Vitacore's CAN95 Becomes the First Canadian-Made Respirator to Receive Health Canada Authorization
B.C. company is the first and only Canadian manufacturer producing medical grade N95 equivalent respirators for frontline workers on Canadian soil
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - Vitacore Industries Inc. has become the first Canadian company to receive Health Canada authorization to produce N95 equivalent respirators on home soil. The Health Canada authorization, granted in August 2020, makes the Metro Vancouver-based company's CAN95 the first and only medical grade respirator manufactured in Canada. With its production facility based in Burnaby, B.C., Vitacore is creating the new standard for PPE with a mission to protect frontline workers and an aim to use a Canadian supply chain and sustainably produced materials.
Vitacore partnered with McMaster University to develop this Canadian N95 equivalent respirator with testing completed by the National Research Council of Canada. Notably, its single-use fold CAN95 respirators have tested at a higher average particle filtration efficiency than the N95 standard. Vitacore is also the first company in Canada with an integrated facility producing raw materials and finished products and is equipped to supply its CAN95 respirators on demand at an output of 1.2M units per month directly to the healthcare industry, with plans to scale up to 10M units per month.
"We are proud to be the first and only Canadian company authorized by Health Canada to produce our CAN95 respirators," said Mikhail Moore, president, Vitacore. "When COVID-19 hit, we saw the need to ensure that our communities, particularly frontline workers, have a consistent high-quality supply of PPE throughout the pandemic and beyond. Our mission and commitment is to homegrown innovation that protects Canadians, allows our country to be self-sustaining, and creates local jobs."
Vitacore was born in Canada to support Canadian healthcare professionals during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Helmed by local business leaders, the privately-held company has quickly grown to a team of 35 employees including engineers and medical professionals at its state of the art facility in Burnaby. In addition to the CAN95 respirators, Vitacore also produces additional personal protective equipment including ASTM surgical masks for adults (levels 1, 2, and 3) and the ASTM L1 children's masks. The company is committed to keeping Candians safe by creating a new standard of PPE products and is constantly innovating to develop best in class, ethical products for the health and safety of our communities.
Researchers at McMaster's Centre of Excellence in Protective Equipment Materials (CEPEM) provided expertise to develop the fabric, determine the best machines for production and test the efficacy of the mask's filtration. Additional testing was conducted using scanning electron microscopes at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) at McMaster University.
"At McMaster's Centre of Excellence in Protective Equipment and Materials, we are dedicated to helping Canadian companies to advance PPE products, both to meet immediate needs and to develop the next generation of cutting-edge products," said Ravi Selvaganapathy, CEPEM's director and the Canada Research Chair in Biomicrofluidics. "The CAN95 respirator is one story of success. We look forward to partnering with more innovative companies like Vitacore to establish Canada as a global leader in PPE research, development and manufacturing."
For more information on Vitacore and its PPE products visit vitacore.ca. For interview requests and assets, please see the media contact below.
About Vitacore Industries Inc.
Vitacore Industries is driven by innovation to provide Canadian healthcare professionals and families with critical personal protective equipment. With the first and only Canadian made N95 equivalent respirator (CAN95) to receive Health Canada authorization for production in Canada, Vitacore is creating the new standard for PPE with a mission to protect frontline workers and an aim to use a Canadian supply chain and sustainably produced materials. Visit vitacore.ca to learn more.
SOURCE Vitacore Industries Inc.
