RAPID: COVID-19: Sterilization Mechanism of Corona Discharge for Masks and Environment

RAPID：COVID-19：口罩和环境的电晕放电灭菌机制

• 批准号: 2030033
• 负责人: Ying Zhong
• 金额: $ 16.76万
• 依托单位: University of South Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-05-15 至 2021-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2030033&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; COVID; 19; Sterilization; Mechanism

This project will provide fundamental understanding and technical validation for a portable sterilization technique, the corona discharge, to be safely and effectively used for sterilization and recharge of the used face masks, N95 respirators, and PPEs. The overall purpose of this RAPID project is to urgently advance a safe, sustainable and high-efficiency sterilization technology by conducting collaborative and systematic research on the sterilization mechanism of corona discharge (CD). CD can efficiently and rapidly sterilize various PPEs to help resolve the massive shortage problem upon an outbreaks of public health emergencies, and offers an efficient sterilization solution for shared surfaces, confined space, and possibly open air to prevent COVID-19 spread. This would drastically mitigate the PPE shortage at hospitals, and allow citizens’ access to masks, which will help to flatten the curve of SARS-CoV-2 infection and support economic recovery. The project will bring awareness to public on the potential risk of reusing masks without static charges, which reduces the filtration effect. Through established collaboration with research institution the PIs have access to a local hospital and possibility to obtain field data on the efficiency of their CD prototypes. The PIs are collaborating with CD unit manufacturer to bring timely impact on mitigate COVID-19 pandemic. PI will actively involve underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students in the research. This project will establish sterilization mechanism and efficiency of corona discharge to levels required for safe hospital use of face masks and PPEs. This collaborative RAPID proposal linking the fields of Mechanical Engineering and Biological Sciences will: 1) investigate sterilization and recharging effectiveness on masks by CD, and its effect on the filtration mechanism and efficiency of masks; 2) study how CD kills bacteria and viruses by tracking the interaction of different components in corona and microbe to identify the most effective sterilization method; 3) study how substrate material and surface condition affect CD sterilization mechanism and efficiency, as well as the sterilization effect for contaminated air. The PIs have preliminary results showing sterility assurance level (SAL) of lower than 10-3 vs. E. coli within seconds for general use, and potentially 10-6 with extended treatment time for surgical use. The planned comprehensive sterilization mechanism study will also provide a better understanding of the interaction among photons, electrons, free radicals, ionized particles, etc. in corona discharge with protein, nucleic acids, and other components of viruses, bacteria, and possibly fungi, identify the most effective sterilization method, and prompt the development of more efficient targeted sterilization technologies for pathogens with different membrane or protein compositions. The in-depth study of the sterilization effect and mechanism on different kinds of microorganisms living on various surfaces and in different environments will help researchers discover more technologies that deactivate contagious bacteria and viruses and reduce the transmission of contagious diseases.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将为便携式灭菌技术电晕放电提供基本的理解和技术验证，以安全有效地用于对使用过的面罩、N95消毒器和PPE进行灭菌和充电。该RAPID项目的总体目的是通过对电晕放电（CD）的灭菌机理进行协同和系统的研究，紧急推进安全，可持续和高效的灭菌技术。CD可以高效快速地对各种PPE进行消毒，以帮助解决突发公共卫生事件爆发时的大规模短缺问题，并为共享表面，密闭空间和可能的露天提供有效的消毒解决方案，以防止COVID-19传播。这将大大缓解医院PPE短缺的问题，并允许公民获得口罩，这将有助于拉平SARS-CoV-2感染曲线，支持经济复苏。该项目将使公众认识到重复使用不带静电的口罩的潜在风险，这会降低过滤效果。通过与研究机构建立的合作关系，PI可以访问当地医院，并有可能获得关于其CD原型效率的现场数据。PI正与CD机制造商合作，为缓解COVID-19疫情带来及时影响。PI将积极参与研究代表性不足的研究生和本科生。该项目将建立电晕放电的灭菌机制和效率，以达到医院安全使用口罩和PPE所需的水平。 这项结合机械工程和生物科学领域的合作RAPID提案将：1）研究CD对口罩的灭菌和充电效果，以及其对口罩过滤机制和效率的影响; 2）通过跟踪电晕中不同成分与微生物的相互作用，研究CD如何杀死细菌和病毒，以确定最有效的灭菌方法; 3）研究了基质材料和表面状况对CD灭菌机理和灭菌效率的影响，以及对污染空气的灭菌效果。PI的初步结果显示无菌保证水平（SAL）低于10-3 vs. E。大肠杆菌在几秒钟内为一般用途，并可能10-6与延长治疗时间的外科手术使用。计划中的全面灭菌机理研究还将更好地了解电晕放电中光子、电子、自由基、电离粒子等与蛋白质、核酸和病毒、细菌以及可能的真菌的其他成分之间的相互作用，确定最有效的灭菌方法，并促进开发针对具有不同膜或蛋白质组成的病原体的更有效的靶向灭菌技术。在-深入研究生活在不同表面和不同环境中的不同种类微生物的杀菌效果和机理，将有助于研究人员发现更多灭活传染性细菌和病毒的技术，减少传染病的传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.

项目成果

Disinfection and Electrostatic Recovery of N95 Respirators by Corona Discharge for Safe Reuse

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02649
• 发表时间: 2021-09-27
• 期刊: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• 影响因子: 11.4
• 作者: Narayanan, Sriram S. K. S.;Wang, Xudong;Zhong, Ying
• 通讯作者: Zhong, Ying