Vignesh Ravichandran wearing the smart mask

KINGSTON, R.I. – September 22, 2020 – Health agencies recommend wearing a face mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. But what if a face mask could be used as much more than a mitigation strategy in the battle against COVID-19?

A team of students at the University of Rhode Island has developed a “smart mask” named RespDetect that can quantitatively monitor COVID-19 symptoms.

Using a respiration sensor in the mask, a throat microphone and an ear temperature sensor, a patient’s breathing rate, body temperature and coughing rate can be monitored wirelessly using an app. A health care provider can then use the data to determine the best course of treatment for someone experiencing symptoms of the virus….