Physiological Effects

Physiological Effects - Respiration Rate, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen

The pressure drops for the N95 and ION Gaiter were -2.97 and -0.45 respectively demonstrating a 6.6-fold less pressure drop for the ION Gaiter. In actual wearing conditions, the lack of a “Perfect seal” for the N95 mask will increase its perceived breathability but at the cost of filtration efficiency.

Restricted breathing can manifest as increased respiration and heart rates and lower blood oxygen preventing some individuals from wearing face masks. Table 3 contains data on average respiration rate, pulse rate and arterial blood oxygen saturation over 5 minutes for 3 healthy male and 2 female subjects at rest. The N95 used a “Practical fit” while the ION Gaiter was simply pulled over the nose.