HAMPTON -- Nexera Medical Inc., a sister company of Foss Manufacturing in Hampton, announced this week that it has made a donation of its SpectraShield antimicrobial N99 respirator masks to the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C., a regional office of the World Health Organization.

Nexera is sending the SpectraShield masks to several locations, including PAHO's main office in Washington and several field offices in Panama and Mexico, in an effort to protect personnel that are being deployed into areas infected by the recent outbreak of the swine flu. PAHO had originally made a purchase of the masks, when Nexera contributed an additional quantity as a donation.

The SpectraShield mask is the only commercially available antimicrobial respirator mask made from Fosshield technology incorporating silver and copper zeolite compounds, which are permanently embedded into the fibers of the mask. The mask was subject to rigorous microbial testing for bacteria and viruses in the United States and Europe, while the tests were preformed in specific government certified laboratories.

The final test results were shown to kill or inactivate a variety of bacteria and viruses, up to 99.9 percent, including the swine flu, the bird flu, SARS, tuberculosis, influenza A, MRSA and more. The SpectraShield mask has also been tested for reusability and can be worn up to 28 days without losing its filtration or antimicrobial efficacy.

The SpectraShield mask has received regulatory approval and a CE mark in the European Union, and has received a license for sale in Canada, but it is not yet available in the United States.

Nexera is a privately held company located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and is the developer and manufacturer of antimicrobial textile medical devices. Nexera holds a technology license for the exclusive worldwide use of Fossshield in any medical device that can be manufactured from Fosshield technology and fibers.

Fosshield is a proprietary patented antimicrobial fiber and fabric technology developed and owned exclusively by Foss Manufacturing LLC, located in Hampton.

Foss Manufacturing LLC is a leader and pioneer in the use of non-woven fabrics and specialty synthetic fibers in an ever-expanding number of environments and applications. Using new technologies and state-of-the-art computerized production in Hampton, it efficiently and effectively designs, manufactures, converts, packages and distributes a vast array of specialty textile products worldwide.

Foss is one of the world's largest needle-punch-based manufacturers, and it has the expertise and experience to support customers' needs across virtually all applications and markets.

For more information about Nexera or the SpectraShield mask, visit www.nexeramed.com or call (954) 495-2020. For more information about Fosshield or Foss Manufacturing, visit www.fossmfg.com or call 929-6000.