Cold Plasma Technology Aims to Reduce Infection Transmissibility in Lifts

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11 August 2022

Two new hygiene products that use cold plasma technology to reduce the risk of infection transmissibility in enclosed areas have entered the market.

Launching in October 2022, OXONOX’s AirLift and AirStair are “fit and forget” units that can be easily installed as new or retrospectively.

AirLift works by filling the enclosed area with air at a rate of 92 cubic metres per hour. This fresh air dilution process reduces contamination (from air droplets, (coughs, sneezes etc) by over 90 per cent, according to independent studies, significantly reducing the risk of virus transmission.

OXONOX AirStair specifically is designed for escalators and moving walkways. It sits underneath the escalator and automatically sterilises handrails, with up to a 99.999 per cent kill rate. It directs plasma onto the handrail, killing germs instantly.  

What is Cold Plasma Technology?

OXNOX has secured global patent rights for the world’s first use of cold plasma technology which is acknowledged as the next step up in performance, safety and cost over UV light.

Cold plasma technology is an emerging technology and its application is being explored across a number of sectors including the food industry, manufacturing and biomedicine. The opportunities and challenges of using cold plasma technology within the foodservice industry have been explored by researchers at Liverpool University since 2018, and you can read more about that research here.

Cold plasma is the fourth state of matter and once generated via electrical charging, using just atmospheric air, it has a germicidal kill rate that is significantly greater (up to 99.999 per cent) than traditional methods. As a gas, it can penetrate all areas and surfaces.                                                

The extreme kill level from plasma means that any contamination remaining after sterilisation, in the air or on a surface, is so small that it may be many hours before the bacterial or viral load becomes a real threat to humans.

This is all achieved without the use of chemicals or consumables and prevents regrowth of bacteria and viruses for up to six hours. 

Picture: a photograph of an OXONOX AirStair being used in-situ. Image Credit: OXONOX

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 11 August 2022

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