N95 Masks Greatly Reduce Risk of Infection

There will be Mask Benefits for Many Years

Air Curtain Includes Bipolar Ionization

AirLock389 Inc. is Entering the Global Air Purification Market

Johnson Controls Launches Site of Connected Solutions

Nanofiber Sticker for Surgical Masks Produced in Israel

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N95 Masks Greatly Reduce Risk of Infection

There is a model created by the University of Colorado and endorsed by a number of institutions which is being used to guide individuals relative to risks they are taking in various circumstances from crowded rooms to subways. Details on the program and links to the model were provided in the Alert yesterday.

A sample published  in National Geographic uses a mask efficiency of 50% for the risk taker and 30% for others in the room who each occupy 12 sq. ft. of space. If one percent of the population is infected and the risk taker spends three hours in the room his risk of infection rises to 90%.

 

McIlvaine has added two lines to the graph to illustrate the decrease in risk if everyone is wearing an N95 mask. Instead of 90% in three hours the risk is reduced to just 3%.  Even if everyone were wearing an N95 mask with a valve the  risk is less than 13%.

The model creators are the first to agree that the model should not be used as a precise tool. On the other hand it is intended to be used  for decision making by risk takers.

The University is working with many organizations to continually improve the model. It can be used by the filtration industry as part of a program which will show the risk reduction with masks and filters of varying efficiency.

The risk reduction can then be compared to the benefits such as lives saved, and economic benefits. In addition it is desirable to discuss the costs and benefits of life quality impacts. Wearing an N95 mask can be quite uncomfortable. Driving at 55 mph on a good four lane highway can be frustrating. So people have opted for the extra risk of a 65 mph speed limit even though it will shorten their lives by a few hours or days.

If wearing an N95 mask is going to be no more risky than driving where the speed limit has been increased to 65 mph, then most people will be willing to take the risk which statistically can be measured in a few hours over an 85 year life span. On the other hand many people will not be willing to take the risks equivalent to a one hundred mile speed limit. In certain States in the U.S. COVID is more likely equivalent to a 150 mph speed limit in terms of health impairment.

Life quality entails not only length but quality enhancement or degradation.  If an individual survives but is on a ventilator for weeks in a hospital there is an incentive to avoid the risk. The risk taker will also want to take into account the life quality degradation of others if he becomes infected.

The methodology that can be used to measure life quality impacts was first created by the McIlvaine Company in an assignment for Cardinal Health relative to decisions on single use vs reusable gowns. An article on this approach appeared in a hospital magazine and is available at

Quality Enhanced Life Days ~ A New Metric for Hospital ...

There will be Mask Benefits for Many Years

Previous Alerts have reported on the World Health Organization estimates linking air pollution to millions of deaths per year. There are sources of pollution within buildings as well as from vehicles and stationary sources. N95 masks are efficient enough to remove these air pollutants.  Therefore the use of masks can be justified based on removal of these pollutants along with COVID. Over time the benefits of wearing masks to protect against pollutants can be communicated to incentivize purchases. The chart below is  based on potential  health benefits. 2020 is the base year or 100% . The potential COVID benefits are small because people are not wearing efficient masks except in hospital settings. However, when the benefits are communicated 2021 could be a big year for mask purchases.

 

The total climbs to 360% in 2025 based not only on increases in the COVID benefits but also other viruses. The health benefits of removal of viruses other than COVID-19 will jump with the next new major pandemic.

In this case the new virus onslaught is forecast for 2025. Since many people will be anticipating this new virus there will be perceived benefits for mask wearing in the intervening years.

Hundreds of thousands of people die of influenza each year. The awareness of this risk will increase due to COVID. The result is likely to be a very large mask market continuing through 2025 and beyond. There could be a modest dip between the time that most people are vaccinated against COVID and the next major pandemic occurs. However, there is reason to believe that there will be a big high efficiency mask market for many years to come.

Air Curtain Includes Bipolar Ionization

The Berner PureAir Package complements the built environment’s indoor air quality (IAQ) and disinfection efforts by:

·         Deactivating viruses and killing bacteria

·         Neutralizing a space’s airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as allergens and other biological contaminants such as mold spores

The air curtain includes needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) technology, enabling users to safely disinfect and purify the air in the space, beginning at the doorway.

The PureAir Package is currently available on Berner’s Architectural High Performance 10 (AHD10) air curtain, designed for separating environments at main entrances in retail, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, education, and other commercial and industrial applications. The PureAir Package includes:

·         The NPBI module

·         A washable one-inch-thick (25-mm) aluminum mesh MERV-8 particulate filter

·         A 10-speed 1/2-hp electronically commutated (EC) motor

·         A factory-installed Intelliswitch™ with Pure Mode operation

·         Berner Architectural High Performance 10 air curtain over main entrance to tech store

During periods when the door is open, the air curtain operates as both an air curtain and an air purifier. When the door closes for longer than 60 seconds, the air curtain automatically transitions to Pure Mode for continuous NPBI ion distribution throughout the space with one of its lowest, quietest speeds.

The Pure Mode setting distributes a minimum ion density of 787 ions/inch2 (2,000 ions/cm2) within a minute for reliable pathogen disinfection of the space. On Pure Night mode, to provide optimum ion density, the air curtain runs at a powerful high speed, de-stratifying the air in the room and purifying it prior to occupancy periods.

NPBI has been third-party surface tested by Innovative Bioanalysis, Cypress, Calif., to neutralize airborne viruses, including the source of COVID-19 disease, SARS CoV-2, at a 99.4% success rate during 30-minute exposures. NPBI also disinfects mold, mildew, allergens, bacteria and other biological contaminants using an ionization process that’s Environmental Claim Validated through UL-2998 for zero ozone emission and byproducts free.

