Virus Identification: Real-Time Pathogen Sensor

Virus Identification: Real-Time Pathogen Sensor

Background: Need in Air Sanitizing Tools

The market of air purification and sanitizing is full of devices all declaring high efficiency in delivering safe indoor air environment. Most of the devices are based solely on HEPA filters, while the others use a combination of HEPA filters with the UV light sanitizing capability. While the function of HEPA filters is well understood, and they have been used for years, the use of UV light for sanitizing, especially sanitizing air is yet not widely understood and accepted by consumers.

Without a scientifically proven capability to quantify performance of the air sanitizing devices, the consumers are left at disposal of advertisers promoting their products by claiming unsubstantiated experimentally benefits delivered to them. Such a capability would allow comparative analyses for different devices, serving the consumers as a tool for making educated decisions when choosing devices best suiting their needs.

Ideally, devices should be compared by placing them in a controlled room, one by one, and measuring the rate at which the virus air concentration drops due to a device running in the room. The sooner the virus concentration in the air drops with time, the better the device performs. However, presently there is no sensor allowing to identify and measure pathogens or viruses in the air in real time.

In addition to the needs of the commercial market, availability of a real time pathogen sensor is critical in the world where threats of bioterrorism or biological weapons of mass destructions must be addressed.

A success in developing the real-time pathogen/virus sensors will be highly beneficial to ongoing national and international health and security programs.

R&D Project: Develop Real-Time Pathogen Sensor

Develop a real-time sensor technology for detecting, identifying, and measuring concentration of airborne pathogens, including viruses.

Scientific labs like this could be a base for such a project. Hopefully they are already in the game…