An air purifier manufactured by the Science & Technology Park, here, promises to revolutionise the industry by offering the cheapest and among the most compact such machines that can kill disease causing airborne virus and bacteria, according to a leading scientist, here on Wednesday.
The Scitech Airon Ionizer is described as one of the most compact, effective and cheapest in the world for similar products, according to the scientist.
It can generate 100 million negatively-charged ions a second that are electrostatically attracted to positively-charged airborne particles or aerosol droplets and attaches to them in large numbers.
Then they form clusters around all types of disease spreading microparticles, like airborne mold, corona or influenza viruses, mite allergens, bacteria, pollens and dust, but without harming the atmosphere or human health.
"This renders inactive all these disease causing viruses or bacteria through a chemical reaction by creating highly reactive groups called hydroxyl radicals and atmospheric detergents," SciTech Park Director-General and CEO Rajendra Jagdale told.
The 9-kg machine is barely 1.5 feet high, 1 foot wide and 10 inches deep making it very compact and easy to use for a 100 sq metre enclosed or confined spaces, like houses, flats, hospitals, clinics, aircraft cabin, trains, buses, railway stations, airports, restaurants, malls and cinemas to make them 'virus-free' zones.
The negative ions from the machine surround the hemmagglutinin - or surface proteins that form on organisms and trigger infections - and with chemical reactions destroy them (hemmagglutinins) to deactivate the virus, in about a couple of hours, with minimal electricity used and no recurreing costs, he said.
"The machine costs around Rs 40,000 plus 18 per cent GST. Though a similar machine with the capacity to generate 100 million negatively-charged ions can cost around Rs 1 crore. Most important, it doesn't emit any harmful ozone that can damage the atmosphere," Jagdale said.
The Pune-based award-winning scientist said besides controlling airborne diseases spread through viruses or bacteria, the machine increases the human's resistance to infections and harmful environmental factors for up to four weeks - extremely beneficial in times of coronavirus, which has 14-day incubation period.
Plus, Scitech Airon Ionizer decomposes gaseous pollutants, like carbon monoxide - considered 1,000-times more harmful than carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic components, he said.
It activates and enhances body's protective functions, increases OH and H2O2 in the air to act as detergent molecules to kill pollutants, improves quickly a patient's health, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves sleep quality and reduce fatigue.
The SciTech Park is supported by the Union Department of Science & Technology.
After learning about the product, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a report on the machine to see how it can be deployed for combating the Covid-19 pandemic that has gripped India and most parts of the world with massive afflictions and casualties.