Media Contact:
Mark Gauthier
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Foss Manufacturing
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mgauthier@fossmfg.com
Foss Manufacturing Company, LLC
Foss Manufacturing Company, LLC is a leading innovator and pioneer in the specialty fibers, non-woven and needle-punch fabrics industry. From raw fiber to finished fabrics, Foss provides solutions for automotive, apparel, carpeting, construction, medical, and many other industries throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 57 years, Foss has achieved many industry firsts and earned hundreds of exclusive patents. Its latest breakthroughs include Fosshield®, the first antimicrobial fabric technology that is highly effective, 100 percent safe and environmentally responsible, and Eco-fi, a high-quality textile fiber made from UL certified recycled non-BPA plastic PET bottles. Foss’ umbrella also includes the well-known industry brands The Kunin™ Group, manufacturer of felt and fabric for the crafting market, and Ozite®, manufacturer of specially engineered fabrics for specific consumer, commercial and industrial applications. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Hampton, New Hampshire, all Foss products are proudly made in the USA.
For Immediate Release
Foss Manufacturing's Antimicrobial SpectraShield™ Surgical Respirator Mask Scores New Hampshire Product Of The Year Title
Foss surgical respirator mask, with recent FDA 510K clearance and NIOSH approval, wins New Hampshire High Technology Council 2011 Product of the Year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HAMPTON, New Hampshire (November 18, 2011) –– Foss Manufacturing, a leading innovator and pioneer in the specialty fibers, non-woven and needle-punch fabrics industry, announced today that the SpectraShield™ 9500 Surgical N95 Respirator Mask won the New Hampshire High Technology Council’s 2011 Product of the Year honor.
The mask’s antimicrobial effectiveness is powered by Fosshield® featuring Sciessent’s Agion® antimicrobial technology — a first-of-its-kind, safe and natural antimicrobial. The SpectraShield™ mask has FDA 510K clearance and NIOSH approval, making it the first and only antibacterial respirator mask of its kind to achieve FDA clearance in the United States.
Unlike antimicrobial agents that are applied via topical chemical coatings or include actual metals, the patented, non-leaching and non-metallic antimicrobial technology in Fosshield® is blended right into the fabric. Fosshield® fiber is the first and only antimicrobial technology to successfully use a balance of silver and copper ions in a fiber.
The key to the respirator mask’s effectiveness is the unique combination of silver and copper ions in Fosshield®. The Fosshield® ions are given a positive charge to bind to a microbes’ ion charged surface. Thus, Fosshield® ions attract any microbe that may be present on the fiber and disable their critical functions (metabolism, respiration, and reproduction).
With this silver and copper ion fiber system, the Nexera Medical, Inc. SpectraShield™ mask has also gained European CE clearance as an FFP2 and FFP3 antiviral respirator offering 14 days of reusability opposed to the three to four hours offered by other masks currently available on the market.
The durable SpectraShield™ mask eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria on the treated surface within one hour and certain strains of harmful bacteria on contact before they
can enter the body, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus.
This next generation respirator mask meets CDC and WHO guidelines for infectious disease exposure control, is ideal for pandemic preparedness and gives healthcare workers the best available long-duration protection against infectious diseases, especially Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs).
"The SpectraShield™ mask with Fosshield® is unlike any other respirator mask ever created and is truly an example of disruptive, game changing technology,” said A.J.
Nassar, chief executive officer, Foss Manufacturing Company. "With FDA clearance and NIOSH approval, we are fully confident in the mask’s ability to protect people from the world’s most dangerous microbes. What’s more, Fosshield® is a technology with enormous potential; and we are currently working to bring its microbe-fighting power beyond the SpectraShield™ mask to many other products across several markets, including automotive, apparel, building, and hospitality."