With the proliferation of the world pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus and the consequent industrial estagnation and, at the same time, economy decline, the companies felt the need to, in one hand, mobilize themselves to help in the combact of this new reality and, in the other hand, to give an answer to the inactivity that desolated the majority of industrial sectors. Keeping this in mind, Borgstena decided to allocate their resources towards the development of masks, inicialy, disposables type IIR and PPE's FFP2 and level 2 (50 washes) social masks for professional use. However, given the difficulties in producing this last type of mask, the entity decided to go ahead with a project that could provide greater bacterial and hypoallergenic filtration capacity, as well as better ergonomics.

That's how the “Multigrade Mask” project emerged, a project that arises within the scope of a partnership established between Borgstena and Minho University. From this project resulted a level I surgical mask, certified in accordance with ISO 14683:2019, which consists of a multilayer system composed by two weft meshes and one TNT (Nonwoven Fabric). By using studies in real conditions of use, critical parameters were identified regarding the functionality and comfort of using these medical devices, which allowed the reformulation of their design. This way, inspired by the art of origami, the new model has shown to increase the volume of air available inside the mask, as well as a better adaptation to the facial features, promoting comfort and function for the user of the device.