UFG-Copper-Enabled Air Filters for Health Care Worker Protection

用于保护医护人员的 UFG 铜空气过滤器

• 批准号: 8000483
• 负责人: Andy Brutlag
• 金额: $ 9.4万
• 依托单位: INTEGRAN TECHNOLOGIES USA, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2012-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8000483
• 关键词: UFG; Copper; Enabled; Air; Filters

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of rising concern as indoor air pollutants can pose significant health risks, including asthma, sensitization, allergies, fatigue, cancer and the transmission of airborne diseases. IAQ is especially important in health care facilities. In such facilities, health care workers (HCW) are at a much greater risk of exposure to pathogenic airborne microbes than in typical indoor environments. In fact, poor ventilation and/or malfunctioning ventilation systems are most often identified as root causes to HCW infection. In addition, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units in residential, commercial and institutional buildings can be ideal breeding grounds for biological contaminants (mold, mildew, bacteria and viruses) which can be direct causes of adverse health effects and serious disease. Current antimicrobial HVAC systems, such as UV germicidal irradiation, high-efficiency particulate filters and pressurization systems, provide limited protection against these biological contaminants, are expensive and/or are limited in applicability. Integran Technologies USA, Inc. (Integran USA) has developed the technology to coat low-cost polyurethane open-celled porous foams with its patented Nanometal. The proposed Phase I program seeks to develop the process to coat low-cost porous foams with Integran USA's excellent antimicrobial metal coating, ultra fine-grained copper (UFG-Cu), for incorporation into health care facility HVAC units for the protection of health care workers and patients alike. The successful execution of this Phase I program is expected to provide the proof-of-concept for the production of UFG-Cu-enabled antimicrobial foams. To meet this objective, the specific Phase I project goals are: 1) design and establish a system suitable for coating foams with UFG-Cu, 2) identify the optimal process conditions, and 3) determine the feasibility of producing UFG-Cu- coated foams suitable for use in air filters. Expected Phase II initiatives include the incorporation of UFG-Cu-enabled foams into HVAC air filters, air flow and particulate testing, and appropriate antimicrobial testing. The proposed technology would provide an efficient, cost-effective and natural antimicrobial solution to reduce airborne biological contaminants in health care facilities, providing: 1) decreased growth of pathogenic bacteria in HVAC units to increase overall IAQ and reduce the transmission of pathogenic microbes, 2) decreased growth of destructive and odor-causing bacteria, 3) decreased maintenance and filter replacement costs due to reduced growth of damaging microbes on air filters, and 4) a cost-effective and low maintenance solution to prevent microbe growth within HVAC systems which is highly effective across all microbe classes (including spores). The proposed Phase I effort is expected to require 6 months at an estimated cost of $94,517. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed technology would provide an efficient, cost-effective and natural antimicrobial solution to reduce airborne biological contaminants and improve IAQ in health care facilities for the protection of HCW. Expected benefits include: 1) decreased growth of pathogenic bacteria in HVAC units to increase overall IAQ and reduce the transmission of pathogenic microbes, 2) decreased growth of destructive and odor-causing bacteria, 3) decreased maintenance and filter replacement costs due to reduced growth of damaging microbes on air filters, and 4) a cost- effective and low maintenance solution to prevent microbe growth within HVAC systems which is highly effective across all microbe classes (including spores).

描述（由申请人提供）：室内空气质量（IAQ）日益受到关注，因为室内空气污染物可能构成重大的健康风险，包括哮喘、致敏、过敏、疲劳、癌症和空气传播疾病。室内空气质量在卫生保健设施中尤为重要。在这些设施中，卫生保健工作者比在典型的室内环境中暴露于病原空气微生物的风险要大得多。事实上，通风不良和/或通风系统故障最常被确定为HCW感染的根本原因。此外，住宅、商业和公共建筑中的供暖、通风和空调（HVAC）装置可能是生物污染物（霉菌、霉菌、细菌和病毒）的理想滋生地，这些污染物可能是不良健康影响和严重疾病的直接原因。目前的抗菌暖通空调系统，如紫外线杀菌照射、高效微粒过滤器和加压系统，对这些生物污染物提供有限的保护，价格昂贵和/或适用性有限。Integran Technologies USA, Inc. （Integran USA）已经开发出一种技术，可以用其专利的纳米金属涂层低成本的聚氨酯开孔多孔泡沫。拟议的I期项目旨在开发一种工艺，用Integran USA优秀的抗菌金属涂层超细粒铜（UFG-Cu）涂覆低成本多孔泡沫，用于医疗机构的HVAC设备，以保护医护人员和患者。第一阶段项目的成功实施有望为ufg - cu抗菌泡沫的生产提供概念验证。为了实现这一目标，具体的第一阶段项目目标是：1)设计和建立一个适用于用UFG-Cu涂层泡沫的系统，2)确定最佳工艺条件，3)确定生产适用于空气过滤器的UFG-Cu涂层泡沫的可行性。预期的第二阶段计划包括将ufg - cu泡沫纳入HVAC空气过滤器，空气流量和颗粒测试，以及适当的抗菌测试。拟议的技术将提供一种高效、具有成本效益的天然抗菌解决方案，以减少卫生保健设施中的空气传播生物污染物，提供：1)减少暖通空调机组中致病菌的生长，以增加整体室内空气质量并减少致病菌的传播；2)减少破坏性和引起气味的细菌的生长；3)减少空气过滤器上有害微生物的生长，从而降低维护和过滤器更换成本；4)一种经济有效的低维护解决方案，可防止暖通空调系统内微生物的生长，对所有微生物类别（包括孢子）都非常有效。拟议的第一阶段工作预计需要6个月，估计费用为94,517美元。