Development of a unique reusable safety respirator
The Elipse Half-Face Mask represents a major leap in mask design and the development of new technology.The result is a mask that enables the wearer to feel morecomfortable and less constricted without compromising the efficiency and effectiveness of the mask.

Mask design
The first objective was to break free of the conventional mask shape that covered virtually the entire lower face, a necessity in most instances to be able to accommodate the size of filters required to achieve the level of efficiency demanded for the conditions in which the mask would be worn. To achieve this
objective GVS had to address the issue of filter size and shape. This demanded an entirely new approach to filter design and manufacture.

Comfort Factors
A mask designed to be worn for up to eight hours needs to pay special attention to the ongoing comfort of the wearer. Hence the starting point of an ergonomic design aimed at fitting the contours of the face. Silicon and latex-free, odour-free, non-allergic medical grade materials have been used for the construction of the mask itself as well as for the materials used in the construction of the filters.
The head-strap has four adjustable locations for increased comfort, and a protective head- band at the rear. The compact design further reduces the risk of the mask interfering with the users line of vision, or with any eye or ear protection that must also be worn.
A large area non-return exhaust valve has been utilised to provide low breathing resistance which in turn reduces wearer fatigue and the subsequent discomfort
experienced by conventional masks. The mask is supplied with P3 filters as standard to provide maximum protection

Pleat Encapsulation:A Patented technology
Conventional circular, square and rectangle filter shapes were totally unsuitable for the type of mask envisaged by GVS.
An ovular or elliptical shape was required, along with a filter housing with flexibility. The development of pleat encapsulation technology whereby the material used to hold the pleated media in place also forms part of the housing and the mechanism for securing the filter in place within the mask.
Extensive research on the type of resins available to provide the flexibility to allow the filter to be curved when fitted into the mask was required

HESPA -High Efficiency Synthetic Particulate Airfilter
When development commenced none of the filter medias available met the requirements for the new mask.
Plenty of high efficiency pleatable medias were available, but none combined a sufficiently low pressure loss with the high enough efficiency that was required to produce the lowdepth filter needed.Thus, HESPA media – a high efficiency synthetic media with a low pressure loss - was developed to GVS's specification.The HESPA media range has efficiencies from 99.95% to 99.999%, and has been shown to be more robust than the conventional glass medias used in respirator filters.

Face fit testing is the method used to ensure that a face mask is correctly fitted so that there is no inward leakage of unfiltered air via the edges of the mask. The objective of the test is to confirm that the wearer knows how to correctly fit the mask by adjusting the straps as well as to validate its performance on the user. BS EN 529 defines the steps to be taken to assess a potential hazard, the necessity for respiratory protection and the type of testing recommended.

The range of reusable safety respirators
The Elipse range commences with a P3 (99.95%efficiency at 0.3 micron) for general use, through to an A1P3 for more demanding environments. Cost-effectiveness is maintained through the supply of replaceable filters for all grades.

Applications for the elipse range
Filter life depends on a number of variable factors; the wearer’s breathing rate, the characteristics and level of contaminant, length of time a user is exposed to a contaminant, and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Saturated or used filter cartridges will leak trace amounts of contaminant to the wearer, which may be detected via odour, taste, and irritation. If a contaminant is detected filters should be changed immediately.