, Lyczko J, Grabarczyk M, Czubaszek A, Szumny A.
Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents--Myth or Real Alternative?
Molecules, MDPI, published Jun. 5, 2019; Astani A, Reichling J,
Schnitzler P. Screening for Antiviral Activities of Isolated
Compounds from Essential Oils. Evidence-Based Complementary and
Alternative Medicine, Volume 2011, Article ID 253643, 8 pages,
doi:10.1093/ecam/nep187, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Received
22 Jun. 2009; Accepted 15 Oct. 2009) along with different aromas
which may be used for aroma therapy while using the ENPT mask
(Malcolm B J, Tallian K. Essential oil of lavender in anxiety
disorders: Ready for prime time? Ment Health Clin [Internet], 2017;
7(4):147-55. DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2017.07.147; Malcolm B J, Tallian K.
Essential oil of lavender in anxiety disorders: Ready for prime
time? Ment Health Clin [Internet]. 2017; 7(4):147-55. DOI:
10.9740/mhc.2017.07.147; Han H, Gibson J, Eggett, D L, Parker T L,
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Essential Oil Inhalation Improves
Positive Feelings in the Waiting Room of a Mental Health Treatment
Center: A Pilot Study. Phytother. Res. 31: 812-816 (2017) Published
online 24 Mar. 2017 in Wiley Online Library
(wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/ptr).
[0044] Aromatherapy, as applicable to the present invention,
utilizes the essential oils (which are volatile aromatic oils) in
the ENPT mask to stimulate smell receptors in the nose, resulting
in messages being transmitted in the nervous system to a part of
the brain that controls emotions and accordingly may provide relief
from anxiety and depression, improve sleep, reduce pain, etc.
[0045] FIG. 2 depicts an ENPT mask 14, in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. The ENPT mask 14 includes a
face mask 30; and one or more essential oils 35 embedded in the
face mask 30. The one or more essential oils 35 are configured to
destroy microbes 12 (see FIG. 1) in direct physical contact with
the one or more essential oils 35.
[0046] The ENPT mask 14 may include pocket 40 with inserted filter
45 in which the one or more essential oils 35 embedded.
[0047] The ENPT mask 14 may include ear loops 37 and/or ear slits
38, for attachment of the ENPT mask 14 to the person's ears.
[0048] The face mask 30 can be any of the face masks discussed
supra.
[0049] FIG. 3 depicts a method of forming an ENPT mask, in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method
includes a step 60 of embedding one or more essential oils in a
face mask.
[0050] The present invention provides an environmentally natural
protective and therapeutic (ENPT) mask. The ENPT mask may include:
a face mask; and one or more essential oils embedded in the face
mask, said one or more essential oils being volatile aromatic oils,
said one or more essential oils configured to destroy microbes in
direct physical contact with the one or more essential oils.
[0051] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils are
distributed throughout the face mask.
[0052] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils are
distributed within a portion of the face mask and not throughout
the face mask.
[0053] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils include a
plurality of essential oils.
[0054] In one embodiment, the microbes in direct physical contact
with the one or more essential oils are selected from the group
consisting of viruses, bacteria, funguses, and combinations
thereof.
[0055] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils are one or
more volatile aromatic oils obtained from at least one of: black
seeds, ginger, musk, peppermint, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus,
oregano, palma rosa, orange, lemongrass, geranium, citronella,
bergamot, red thyme, cinnamon, clove, and combinations thereof.
[0056] In one embodiment, the one or more volatile aromatic oils
are configured to be inhaled by, a person wearing the ENPT mask and
further configured to destroy a portion of microbes in a
respiratory system of the person.
[0057] In one embodiment, the microbes in the respiratory system of
the person are selected from the group consisting of viruses,
bacteria, funguses, and combinations thereof.
[0058] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method
of forming the ENPT mask, wherein the method includes embedding the
one ore essential oils in the face mask, wherein the one or more
essential oils are one or more volatile aromatic oils.
[0059] The present invention provides a method for forming an
environmentally natural protective and therapeutic (ENPT) mask,
wherein the method includes: embedding one or more essential oils
in a face mask, wherein the one or more essential oils are
configured to destroy microbes in direct physical contact with the
one or more essential oils.
[0060] In one embodiment, the embedding includes immersing the face
mask in the one or more essential oils.
[0061] In one embodiment, the immersing includes immersing the
entire face mask in the one or more essential oils.
[0062] In one embodiment, the immersing includes immersing a
portion of the face mask that is less than the entire face mask in
the one or more essential oils.
[0063] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils include
multiple essential oils, and the immersing includes immersing the
face mask in the multiple essential oils simultaneously.
[0064] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils include
multiple essential oils, and the immersing includes immersing the
face mask in a plurality of subsets of the multiple essential oils
for each subset individually.
[0065] In one embodiment, the embedding includes spraying the face
mask with the one or more essential oils.
[0066] In one embodiment, the spraying includes spraying the entire
face mask with the one or more essential oils.
[0067] In one embodiment, the spraying includes spraying a portion
of the face mask that is less than the entire face mask with the
one or more essential oils.
[0068] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils includes
multiple essential oils, and the said spraying includes spraying
the face mask with the multiple essential oils simultaneously.
[0069] In one embodiment, the one or more essential oils includes
multiple essential oils, and the said spraying includes spraying
the face mask with a plurality of subsets of the multiple essential
oils for each subset individually.
[0070] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments.
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