British invention could eliminate MRSA from hospitals
British scientists have developed an air purifier which new research shows can kill the MRSA 'superbug' and other bacteria and viruses, including H5N1, in minutes.
The UK patented unit simulates the natural purification properties of fresh air to ensure the continued protection of areas such as ceilings, fittings and ventilation ducts, that the Prime Minister has targeted in his proposed annual 'deep clean' of hospitals.
An independent scientific report published recently confirms that the purification unit is 99.999% effective in killing an airborne test Staphylococcus of the same genus as MRSA in less than two minutes and reduces airborne spores similar to C. difficile in one hour.
This process is said to be 100 times more effective than current methods of decontamination, according to inventors Tri-Air Developments – co-founded by the UK's Building Research Establishment, microbiologists at Promanade and technology transfer specialists Inventa Partners.
The UK patent was granted 15 May 2007, and with worldwide patents pending, the biotechnology unit combines three established decontamination technologies to overcome their inherent individual shortcomings, says Tri-Air Developments: non-thermal plasma; ultraviolet catalysis; and OAF (Open Air Factor). This creates a fresh air environment that is lethal to viruses and bacteria, including MRSA, and continually 'scrubs' the air clean.
The unit can be readily adapted for a range of medical applications, such as within large ventilation systems or for portable use in a single ward or room. Commercialisation advisors PricewaterhouseCoopers are in discussion with a shortlist of international manufacturing companies in North America, Europe and Asia to structure rights for production.
The unit creates an OAF, which is rich in hydroxyl radicals, to destroy microbes including H5N1 flu and cold viruses and bacteria, both in the air and on surface contact. Hydroxyl radicals are found naturally in abundance in outdoor fresh air, with high concentrations in forested mountain areas, and are completely harmless to people.
The decontamination process occurs both within and outside the machine, to create a continual supply of hydroxyl radicals dispersed throughout a room, making it effective even without processing all of the air through the unit.