Micron Pure™ is currently designing and testing an apparatus for inactivating airborne pathogens such as, but not exclusively, the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Micron Pure™ is a Hecto Group™ Company
WHY THIS PROJECT IS IMPORTANT
"The most difficult disease transmission route to guard against is airborne because we have relatively little to protect us when we breathe,"
Source: Herek Clack, U-M research associate professor of civil and environmental engineering.
How Coughs Travel:
"In the air, the team found that the virus can stick around for at least three hours...the findings will amplify concerns about airborne transmission, which some experts had not considered possible."
Sources: America’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, New England Journal of Medicine, The Economist
Airborne Transmission:
THE EFFICACY OF MICRON PURE™
The Micron Pure™ device is designed to reduce airborne bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores in order to decrease infections rates from airborne pathogens. For this study the Micron Pure™ device was challenged using aerosolized MS2 bacteriophage which has been historically used as a surrogate for influenza, and is now being considered as a surrogate for coronaviruses such as COVID-19 due to the size similarity to influenza and RNA genome.
The CDC estimates that the influenza virus is responsible for 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths annually. This study evaluated the efficacy of the device against aerosolized MS2 bacteriophage as well as various sizes of polystyrene latex microspheres (PSL) in a stainless steel bioaerosol chamber.
The Micron Pure™ contains HEPA grade filtration in addition to ozone generation to further reduce viable airborne organisms.
The control run served as the basis to determine the time required for the Micron Pure™ to achieve a 4 LOG (99.99%) reduction in viable bioaerosol above the natural losses from the control runs. A LOG reduction of over 4.00 equates to over a 99.99% reduction in viable organisms.
WHY MICRON MATTERS
While HEPA and other standard air filters go
down to 0.3 microns, viruses are 100 times
smaller than bacteria and are typically at 0.004
to 0.1 microns in size. By comparison, that is 3
to 75 times smaller than what available filters can
treat.
Micron Pure™ is designed to be effective at
killing viruses at this tiny scale (SARS-CoV-2 is
approximately 0.125 microns). It continuously
treats air to inactivate airborne pathogens in
hospitals, offices, public spaces, and homes.
3rd party testing of the initial prototype unit at ARE
Labs showed >99.99% removal of all particles
even those just 1⁄2 the size of SARS-CoV-2.
Continued testing on next-gen models includes
trials in the near future on live SARS-CoV-2.
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
Ozone is effective in killing the SARS virus realizing a killing rate of 99.22%.
An air purifier can combat other causes of respiratory problems and improve the overall air quality in your home, but a standard HEPA filter can’t capture and destroy something as small as a virus. Even if the virus is captured, it’ll likely survive for some time.
Ozone was entered into the Federal Register in 2001 as a USDA Organic Label Program approved sanitizer in both it’s aqueous and gaseous forms.
Sources: China.org.cn - Professor Li Zelin at P3 Laboratory, Digital Trends, Statista
QUICK AND POWERFUL
Ozone is far more powerful and reactive than other common disinfectants such as chlorine and hypochlorite, it kills germs over 3,000x faster.
More than 17 scientific studies have shown that Ozone gas is able to destroy the SARS coronavirus.
Ozone generators are able to make ozone from normal air and are typically used as room disinfectants.
Micron Pure™ allows continuous air cleaning using ozone without having to vacate the area for hours.
SUMMARY
Can help to slows the spread of COVID-19. Reduces airborne contamination from person-to-person, periodically helps to inactivate pathogens left on objects that become airborne from an infected person.
Can Help to Flatten the Curve. Complements measures already in place to lower impact. Enhances the effectiveness of social distancing.
Can be Done Quickly and Effectively. Can help reduce infection while vaccines and medicines are being developed and tested.
Reduces Contamination.
Increased Protection. For high risk and high contamination areas such as hospitals, nursing homes, airports, etc.