A collaboration inspired by Medistar Corp. and including researchers from the University of Houston and Texas A&M has developed a heating ventilating and air conditioning system filter, made from nickel foam, that can trap and instantly kill 99.8% of the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, say the lead researchers on the team. The investigators also say the filter catches and destroys 99.9% of anthrax spores and other pathogens, including the legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease.
Biodefense室内空气保护系统目前正在休斯顿医疗中心洲际酒店进行β测试，并将很快进行商业生产，可以定制用于建筑物，飞机和船舶中所有类型的HVAC系统中现有的供暖和冷却设备，研究人员说。
新的过滤器插入了现有过滤器和加热和冷却元件之间，将自身与HEPA过滤器区分开来，因为HEPA过滤器仅捕获病毒。德克萨斯超导中心在休斯敦大学。Biodefense滤清器比高效纤维过滤器更好，因为它会杀死病毒，使任何过滤器更改和处置对维护人员更安全。
该病毒无法在70度以上的温度下生存。这导致了具有积分加热元件的过滤器的想法。Ren建议使用镍泡沫，因为它满足了几个关键要求：它是多孔的，允许空气流动。它是导电性的，可以加热。它也是灵活的。
“Nothing can survive biologically” because the filter is heated to 200 degrees C to kill the pathogens, says Ren.
Ren and his research team collaborated with Monzer Hourani, the mastermind behind the filter and CEO of Medistar, a Houston-based medical real estate developer.
Filter Kills Anthrax Spores and Other Pathogens
研究人员报告说，病毒在加尔维斯顿国家实验室发现99.8％的新型SARS-COV-2，即导致COVID-19的病毒，在一次通道中被杀死，该通行物通过由市售的镍泡沫制成的过滤器，加热至200度。该过滤器还杀死了99.9％的炭疽病。由德克萨斯大学（UT）医学分支机构运行的实验室测试中被过滤器捕获的孢子。
团队并没有测试性能指标lly for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, often found in HVAC system mist given off by cooling towers. But because the filter is 99.9% effective for anthrax spores, "typically the gold standard for air disinfection," it also would likely destroy legionella, says Garrett K. Peel, Ren's co-lead investigator, executive vice president of Medistar and a principal of Medistar subsidiary Integrated Viral Protection (IVP), which is commercializing the filter and would provide a custom retrofit service. Mobile air purifiers are also under development..
Ren adds, "It basically can catch and kill spores as small as 100 nanometers or as large as 1,000 nanometers."
Custom retrofits to HVAC systems would cost about $4 per sq ft or $10,000 per ton of HVAC, says Peel.
The company will deploy the filter first to places at highest risk of indoor transmission, including schools, health care facilities and transit facilities, Peel says.
Peel说，第一批单元将去德克萨斯州，佛罗里达州和亚利桑那州的学校以及休斯顿医疗中心洲际酒店，该酒店将是世界上第一家经过该技术改造的酒店。
Phased Rollout
The phased roll out will be based on demand. IVP expects to produce 20,000 units of initial capacity by late this year or early next year. “We have manufacturing partners that can meet this goal very easily,” says Peel. He adds that Medistar has invested “millions of dollars” in research and development.
根据HVAC系统的大小，定制过滤器的测量约为4英尺x 4英尺。单个交流单元较小。
研究人员说，镍泡具有优势，但电阻率也很低，因此很难升高足够高的温度以迅速杀死病毒。他们通过折叠泡沫来解决该问题，将多个隔室与积分电线连接起来，以增加电阻足以提高温度高达250度C。
Ren说，定制改造和移动应用程序中都有“ HEPA过滤技术”。如果电源失败，则过滤器的工作方式与HEPA过滤器相同。
通过对滤波器本身进行接线，因此内部加热，而不是从外部来源加热，研究人员说，他们最大程度地减少了从过滤器中逸出的热量，从而使空调可以用最小的应变起作用。Peel说：“距离加热器四厘米，温度是环境的温度。”
The heat may increase cooling system operating costs 1% or 2%, adds Ren.
原型是由本地研讨会构建的，并在UH实验室首先测试了电压/电流和温度之间的关系。然后，加尔维斯顿实验室引入了病毒学家并准备了病毒样本。主导加尔维斯顿测试的UT医学分支机构教授Slobodan Paessler说，然后将样品雾化并通过密封单元中的原型过滤器运行。
病毒灭活或被困
然后使用细胞培养物测试了从设备中出来的过滤空气。佩斯勒说：“我们从未发现任何传染病。”“病毒要么被灭活或被困。”
佩斯勒说，他不能确定该病毒被过滤器杀死，因为实验室没有从过滤器本身收集测试样品。他说：“但是，如果没有停用该病毒，我会感到惊讶。”
REN坚持认为，由于过滤器上的温度约为200度C，因此没有理由相信过滤器上的任何病毒都可以生存。他补充说，生存的可能性与“明天的天空”的可能性大致相同。
除此之外，在较新的测试中，最近重复实验验证了99.8％的病毒杀伤。结果还表明，有99.97％的炭疽孢子被杀。Ren说：“这些数据足以暗示通过这种新颖的镍网络接触治疗的空前消除这种生物病变。”
This article was updated on July 22, 2020 to reflect new information.
