VeriMask: Sensor Platform for Decontamination of N95 Masks

In response to the mask shortage during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed an open-source wireless sensor platform, VeriMask, to facilitate per-mask verification of the moist-heat decontamination process for N95 masks. The aim of VeriMask was to enable safe, easy, and accessible moist-heat decontamination in underresourced facilities to protect frontline healthcare workers by lowering their risk of infection from reused N95 masks. In this article we will introduce the VeriMask platform, challenges we encountered in this emergency-response design, design criteria, and lessons learned from our interactions with clinical and near-clinical partners. We hope to raise attention as to how society can be better prepared against future pandemics and other forms of crises by leveraging the expertise of the mobile computing, trustworthy computing, and medical communities.