Silicon Valley tech dad couldn't find a safe mask for his three kids, so he invented one: Flo Mask

Award winning product developer and father of three, Kevin Ngo, has spent the past two years creating Flo Mask™, a reusable, sub-micron filtration mask designed just for kids.

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21 Dec, 2020, 08:17 ET

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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A Silicon Valley father of three and award winning product developer has spent the past two years creating the world's best face mask for kids. Kevin Ngo, founder of Air Flo Labs, is now shipping his patent pending solution, Flo Mask.

"The idea for Flo Mask came about during the Northern California Camp Fire wildfire in 2018. My kids were coming home from school feeling sick from the toxic smoke that blanketed the Bay Area. It was then that I learned N95 grade masks for kids didn't exist," says the inventor dad. "I was in disbelief that in an age of quantum computing, we still didn't have masks that could truly protect kids. Then COVID-19 hit and I knew the world needed Flo Mask more than ever."

Having spent over 15 years of his career developing consumer products, Ngo was confident he had the right skillset to design the best mask in the world. He identified three key pillars to a great mask: tailored fit, comfort (physical and respiratory), and effectiveness.

To achieve a tailored fit, Ngo acquired an industrial grade 3D scanner to scan the faces of elementary aged kids across multiple ethnicities. Layering each 3D scan on top of one another, Ngo proved that there was in fact a unique one size fits all shape for kids 4-12.

Addressing comfort, Ngo used the latest advancements in manufacturing. He designed Flo Mask with an LSR (liquid silicone rubber) process to create a soft gasket that perfectly contours to a kid's face while keeping the mask from touching their lips. The adjustable straps were designed to clear the ears, even adding thoughtful details such as a rubber backing on the top strap to prevent it from slipping off the head.

In parallel with the development, Ngo spent months solving for his most challenging pillar, an effective, yet breathable filter. Nearly giving up due to the difficulties for young kids to breathe through traditional filters, Ngo finally discovered ventilator filters can filter at a sub-micron level, while maintaining a high volume of air flow. He then partnered with a medical filter manufacturer here in the USA to build these filters, what he considers to be the heart of Flo Mask. Ngo had the filters independently tested by Nelson Labs, validating that they block over 99.8% of viruses while maintaining an incredibly high level of breathability. Armed with real data in hand, Ngo knew he had something special.

From the start, Ngo shared this project with his children's pediatrician. Dr. James Cisco, co-founder of Burgess Pediatrics in Menlo Park, California, had followed along in Ngo's journey and gave Flo Mask his endorsement after reviewing all the test data. He even measured Ngo's 4 year old daughter's blood oxygen level while wearing Flo Mask and was convinced once it read 100%. Dr. Cisco says, "Flo Mask is raising the standard for kids' masks. The unique silicone gasket, filtration efficiency, and ability to be washed is unlike anything I've seen."

This new standard set by Flo Mask ensures only filtered air passes to the user, and filtered air passes back out. It is the ideal mask for any child returning to school or stepping foot on an airplane.

Key features of Flo Mask

Flo Mask is now available directly on the company's website at www.flomask.com. Flo Mask retails for $49.99 while a pack of 25 replacement filters cost $24.99.

About Air Flo Labs, LLC Our mission is to build the world's best face mask for kids, period.

SOURCE Air Flo Labs, LLC

https://flomask.com/