Israeli researchers claim to have invented a reusable face mask that can kill the coronavirus when heated by a phone charger.
According to Reuters, the team at Technion University in Haifa have come up with a mask with a USB port that connects to a mobile phone charger.
Heating the mask for about 30 minutes disinfects it by killing viruses on its surface. The charger heats a layer of carbon fibres up to 70 degrees celsius.
Chief researcher Yair Ein-Eli said the mask aims to counteract the negative environmental effects of producing and using disposable masks.
The researchers submitted a patent for the mask in the USA in late March, and say they are looking at ways to commercialise it with the private sector.