The ionization process creates positively and negatively-charged ions that are distributed by the air curtain. These ions attach to microscopic airborne particulates. The positive and negative ions break down gases such as VOCs and odors and also pull the hydrogen out of viruses, bacteria and mold that deactivates or kills them.

The polarized particles’ electrical attraction and subsequent agglomeration facilitate their entrapment in the air curtain’s intake air MERV 8 filter. Together, the combination of the NPBI technology and MERV 8 filter approaches HEPA performance and improves the IAQ.

The Intelliswitch, a programmable digital controller, which has a time clock, time delay, built-in thermostat, 10-speed fan control, and other integrated customizable features, can also be operated wirelessly through the Berner AIR™, an advanced control technology communications platform for air curtains. The platform uses a wireless controller, encrypted at the processor level, to connect the Intelliswitch to the Berner App for smartphones, which also allows Berner factory technicians to help local contractors troubleshoot service.

Air curtain technology is said to be ideal for NPBI, because air curtains are used right where customers, patients, employees, etc., enter and exit a building. The air curtain distributes ions from inside the space, starting right at the entrance, for an immediate effect, and it tirelessly replenishes the supply as old ions reach their minutes-long lifecycle.

AirLock389 Inc. is Entering the Global Air Purification Market

Founded and led by Chief Science Officer and CEO Christopher H. Cooper, the company is focused on developing products using its Airlock™ Anti-Pathogen Purification Technology, an air purification media capable of removing airborne pathogens and contaminants, including weapons-grade biological and chemical agents. Airlock's purification media can capture and deactivate pathogens, including viruses, up to the limits of detection (>99.99926% filtration viral efficiency).

The resulting air purification media, the Airlock™ Anti-Pathogen Purification Component, is the basis for Airlock389's current technology. Its first commercial application is the Airlock™ AV100 Reusable Mask, engineered to provide long-lasting comfort and breathability while protecting users from the COVID-19 causing coronavirus and other airborne pathogens.

The Airlock™ Anti-Pathogen Purification Component's conductive mesocarbon polymer composite material continuously captures and deactivates viruses and other pathogens without the use of chemicals and may be applied to larger-scale air purification systems for buildings, homes, and vehicles.

Airlock389 is currently seeking regulatory approval around the world for the Airlock™ AV100 Reusable Mask and the AV-100PC Purification Component.

Johnson Controls Launches Site of Connected Solutions

Johnson Controls, is launching OpenBlue - a complete suite of connected solutions and services that combine the Company’s 135 years of building expertise with cutting-edge technology. This open digital platform, when integrated with Johnson Controls core building systems and enhanced by Fortune 100 technology partners, will make shared spaces safer, more agile and more sustainable.

Johnson Controls OpenBlue is the culmination of years of research and development by the Company’s industry renowned engineers and data scientists around the globe, to create the “blueprint for the future” to guide smart, sustainable buildings. The new suite of connected solutions enables previously unimaginable occupant experiences, respectful safety and security, and impactful sustainability, driven by cutting-edge connected technology.

 

 

By combining traditionally separate systems, OpenBlue will enable the connection of every part of a building to create new possibilities for smarter, more efficient and sustainable spaces.

OpenBlue customers will be able to:

·         Respond with dynamic flexibility: OpenBlue will enable buildings to switch into different modes to address various critical situations. Modes can include management of building access, air flow, elevator movement, door locks, lighting, and open collaboration, as well as other environmental and safety settings.

·         Deploy COVID-19 solutions: OpenBlue connects Johnson Controls products, technology and services to help customers get back to work as safely and efficiently as possible. These solutions and services include contact tracing, social distance monitoring, thermal cameras, clean air, touchless environments, compliance and reporting management, energy optimization, advanced safety monitoring and more.

·         Select from tiered services for their needs: OpenBlue will contain a suite of tiered, AI-infused service solutions delivering advanced capabilities such as remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, advanced risk assessments, compliance monitoring and more.

·         Security at the center of the solutions: OpenBlue was designed with safety at its core and will enable customers to access secure by design solutions. Each of the OpenBlue offerings are developed with robust design protocols for security and privacy process.

·         Increase energy savings and improve indoor air quality (IAQ): By connecting HVAC equipment with new data and AI, users of the platform can expect 20-60 percent cost savings by optimizing the performance of the full HVAC system across energy costs and IAQ parameters.

Nanofiber Sticker for Surgical Masks Produced in Israel

An  Israeli-developed nanofiber sticker, which enhances the protection of surgical masks, has been put into mass production, said northern Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) in mid-August.

In late March, about a month after the coronavirus outbreak in Israel, the Technion announced one of the first personal protective equipment developments for protecting medical teams from the virus.

The unique sticker called "Maya" is comprised of a nanofiber sheet, and can be easily adhered to a protective mask, significantly improving its effectiveness against the virus. Due to its tiny size, the virus can penetrate a standard protective mask, where the pores between fibers are comparatively large, in the order of hundreds of microns.

However, the nanoscale pores of the sticker prevent the virus from penetrating the mask, and the researchers incorporated biocides substances into the fiber sheet that neutralize trapped viruses within a few seconds.

Recently, the Technion has signed an agreement with DYKAM printing plant in northern Israel for high-scale production of the sticker. The agreement will enable the innovative sticker to be available for medical staff and the general public.

The product has been approved by the authorities in Israel, and according to the Technion, it is expected to be soon approved by the authorities in the United States and Europe.