REALiTY: REmoving Allergens with pLasma TechnologY

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Using this award a disruptive technological solution will be developed to alleviate the suffering of millions of people across the UK. It is envisaged that the developed device will be deployed in households and offices across the country to significantly reduce the concentration of airborne allergenic agents from within the indoor environment; thus making a significant contribution to the general wellbeing of over 12 million allergy sufferers in the UK. This disruptive technological solution will reduce the burden of allergy on the UK economy, which is estimated at around £7.1 Bn per annum through lost productivity and a further £311 million per year through the use of NHS resources.The project proposes the development of a Cold Atmospheric pressure Plasma (CAP) solution that is capable of simultaneously targeting multiple allergenic agents and overcomes many of the drawbacks associated with current approaches. To ensure widespread uptake and therefore maximise the impact from this research, the developed technology will be packaged as a low-cost and energy efficient consumer appliance, suitable for continuous use within the home. Technological development will not be easy nor risk free; however, the reward for overcoming these challenges will be a substantial improvement in public health and UK prosperity. To succeed, the outcomes of multiple RCUK funded research projects will be brought together to form a unique engineering solution which will be co-developed in collaboration with a forward-thinking UK-based industrial partner.