TissueDB/Materials/Mask, Surgical

Disposable face masks with metal nosebands are repurposed in medical simulation to create thin, flexible, suturable membrane surfaces. The mask fabric simulates tissue layers such as the diaphragm, while the metal nosebands are cut and reused as four corner attachment pieces that secure the mask under tension to a cardboard simulator frame. The material is widely available and low-cost: an estimated USD 0.10–0.20 per mask at retail, or roughly USD 0.20–0.40 for the two masks a build requires. Those are 2026 US-dollar retail estimates — the ALL-SAFE build instructions itemise the materials but carry no prices. The assembly approach is documented in the Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator developed by the ALL-SAFE Consortium. Different parts of the same mask serve different roles: separately from the fabric body, the mask's tie strip is used as a narrow linear landmark for the tenia coli in the Appendectomy Simulator and the Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews).

Tissues

Tissue	Simulator	Notes
Diaphragm	Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator	Stretch mask flat to a rectangle. Remove the metal nosebands from 2 masks and cut each in half for 4 attachment pieces. Poke each piece through the 4 corners of the mask 1.5 cm (0.59") from the edge, push into the cardboard corrugation of the box trainer, and bend the metal back to secure. Create the 50.8 mm defect in the membrane for suture repair practice.^[1]
Mesoappendix	Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews)	The mask's tie portion is used as the tenia coli, running from the appendix base. Carried from the former Surgical Mask page when it was folded into this class.
Tenia coli	Appendectomy Simulator	Tie strip from the mask, affixed along the glove as a visual and tactile landmark for cecal anatomy and orientation. Carried from the former Mask Tie page when it was folded into this class.

Troubleshooting

Mask not taut after corner attachment. If the mask is not sufficiently taut in the vertical direction once installed in the cardboard frame, insert the two lower metal-band pieces higher up through the mask material before pushing them into the corrugation. If horizontal tension is insufficient, supplement with tape to better secure the metal bands to the cardboard.

Mask brand variation. Different mask brands have different metal nosebands. The source notes that most brands will work.

Source: Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator build instructions, Phase 2 step 4 and Phase 3 step 3.

Used In Simulators

Simulator	Purpose	Notes
Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator	Diaphragm membrane for intracorporeal suture repair practice on a simulated penetrating diaphragmatic laceration.	Two masks per build (USD 0.20–0.40 total). Mask fabric simulates the diaphragm; metal nosebands from both masks provide four corner attachment pieces.
Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews)	Mesoappendix.	The mask's tie portion is used as the tenia coli, running from the appendix base.
Appendectomy Simulator	Tenia coli.	Tie strip from the mask, affixed along the glove as a visual and tactile landmark for cecal anatomy and orientation.

References

↑ ALL-SAFE Consortium. Penetrating Trauma Simulation: Build Instructions. Assembly Instructions, step D, p. 9 — the defect dimension is annotated on the figure, not in the body text. Build Instructions PDF.

At a Glance

Overview

Disposable face masks repurposed for medical simulation. The mask fabric provides a thin suturable membrane and the metal nosebands serve as corner attachment pieces. Currently used in three TissueDB simulators: laparoscopic repair of traumatic diaphragmatic injury, and two appendectomy trainers where the mask's tie strip stands in for the tenia coli and the mesoappendix.

Synonyms

Surgical mask, face mask, procedure mask, medical mask, mask tie, surgical mask tie. Regional: mascarilla desechable (ES), masque jetable (FR), Einweg-Maske (DE), mascherina monouso (IT), wegwerpmasker (NL).

Forms: 3-ply, 4-ply, earloop, tie-on, pleated, flat-fold, disposable single-use, tie strip. Standards: ASTM F2100 Level 1/2/3.

Related search terms: mask with visor, N95 mask, KN95 mask, Dragerwerk mask, sterile surgical mask, medical-grade mask, FDA-approved mask, CE-certified mask.

Regional (surgical mask): Masque chirurgical (French), Mascherina chirurgica (Italian), Mascarilla quirúrgica (Spanish), Operationsmaske (German), Chirurgisch masker (Dutch).

Background

Clinical Context for Simulation

Disposable face masks provide a thin, suturable, non-elastic membrane that approximates the mechanical behaviour required for laparoscopic suture practice on the diaphragm. The masks are present in clinical supply chains globally including low-resource contexts, which aligns with the Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator design intent: it was developed by the ALL-SAFE Consortium (Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons, University of Michigan, Southern Illinois University, Soddo Christian Hospital, AIC Kijabe Hospital, Mbingo Baptist Hospital) as part of the Global Surgical Training Challenge to make trauma-surgery training buildable in any setting. The simulator targets training for occult diaphragmatic injury in penetrating thoracoabdominal trauma — an injury whose incidence in that setting is reported as high as 43% (Koto ZM, Mosai F, Matsevych OY, World Journal of Emergency Surgery 2017;12:27; PMID 28630645).

Processing & Preparation

Prepare the mask in five steps following the source build instructions:

Cut off the ear-loop string ends from the mask, ensuring the sections where the mask folds are glued are properly removed.
Extend the mask by pulling on the top and bottom edges, producing a flat rectangle.
Remove the metal nosebands from two masks.
Cut each metal band in half, yielding four attachment pieces. Different mask brands have different metal bands; most will work.
Poke each metal piece through one of the four corners of the mask fabric, 1.5 cm (0.59 in) from the edge, then fold the metal back on itself to lock it in place.

Source: Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Repair Simulator build instructions, Phase 2.

Safety Considerations

Related Materials

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Created	March 29, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
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[allsafe_trauma_build-1] ALL-SAFE Consortium. Penetrating Trauma Simulation: Build Instructions. Assembly Instructions, step D, p. 9 — the defect dimension is annotated on the figure, not in the body text. Build Instructions PDF.

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