Digital solutions manufacturer Durst has developed an air disinfection system to help fight Covid-19.
The company says the system irradiates infectious aerosols, viruses and germs in indoor environments. The UVC-R Air Disinfection System removes air from within rooms into an antiviral membrane. It then cleans the air with irradiated UV-C light and releases the disinfected air back into the room. They operate at a typical noise level of 25dB.
Durst says it can personalise the units so they can appear as art works in environments such as banks, school classrooms, museums, and office buildings.
Christoph Gamper. co-owner and chief executive at Durst, says the technology builds on the company’s community masks. It produced the masks in April as the world became aware of the scale of the pandemic.
He says, “We checked the efficiency of the UV-C sources in our laboratories and analysed the ideal exposure time and volumetric flow. An external laboratory for medical technology and disinfectants in Germany is currently in the process of verifying our results. At the same time, the efficiency of the Durst UVC-R is tested in real mode with “pseudoviruses” or so-called bacteriophages.”
Click here to see Gamper discuss the new system
System development and features
Research and development involved measurement and analysis. Durst Labs studied the main transmission paths and descent rates of droplets and aerosols that transport virus-containing liquid particles. The labs also recorded the effectiveness of countermeasures with continuous air exchange and UV irradiation.
The end result, the Durst UVC-R system, combines both air exchange and UV irradiation in one system. Durst says this effectively reduces infectious aerosols, viruses, and germs in indoor environments. Through an antiviral membrane, the room air travels into a closed system for irradiation with UV-C light. The system continuously releases the disinfected air back into the room through an air outlet.
Durst lists the key features of the system
Closed, radiation-protected chambers with high-performance UV-C modules in airflow-optimized and mirrored channels.
Generation of ozone-free UV-C radiation with a wavelength of 254 nanometers.
Suction nozzles over the entire surface on both sides of the system at the level of the aerosol origin
Antiviral coating of the membrane surface.
Whisper-quiet with a typical noise level of 25dB.
Gamper adds, “We see in Durst UVC-R not only a preventive measure to reduce the viral loads. Together with the South Tyrolean industrial designer Christian Zanzotti we have developed a portfolio, that can harmoniously be integrated into many interior concepts.
“Furthermore, the anti-viral coated membrane can be personalised with our digital printing systems.”
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