There is mounting research to suggest that clean, disinfected air plays a vital role in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID -19. While respiratory droplets are considered the primary transmission route, aerosols are being considered by many health authorities as a possible mode of infection transmission. This advocates that viral particles can remain suspended in the air for long periods and can be inhaled.
To combat that, Novaerus – an Irish company that manufactures and sells patented medical-grade, clean air solutions, has announced successful independent test results for the Defend 1050. The portable air disinfection device has shown effective results at reducing MS2 Bacteriophage, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), by 99.99% in 15 minutes.
The Defend 1050 combines rapid air disinfection and purification into one safe and the portable device. Designed for continuous cleaning of the air in large spaces and rapid remediation in situations with a high risk of infection, the device uses Novaerus patented ultra-low energy plasma technology combined with a triple-stage filtration system from Camfil. As Novaerus plasma is a non-selective, rapid killing technology, it offers a unique and safe solution to kill airborne viruses 24/7, reducing the risk of disease and infectious outbreaks like COVID-19, Influenza, Tuberculosis, Measles, MRSA (Superbug), Norovirus, C-Difficile, Acinetobacter, Aspergillus Niger, etc.
Since 2009, Novaerus has been researching and developing plasma technology that is unmatched in its ability to safely terminate airborne pathogens that lead to infection in populated indoor spaces. To bring this technology into India, Trivector Biomed LLP has been a partner to Novaerus since 2016.
Mr. Dilip Patil, Director of Trivector Biomed LLP said, “Novaerus, specializes in non-chemical air disinfection using patented ultra-low energy plasma devices that has achieved a remarkable feat. The new Defend 1050 is a portable, easy to use device ideal for rapid disinfection and purification of the air in large spaces and high-risk situations such as operating theatres, ICUs, IVF labs, emergency and waiting rooms, schools, offices and construction zones. Our aim is to make this product available at a low cost or even put it out on rent in order to help maximum people in India.”
The development of Novaerus has been supported by Enterprise Ireland through several support programs and market development activities.
Elaborating on the same, Abhinav Bhatia, Director, India & South Asia – Enterprise Ireland states, ” Enterprise Ireland which is the venture capital and trade promotion arm of the Irish government has always supported innovative companies working on solving global problems. Noveurus with its cutting-edge technology has always been at the forefront of air purification systems and the research has shown that their technology can help in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID -19. I am very pleased that the Government of Ireland, through Enterprise Ireland, has been able to support a product that is being used in real-life clinical settings all across the globe, including COVID hospitals”
Mr. Bhatia, further added “Research and innovation will play a significant role in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and technologies like these will have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of patients, families, healthcare workers, and the healthcare system.”
The traditional methods of air purification like air handling units are expensive to install, operate and maintain and they can only filter the particles and block certain bacteria, while activated carbon filters can reduce only VOCs. Sharing more insights about the technology, Mr. Patil mentioned, “Novaerus’s ultra-low energy plasma based air-disinfection devices both ‘trap’ and ‘kill’ the impurities in a safe and eco-friendly way which can be used 24/7 around human beings in closed rooms with positive/negative pressure.”
As research continues, one thing is increasingly clear; standard infection prevention and control protocols need reinforcement. Many hospitals worldwide have installed Novaerus technology to help reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers and patients.
About the testing process:
To test the virus-destroying power of the Defend 1050, Aerosol Research and Engineering (ARE) Laboratories (a GLP certified laboratory), undertook experiments to investigate how effectively the device could remove small aerosolized viral particles from the air, to characterize how the device might work on capturing the particles that carry infectious viruses.
They performed the experiments in their Bioaerosol Test Chamber, which is located in their U.S. lab. The test chamber is 16m3, about the size of a small room. The Defend 1050 was placed in this sealed environment with aerosolized MS2, which is a viral RNA bacteriophage that is commonly used as a surrogate for the influenza virus and now being considered as a surrogate for other RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
