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

描述(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会对健康构成重大风险，包括哮喘、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其重要。在这样的设施中，卫生保健工作者(HCW)接触致病空气传播微生物的风险比在典型室内环境中要大得多。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、商业和机构建筑中的供暖、通风和空调(HVAC)单元可能是生物污染物(霉菌、霉菌、细菌和病毒)的理想滋生场所，这些污染物可能是不利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的保护有限，价格昂贵和/或适用性有限。Integran Technologies USA，Inc.(Integran USA)开发了用其专利纳米金属覆盖低成本聚氨酯开孔多孔泡沫塑料的技术。拟议的第一阶段计划旨在开发一种工艺，在低成本的多孔泡沫上涂上Integran USA出色的抗菌金属涂层--超细粒铜(UFG-Cu)，以便将其纳入医疗机构的暖通空调设备，以保护医护人员和患者。这一第一阶段计划的成功实施有望为UFG-铜抗菌泡沫的生产提供概念验证。为实现这一目标，第一阶段项目的具体目标是：1)设计和建立一套适用于使用UFG-Cu涂层泡沫塑料的系统，2)确定最佳工艺条件，以及3)确定生产适用于空气过滤器的UFG-Cu涂层泡沫塑料的可行性。预期的第二阶段举措包括在暖通空调空气过滤器中使用含UFG-铜的泡沫塑料、空气流动和微粒测试，以及适当的抗菌剂测试。拟议的技术将提供一种有效、成本效益高和天然的抗菌解决方案，以减少医疗保健设施中的空气生物污染物，从而提供：1)减少暖通空调系统中病原体的生长，以增加整体室内空气质量并减少致病微生物的传播；2)减少破坏性细菌和气味细菌的生长；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；以及4)成本效益高、维护成本低的解决方案，以防止暖通空调系统内的微生物生长，这对所有微生物类别(包括孢子)都是非常有效的。拟议的第一阶段工作预计需要6个月，估计费用为94517美元。 与公众健康相关：拟议的技术将提供一种有效、成本效益高和天然的抗菌解决方案，以减少空气中的生物污染物，并改善卫生保健设施的室内空气质量，以保护HCW。预期的好处包括：1)减少暖通空调机组中致病细菌的生长，以增加整体室内空气质量并减少致病微生物的传播；2)减少破坏性细菌和异味细菌的生长；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；以及4)成本效益高、维护成本低的解决方案，以防止暖通空调系统内的微生物生长，该解决方案对所有微生物类别(包括孢子)都非常有效。

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).