Optrel Inc., a company that manufactures eye, face and respiratory protection for workers in the health care and industrial markets, earlier this month launched the P.Air Clear, the world's first NIOSH-approved N95 respirator with a transparent window.
“We originally saw the P.Air Clear N95 mask as a product that would help doctors, nurses and hospital staff. It brings back the human element—seeing a doctor's smile is important to relationship building. We all rely on non-verbal cues to convey trust and demonstrate empathy,” CEO Grant Cooper said.
Optrel Inc. opened its North American HQ in East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 2014, although the privately-owned company is headquartered in Wattwil, Switzerland. The company, which has been in business for approximately 30 years, is best known as the original inventors of auto-darkening technology and one of only two manufacturers worldwide that oversees our auto-darkening lens manufacturing process, Copper said.
Optrel runs a small team consisting of marketing, sales, customer service and logistics in East Greenwich, Cooper said. The company’s warehouse is also located in Rhode Island, and they ship to customers and distributors throughout the United States and Canada.
He said while the new masks are being well-received at hospitals throughout the country, one of our biggest customers is speech and language clinics at universities.
“The P.Air Clear is an important breakthrough for healthcare workers, educators, geriatrics and the deaf and hard of hearing population,” he said.
Cooper said the company is heavy on innovation and invests more in research and development than forward-thinking companies like Apple and BMW on a percentage of revenue basis.
“[We plan to] continue to do so as we invest in building our team in Rhode Island,” he said.
