The University of Trento and the Provincial Health Care Service (APSS) have opened a joint laboratory (Lass-Tn-Covid-19) to perform efficacy and safety tests on surgical masks based on the provisions set out in the standard for medical supplies.
It is a joint effort in which the parties share knowledge and skills to carry out the three tests required by the Italian health authority (Iss) to market surgical masks.
The masks are tested, based on the type of test to be performed, at the laboratories of the Provincial Health Care Service (APSS) and at those of the University of Trento (Department of Industrial engineering).
In these days, the laboratories are already at work testing the masks produced by La Sportiva, which opened a local manufacturing facility.
The Department of Industrial engineering also started to offer measurement and consulting services to help companies analyzing the manufacturing process and choosing the materials, and to provide guidance on sanitization procedures in order to reuse the supplies in compliance with standard requirements.
The laboratory, which is coordinated by Giandomenico Nollo (professor of the University of Trento at the Department of Industrial engineering), is part of the actions approved by the Board of Directors of the University on 1st April to support public health in the fight against the pandemic.
The laboratory was set up in record time thanks to a fruitful collaboration between UniTrento and Apss with Fondazione Edmund Mach (Fem) and the Provincial Environment Protection Agency (Appa) which provided their instruments and expertise.
More details in the press release.