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UF Health University of Florida
Department of Anesthesiology College of Medicine
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Clinical Overview

Mask DOs and DON’Ts

DO NOT

  • Wash the Halyard material.
  • Iron the Halyard material.
  • Wet the Halyard material.
  • Use many pins. Instead, please use paperclips, sewing clips or alternatives to pins wherever possible.
  • Write on the fabric.
  • Use pieces of fabric that are ripped.
  • Feel discouraged if your mask does not work the first time.
  • Use the perforated part of the Halyard material for the mask. The fused edge can be used only for the ties, as pictured below.
Holes on the Halyard material
There are five rows of small holes along the edge of the piece of fabric, between the two rows of arrows. The holes are visible to the naked eye but are most obvious when the fabric is held against a light. Some of these holes are covered by a very thin plastic layer and some of the holes are really holes.

DO

  • Follow instructions.
  • Use different fabric for the ties, depending on what is available. The material must be able to survive for 30 minutes in a 165°F oven. If you are testing materials, please ensure that you check the material’s manufacturer specifications for heat tolerance and use extreme caution.
  • Please be aware that the masks must pass fit testing. Both of our prototypes have passed fit testing.
  • Tie a heat-safe tag on the mask that the wearer will use for identification purposes.
  • Use various types of metal for the nose wire. Please be aware that some metals will become more rigid than others with repeated movement.
  • Practice the pattern on scrap fabric prior to using the Halyard material to ensure that we make the best use of this resource.
  • Print out the pattern using the setting for “actual size” not “fit to scale.”

Download or print out these Dos and Don’ts