Breaking Barriers in Communication with the BrillianSee™ Transparent Face Mask
“This new transparent mask is amazing – it’s helped my children benefit from their therapy again. For them, speech therapy is key to help them with their expressive language and their understanding.” These heartfelt words from a mother of two children with autism capture the profound impact of the BrillianSee™ Face Mask. Developed in partnership with Bluetree Medical, this innovative transparent mask ensured clinical safety while enabling clear and visible communication. BrillianSee™ became a game-changing solution in healthcare, showcasing how innovation can address real-world challenges.
Addressing Communication Challenges During the Pandemic
The idea for BrillianSee™ began with Senior Speech & Language Therapist (SLT) Wendy Blumenow, who witnessed first-hand how mandatory face masks disrupted speech and language therapy. For children and young people undergoing therapy, covered faces prevented essential visual cues – critical for expressive language development, understanding, and engagement.
The uncertainty around prolonged mask use raised concerns about equitable care, particularly for vulnerable patients. Infection control remained paramount, but the communication limitations brought about by traditional masks risked disadvantaging many. It became clear that a solution was needed to balance safety with accessibility.
A Collaborative Solution: The BrillianSee™ Mask
Working closely with Bluetree Medical, a team of clinicians, patients, and engineers came together to design, test, and produce the BrillianSee™ transparent face mask. This innovative mask:
- Achieved full medical approval and safety compliance.
- Was designed with direct input from users, patients, and clinicians to ensure comfort and practicality.
- Featured a transparent lower section, enabling clear visibility of facial expressions and mouth movements.
- Secured Four Devolved Nations Approval and met the UK government’s technical specifications for transparent masks.
The result was a clinically safe and user-friendly mask that overcame communication barriers while maintaining infection control measures.
Putting Smiles Back on Faces
The introduction of the BrillianSee™ mask allowed speech therapy and other critical healthcare services to continue seamlessly during the pandemic. Clinicians, children, and families could connect again, with visible smiles, expressions, and clear communication restoring engagement and trust. For children relying on speech therapy, the mask became an essential tool for their continued progress and development.
Beyond speech therapy, BrillianSee™ demonstrated its value across healthcare settings, providing equitable access to care for all patients and enabling healthcare professionals to deliver optimised, compassionate services.
Recognised Innovation in Patient Safety
The impact of the BrillianSee™ transparent mask was widely recognised, earning it a place as a finalist in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards for Acute Sector Innovation of the Year. This accolade highlights its role as a pioneering solution that prioritised both patient safety and communication during an unprecedented time.
BrillianSee™ serves as a powerful example of how creative collaboration and patient-centred innovation can overcome complex challenges, transforming care delivery and ensuring no one is left behind.