NÁLISIS DE LA PRESIÓN FACIAL GENERADA POR LAS MASCARILLAS DE USO COTIDIANO UTILIZANDO EL MÉTODO DE ELEMENTOS FINITOS

In the present work, a model based on the finite element method is formulated, with the purpose of measuring the facial pressure generated by everyday masks. The analysis includes the computational determination of the contact pressure generated by the mask on two head shapes that contemplate the anthropometric dimensions of the Colombian population between 20 and 59 years old, one represents the male sex and the other the female sex. The head model is divided into five parts (two cheeks, the forehead, the chin, and the back of the head), some of them contemplate layers of skin, muscle, fat tissue and bone, according to the anatomy of the human head. The mask is made up of three layers of different materials, a metal clip and two elastic bands that allow the mask to be adjusted to the face. The simulation process consists of placing the mask fully centered on the face and stretching the elastic bands until they are located at the back of the ears, thus generating facial contact between the mask and the head. The results obtained in the simulation indicate that the maximum pressure values are found in five specific points of the head.