The 3 ply material is made up from a melt-blown material placed between non-woven fabric. The melt-blown material acts as the filter that stops microbes from entering or exiting the mask. Most surgical masks feature pleats or folds. Commonly, 3 pleats are used allowing the user to expand the mask so it covers the area from the nose to the chin. There are 3 different ways to secure the masks.
The most popular is the ear loop, where a string like material is attached to the mask and placed behind the ears. The other is the tie-on and the head band. The tie-on straps consist of four non-woven straps that are tied behind the head.
A more protective mask, known as an N95 respirator, may be more effective, said Schaffner. But, he noted, a non-medical professional using this mask is likely not using it correctly, doing little to prevent the spread of illness or inhaling a disease.
As part of required testing laboratory instruments for surgical mask and respiratory mask a masks manufacturer needs following test with instruments required as per EU,ASTM,NIOSH,EN standard.there is a list for masks manufacturers to refer to:
Air Flow Resistance Tester;
Medical Face Mask Differential Pressure Tester;
particle filtration efficiency tester
Surgical Mask Tester Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) Detector ;
Antisynthetic blood penetration tester