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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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WHAT IS MICRON PURE?

1. How is Micron Pure different from HEPA filters, UV light, Ion discharge, PCO, PECO, etc?

  • HEPA filters: 

    • Don’t kill viruses or pathogens, they just trap them.  Any leak in the seal or a build up over time and their effectiveness goes way down.  A big issue is that when they are replaced, the person replacing them is exposed to a high concentration of any virus particles adhered to them.

    • The high pressure drop associated with HEPA filters means louder fans and slower airflows.

  • UV light:

    • Can take several minutes to inactivate pathogens, far too slow for continuous air treatment.  UV light also just treats what is in a direct light path, so anything in shadow or blocked by other particles in the airstream won’t be treated.  Likewise, if virus particles piggyback on moisture, dust, or other larger airborne particles then the UV rays might not be able to penetrate and inactivate them.

  • PCO / PECO:

    • Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) occurs when light from UV bulbs hits a surface coated with titanium dioxide to produce oxidants to kill bacteria.  The UV portion can only get down to 3.7 log reduction (99.97%) for Bacteria and Viruses.  It takes significantly longer to purify a room and it can’t achieve the same level of destruction.

  • Ion discharge / bipolar Ionization: 

    • Takes 2 hours to achieve 80% average reduction and 24 hours to reach 99% of common surface contaminants. 

    • It can’t achieve the needed 4-log reduction (99.99%) to be approved by the FDA for use in medical facilities.

2. How does the device work? How do you know it kills Covid? Will this device prevent me from catching COVID-19? Does this device kill other viruses and pathogens?

Micron Pure continuously cleans the air of pathogens, virus particles, fungi, and odors.  It uses a powerful, natural disinfectant—ozone gas made from air-borne oxygen— to kill viruses 3,000 times faster than bleach.  Unique to Micron Pure is the ability to keep ozone fully within the unit, making it safe for use in any indoor environment.

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Micron Pure has been tested on live aerosolized COVID-19 at a certified biosafety level 3 facility.  The cultured virus was sprayed into the airflow system and made a single pass through the unit.  The air exiting the device was captured and then closely analyzed for any remaining virus particles.  Preliminary results indicated over 99% reduction in less than 30 seconds.

 

  • While no air purification system or mask can guarantee full protection against catching an airborne virus, studies have shown that your chance of infection is greatly reduced.

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  • Ozone is a very powerful oxidant.  More than 17 scientific studies have shown that Ozone gas is able to destroy the SARS coronavirus.  

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  • Additional independent lab tests for airborne Influenza (seasonal flu and the cause of past pandemics) and MRSA (a superbug found in hospitals) will be conducted by Micron Pure. 
     

3. What is ozone and how does it inactivate pathogens, VOCs, and molds?

  • Ozone (O₃) is a highly reactive oxygen species composed of three oxygen molecules.

  • Ozone is formed and decays naturally in the upper atmosphere due to the UV light from the sun. It is also formed in the presence of high voltage discharge such as lightning strikes.

  • Living cells are damaged in the presence of ozone due to ozone’s high oxidation potential. This is what makes it effective for inactivating pathogens. However it can also be dangerous to humans and animals if inhaled in high concentrations. This has prevented it from being used in continuous, open air applications.

  • Ozone is commonly used in water purification, food cleaning, and odor removal. Its affects on materials and the environment have been widely studied and are well known. - effects(DDL)

  • Ozone oxidizes cell components of the bacterial cell wall. This causes bacterial cell wall disintegration thereby destroying any ability to cause infection.

  • Ozone is far more powerful and reactive than other common disinfectants such as chlorine and hypochlorite, it kills germs over 3,000x faster.

4. Why haven’t people used ozone already?

  • Ozone is a powerful and natural/organic disinfectant.  According to the EPA:

    • “When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.”

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  • OSHA guidelines for ozone in the workplace (ppm = parts per million):

    • 0.2 ppm for no more than 2 hours of exposure

    • 0.1 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing light work

    • 0.08 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing moderate work

    • 0.05 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing heavy work

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For more information, see the OSHA webpage regarding ozone: http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_259300.html.

 

Micron Pure units release zero ozone or 0.00 ppm.  The proprietary design keeps the ozone fully within the unit, converting it back to oxygen (O2) before it leaves the system.
 

5. What testing has been done? How was this device tested on live COVID-19?

  • 3rd-party testing on commercial devices was completed at Aerosol Research and Engineering (“ARE”), www.arelabs.com. ARE, a Biosafety Level 1 Lab (BSL-1), tested a mixture of pathogens used as markers for more dangerous microorganisms.

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  • Lab tests at ARE reached a 6.57 LoG, removing more than 99.999957% of the MS2 marker virus used. The MS2 virus is widely used in aerosol tests and measures 0.027 microns in size (COVID-19, by comparison, measures 0.125 microns or 4x the size of MS2).

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  • Equally as important, chamber ozone levels were continuously measured (OSHA requirements specify maximum allowable PPM of 0.05 for 8 hours), showing that the ozone stays fully within the unit and does not enter the room.

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  • The University of Missouri Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research (LIDR) www.rbl.missouri.edu is a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory. LIDR includes biosafety research laboratories and associated research-support areas. LIDR is one of 13 similar structures in the United States.

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  • LIDR conducted testing on live aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 (airborne COVID-19), showing inactivation of all detectable virus particles, over 99%, on a single airflow pass through the unit lasting under 30 seconds.

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6. What will the final units look like? Where can you install these units?

  • The Micron Pure units will cover a range of sizes and end-use applications, including mobile stand-up units, wall/ceiling affixed, and micro size designs for placing in elevators and rideshare vehicles.

7. How much sq footage of area can a unit cover? How quickly does it cycle air through it? How long does it take to purify an entire room?

  • Standalone units will cover 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft, wall/ceiling designs will cover 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft, and micro units will be 250 sq ft and deployed in elevators and rideshare vehicles.

8. When is it available and how much does it cost? Can I buy one for my house?

  • Mobile, Mini, and Ceiling Devices are commercially available now.

9. Is it safe? What are your safety measures for the device? (prevent ozone leaking, etc)  Is Micron Pure approved by the FDA and other government agencies?

  • The Micron Pure units are very safe and uniquely designed to run constantly in any indoor environment with no disruption to people inside the space.  Numerous safety measures are in place to ensure the unit runs smoothly and safely, with zero ozone emitted from the device.  If any damage to the device occurs, it will automatically shut off ozone production and alert the user to take it to an approved distributor for servicing. 

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  • Micron Pure releases no ozone into the environment, thus complying with EPA, FDA, and OSHA guidelines.  Furthermore, since Micron Pure achieves greater than a 4-log (99.99%) reduction in airborne particles, it has received 510(k) Class II device certification from the FDA for use in medical facilities.  Micron Pure achieves a 4-log reduction in under 30 to 45 minutes vs competitors’ units that take up to 24 hours -- or 20+ times longer -- to achieve the same reduction rate.

10. How long has the device been running?

  • The technology inside Micron Pure has undergone rounds of 3rd-party testing since April of 2020.  The commercial versions of the device are UL certified and 510(k) Class II status as a medical device with the FDA.

11. Where will it be manufactured?

  • Micron Pure units will be assembled in the US.

All Micron Pure™ designs and uses are patent pending and IP protected.

All Rights Reserved.

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