Contagion Disinfection and Purification
The recent COVID-19 outbreak inspired our team to develop plasma based disinfection systems. Our team's expertise in personal and collective protection systems, combined with our plasma system knowledge, has led to two novel contagion disinfection devices.
Patient Air Breathing Zone Purification: This device protects healthcare workers, and other services providers, from being exposed to an infectious dose of any airborne contagion, such as COVID-19. Unlike other protective measures currently in use, our device enables providers to use their normal level of protective equipment and have total access to the patient/customer. We do this by collecting and disinfecting contagions before they can build-up to infectious amounts.
Dry Plasma Equipment Decontamination: This system provides point-of-use disinfection of equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and heat sensitive devices. While this device is similar in size and purpose as an autoclave, it does not require high temperature or "wet" additives such as steam or aerosol disinfectants (e.g. hydrogen peroxide). As a fast, point-of-use system, our device enables healthcare workers, and other service providers, to maintain control on their own PPE and no longer have to wonder about reusing someone else's mask.
Advanced Activated Carbon
One of our most exciting new products in development is an advanced activated carbon made from renewable biochar. We licensed this technology from one of our university partners and are currently validating the invention claims. The invention claims that plasma activated carbon has significantly higher surface capacitance than conventionally activated carbons making it the ideal choice for use in capacitive deionization applications and a media for removing charged species from air and liquids. A leading example is its application to PFAS removal from ground water. University partner tests have shown that plasma activated carbon removes up to 5X as much PFAS as conventional carbons.
In addition to making a superior activated carbon, plasma activation is also claimed to regenerate and upgrade conventionally activated carbons including ones from fossil sources to make carbons with total surface areas exceeding 1200 m2 per gram of carbon.