Chesco business on forefront of PPE
Ramshield Inc. will distribute new AV Shield mask, which uses technology to enhance protection
WEST WHITELAND » As cases of COVID-19 continue to escalate, a Chester County small business owner is on the leading edge of the distribution of new technology in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Samantha Partovi is the president and CEO of Ramshield Inc., a medical equipment startup based in West Whiteland, that supplies proprietary healthcare and PPE products worldwide.
Partovi’s company is one of a small number of authorized private distributors of a new facemask that is being called a “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19.
The mask uses new technology that not only prohibits germs from breaking through the mask’s barrier, it kills viruses — including the coronavirus. Manufactured in the U.S. by American Biomedical Pandemic Mask Co., it uses technology developed by ABGI. It will be distributed under Ramshield’s AV Shield brand.
“We are excited about getting America back to work and back to class and helping to provide a better safety net against the coronavirus,” Partovi said of her involvement in getting the mask into the marketplace.
Production of the masks has just gotten underway. Ramshield Inc. has been taking preorders for the masks on its website. Shipments are expected to begin by the end of December.
“We are hoping the word gets out quickly so we can help protect more people during the height of this pandemic,” Partovi added.
The AV Shield mask is ideal for anyone working on the “front lines” of the pandemic, including teachers, hospital workers, nurses, doctors, factory workers and nursing homes.
“Anyone who is a high risk or anyone that needs that level of protection,” she said.
How does the AV Shield work?
When worn, the mask creates an air tight seal on the wearer’s face, according to Partovi. No air escapes around the cheeks or the nose — which helps prevent glasses from fogging — and germs won’t get in or out, she said. The airflow only travels through the cartridge.
“This mask is the first of its kind on the market that contains electroceutical technology that essentially kills COVID on contact,” Partovi said.
The mask has a cartridge that clips in, that is embedded with the technology.
“Think of it like a mini-battery, so that when moisture is applied, it creates a small voltage — not enough to feel — but enough that when any microorganism lands or comes through, it is rendered inactive,” she added.
The cartridge will stay moist for about 10 hours, and can be recharged by being re-moistened.
Partovi added that the mask’s seal is a special foam that when worn, forms a tighter seal around the face, while remaining comfortable.
The mask will last for one year, and can be washed by hand; the filter needs to be replaced every 30 days.
How did a small, Chester County company become one of a small group of distributors?
Partovi said a lot of it had to do with “strong relationships we have built over the years and the networking and the strong ethics that have helped align us with the
manufacturer.”
“What I have noticed with the PPE industry is it has become a very wild, wild West, with a lot of counterfeit products out there,” Partovi said, adding that her company only carries U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approved products.
Early in the pandemic, there was a need to get N95 masks to members of the Dental Association of Connecticut. Partovi partnered with another distributor to
fill that need. The two companies forged a closed relationship, she said, adding that the other distributor is now the master distributor for the new mask’s manufacturer.
Partovi spent more than 30 years in marketing, last working for a Fortune 500 company. After the birth of her son, she decided she didn’t want to travel as much. She said her brother, who is in the healthcare industry, encouraged her to use her experience to help get healthcare products to market.
Ramshield Inc. was established in 2014. A certified PA Small Business and Woman-Owned business, Ramshield Inc. is also included on Pennsylvania’s PPE resource website.
In addition to distribution, Ramshield Inc. manufactures two proprietary products — an antimicrobial protective case for portable patient monitors and an infection control bonnet that wraps around the edges of computers and monitors to protect the buttons from fluids and germs that can hide from disinfectants.
The company is currently working with Tom Elmer, an adjunct marketing professor at West Chester University and SCORE mentor. Two students from Elmer’s Digital Marketing Experience class — Kathleen Shannon and William Claudio — are working on social media and public relations for the new product.
Ramshield Inc. is privately held and consists of Partovi, as well as one full-time employee and two salesmen.
The AV Shield mask comes in two sizes, and the starter kit includes a 90-day supply of three cartridges, three types of straps and a case. The retail price is $39.99, and orders can be placed on the Ramshield Inc. website www.ramshieldinc.com.