Sara Little Turnbull, The Designer Whose Bra Cup Design Inspired N95 Mask, Her Ultimate Ambition

Sara Little Turnbull, an American product designer, design innovator is the brains behind N95 facemask which has become popular during the coronavirus pandemic.  Born on September 21, 1917, the United States, she advised American companies on product design for more than 50 years and came to be known as 'corporate America's secret weapon'. Turnbull designed N95 mask inspired by the shape of her bra cup. Turnbull was a design consultant with the 3M company in 1958 when she was fascinated by Shapeen, a non-woven material made of polymers that are used for decorative ribbons. Using the moulded version of Shapeen she made the first-ever pre-made bows for gift wrap. In a presentation titled 'Why' she brought forth various possibilities of shapeen. New N95 Face Masks by Huami to Allow Facial Recognition Smoothly on Smartphones.

Three of her family members were unwell and were under the care of doctors. During the period she noticed that health care workers often had to adjust their thin face masks as it was tied to the back. Seeing that motivated her to use the same moulded material to make a mask that would fit comfortably on the face. Thus, in 1961, they introduced a non-woven lightweight medical mask based on her concept. It had elastic bands instead of strings, an aluminium nose clip, and a form-fitting. The bra patent was approved in 1962. While it was an innovative idea, the mask could not block the virus and was hence used for dust filtration. New Replaceable, More Efficient Filter for N95 Masks Developed.

Here is Sara Little Turnbull:

In 1972, an improvised version of the mask arrived in the market which was used for industrial purposed. In 1995, N95 respirator was introduced in the health care field making Turnbull's idea come true. Turnbull died in 2015 after which Sara Little Turnbull Center for Design Institute was formed. It supports the efforts of disadvantaged women's design education and offers information on the value of design to the public. She got 'Little' added to her named in acknowledgement of her height. At 4 feet, 11 inches tall, Turnbull has made quite a contribution to the world of medicine why during this pandemic is of great use.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2020 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).