Visualizing Breath

Wearing face coverings is a simple way to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The invisible nature of human breath, however, makes it hard to directly observe the effectiveness of different mask materials and designs.

By building a Schlieren imaging system to visualize breath, I assisted ophthalmologists at the Stanford School of Medicine and science educators at the Exploratorium to bring awareness to best practices with masks in clinical and social settings.

ophthalmology Clinics

In June 2020 I collaborated with ophthalmologists in the Stanford School of Medicine to develop best practices for using face coverings in ophthalmology clinics. Our concern was that the redirected plume of breath from a face mask could contaminate the multi-dose eye drop bottle that is reused from patient to patient, which could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. I built a Schlieren imaging system with a 12" diameter telescope mirror to visualize these plumes, and we investigated techniques to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. Our results were published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

Seeing Your Breath: Using Science to Choose the Proper Mask

In July 2020, towards the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had an idea inspired by a blog post at NIST. I called the Exploratorium and asked whether I could use the Giant Mirror as part of a large shadowgraph imaging system. They were exited about the idea, and we collaborated to produce this educational video on choosing effective face masks.

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