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Covid-19: Face-Mask-Fog Solution Developed In Western Mass

Since the start of the pandemic, people with glasses have had a legitimate problem with face masks - wearing them fogs up eyewear.

Photo illustration of fogged glasses

Photo illustration of fogged glasses

Photo Credit: Pixabay/ahundt

But a Western Massachusetts company thinks it has come up with a solution - literally and figuratively.

Kyttarinic Technologies is working to get an updated version of its premier product FogKicker out to the glasses-wearing public.

With a new office in Springfield, the formerly Amherst-based company has been selling vials of the spray and has tested a new product, wipes, that clean and prevent fog on glasses and dive masks.

FogKicker is not the first anti-fog substance sold to help people see better, but it stands out for its long-lasting effects and environmental sustainability, the company said. In trials, one person said that the product lasted two weeks, but Kyttarinic is aiming for one wipe lasting for a whole day. 

The product uses a cellulose-based coating to keep fog from forming. It has been tested in hospitals such as Baystate and Cooley Dickinson. Often, anti-fog substances rely on silicone or oil to work.

Kyttarinic launched a little over a year ago and is seeking ways to increase manufacturing of the wipe-version of the product. Right now, liquid Fogkicker is sold out on the company’s website and Amazon. Company owners said they are prioritizing getting their product to medical professionals right now.

“We’re trying to get into manufacturing,” said James Capistran, one of Kyttarinic’s owners in an interview with the Berkshires Eagle. “The problem with a startup, as you may know, is, we don’t have much money.”

Kyttarinic is seeking grant funding from Lever, a Berkshires-based business incubator that provides annual awards to help grow new businesses.

Kyttarinic’s name comes from the Greek word “kyttarini,” which means cellulose. The company was founded by Capistran and Kenneth Carter.

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