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A team of Japanese scientists has created a prototype for a mask filter that glows under ultraviolet light and reveals traces of the COVID-19 virus if the wearer is infected.
日本的一个科学家团队日前研发出了一款口罩过滤片样品，如果佩戴者感染了新冠病毒，这款口罩就会在紫外线灯照射下发光，提示病毒的存在。
Scientists from the Kyoto Prefectural University say that the masks they've made contain an additional filter within its layers. When removed and sprayed with a fluorescent dye containing antibodies, the filter will glow when placed under UV light if traces of the COVID-19 virus are detected.
京都府立大学的科学家称，他们制作出的这款口罩内含有一层额外的过滤片。把这层过滤片取出来喷上含有新冠抗体的荧光染料后，如果接触到新冠病毒，这层过滤片就能在紫外灯照射下发光。
According to a press release from the university, the team developed this method by first injecting an inactive form of the COVID-19 virus into female ostriches. From there, they worked to extract antibodies from the eggs of these female ostriches, infusing these antibodies into the fluorescent spray.
京都府立大学在新闻稿中称，该研究团队先是将灭活的新冠病毒注入雌鸵鸟体内，然后从雌鸵鸟产的蛋中提取抗体，并将其加入荧光喷雾中。
Speaking to Japanese news outlet Kyodo News, researcher Yasuhiro Tsukamoto said that he conducted experiments with 32 people infected with COVID-19 over a 10-day timeframe. The researchers found that the masks worn by these 32 testers glowed brightly and showed traces of the COVID-19 virus after being sprayed with the antibody spray and held under a UV light. Tsukamoto's team also noted that the glow faded over time as the patients recovered and their viral load decreased.
研究员冢元安弘告诉日本共同社说，他在10天时间内对32名新冠病毒感染者开展了实验。结果发现，32名测试者佩戴过的口罩在喷洒过抗体喷雾后能在紫外灯下发出亮光，表明口罩上有新冠病毒。冢元安弘的团队还指出，随着患者康复，病毒载量降低，口罩发出的光也会减弱。
Tsukamoto intends to trial the mask on 150 participants in the team's next round of testing, and hopes to get the green light from the Japanese government to sell the masks in 2022.
在研究团队的下一轮测试中，冢元安弘计划让150名参与者试用这种口罩，他希望日本政府能批准这款口罩在2022年上市。