In order to prevent cross-infection from one patient to another, the only reliable technique would be to use a mask for just one patient then discard it.
In an edition of ‘Infection Control in Anaesthesia’ guidelines under the section titled 'Infection Control with Anaesthetic masks' published in December 2008 by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland it states:
“Although normally in contact with intact skin, these items are frequently contaminated by secretions from patients and have been implicated in causing cross-infection1;local disinfection is not normally effective. These items should be single-use or should be sterilised (if reprocessable) between patients by an audited Sterile Supplies Department in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions”1
A single use option is the most effective in preventing cross infection. However this has a large impact on the environment with the disposal of these products, especially if they are made from PVC, so within our mask portfolio we offer masks which are non-PVC and phthlate free.
We offer seven ranges of single use anaesthetic face masks to meet all clinical requirements. Our ranges are outlines below and if you require any further suppoprt please contact us.
Reference 1. MacCallum, F.O. and Noble, W.C. Disinfection of anaesthetic face masks. Anaesthesia. 1960; 15:307 2.
Related Pages
- Anaesthetic face masks
- Single use anaesthetic face masks
ClearLite™ anaesthetic face masks
Key features of the range include:
• Available in 7 sizes: extra large adult through to neonates
• Colour coded seal
• Reduced mask volume reduced potential rebreathing and resiks associated with elevated levels of end tidal CO2
• Flexible non inflatable cuff provides a comfortable and effective airtight seal
• Smaller transparent shell for excellent visibility, reduced dead space, and improved rigidity
• Available without a hook ring to reduce waste
• PVC, phthalate and latex free, reducing environmental impact
The quality of the seal is independently validated by two clinical studies:
Comparison of the Performance of Mask Ventilation Between Face Masks With and Without Air Cushion.
Masanori Tsukamoto, Shiori Taura, Takashi Hitosugi, Takeshi Yokoyama
J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2019 Dec;77(12):2465.e1-2465.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2019.08.025. Epub 2019 Sep 6.
Comparison of preoxygenation efficiency with Intersurgical Economy and Intersurgical QuadraLite™ anaesthetic face masks.
Greta Sakalauskaitė, Evaldas Kauzonas, Greta Bukelytė, Rūta Janulevičienė, Eglė Kontrimavičiūtė
Acta Med Litu, 2019;26(1):11-16. doi: 10.6001/actamedica.v26i1.3950.
Comparing the environmental impact of products
We have used SimaPro 8 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software to assess the environmental aspects of our products following the ISO standards 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. By analysing the materials, packaging, energy used in manufacturing and disposal methods, this software enables us to quantify the environmental impact of our products, giving us a number in units of Eco millipoints.
The example illustrates the reduction of environmental impact between a traditional PVC anaesthetic face mask and the ClearLite™ anaesthetic face mask.
Products with lower Eco millipoint scores are more environmentally friendly, the ClearLite™ shows a 72% reduction in environmental impact.1
| Code | Description | Eco millipoint score |
| 7294000 | ClearLite™ anaesthetic face mask, size 4, adult, green seal 22F - non PVC | 8.07 |
| 1515000 | Economy anaesthetic face mask, size 4, medium adult 22F - PVC | 28.4 |
Reference 1: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Comparison of non-PVC and PVC Oxygen Masks (issue 2)
Scented anaesthetic face masks
Key features of the range include:
• Available in 7 sizes: large adult through to neonates
• Colour coded hook ring
• Soft adjustable cushion for patient comfort and a good fit
• Inflation valve at nose section of mask for user comfort and easy adjustment
• Range of 3 scents - strawberry, cherry & vanilla
• Latex free
Economy anaesthetic face masks
Key features of the range includes:
• Available in 7 sizes: extra large adult through to neonatal.
• Soft cushion for patient comfort and good air tight fit
• Available with coloured hook ring as standard to help identify size
• Latex free
Clear silicone anaesthetic face masks
Key features of the range includes:
• Available in 4 sizes: Premature (00) Neonate (0), Infant (1) and Paediatric (2)
• Made from good quality clear silicone
• For use with small paediatrics where a conventional anatomical mask will not seal adequately
• PVC, Phthalate and Latex free
Explorer anaesthetic face mask
Key features of the range includes:
• Available in 4 sizes: Adult through to infant
• For use in bronchoscopy, endoscopy & T.O.E. procedures
• 3 valves for maximum choice of scope insertion
• Soft cushion for patient comfort and good air tight fit
• Coloured hook ring as standard to help identify size
• Latex free
The range allows administration of analgesic mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide to the patient, and the bronchoscope, endoscope, or the TOE (trans esophageal echocardiography) probe can be inserted through any one of the three (only one for the size 1) valves either orally or nasally.
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