Tokyo university startup develops coronavirus-catching fabric

Zetta touts reusable nanofber materal to ease mask shortage

20200504 Mask Zeta

Zetta, a startup based in the western Japanese city of Matsuyama, has developed washable nanofiber material that can be attached to cloth masks with performance as good or better than that of N95 masks.

SHOGO NATSUMEDA, Nikkei staff writer

MATSUYAMA, Japan -- Zetta, a spinout from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, also known as Tokyo Tech, has developed a nonwoven nanofiber material that can be washed repeatedly without losing its ability to protect the wearer from viruses. The startup, based in the western Japanese city of Matsuyama, plans to get into the business of making masks from the high-tech fabric.

Zetta will begin by making and marketing sheets designed to be attached to cloth masks. It will then work with a manufacturer to develop high-grade masks for health care workers.

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