SBIR Phase I: Viral inactivation in air and on surfaces across large areas by safe, non-thermal, non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是一种新的安全的非接触式方法和设备，可以在空气或表面和物体上消除病毒。所提出的非化学方法是可扩展的，并且可以快速调整以靶向新型病原体，从而预防或减轻新型病毒病原体的未来流行。拟议项目实现的解决方案是一种成本相对较低的便携式或天花板安装式设备，可在医疗保健环境、办公室、学校、公共交通或疾病传播风险较高的其他场所使用。该装置将在数千或数百万个地点提供持续的抗病毒效果，同时在人类接触的安全范围内运行。 该SBIR I期项目旨在验证依赖于微波共振能量转移的非接触式病毒灭活方法的概念，并证明在对人体安全且符合监管指南的操作参数下病毒检测的有效性。为了实现这一点，需要小型化和具有成本效益的高功率脉冲微波源和天线。为此，将开发一个原型设备，包括一个高功率真空电子设备，如磁控管或行波管，一个定制的和新颖的高压电源，固件和控制。该电源将设计为通过千瓦范围内的调节高压输出和浮动低功率辅助电源来驱动现有的真空设备。为了控制脉冲操作，将在微控制器中实现控制算法。将对原型进行表征，并用于在常见病毒生长试验中暴露病毒样本，然后对抗病毒作用进行定量评估。预期的结果是实现显著减少的功能原型，例如，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标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is a new and safe non-contact method and device to inactivate viruses in air or on surfaces and objects. The non-chemical method proposed is scalable and can be quickly adjusted to target novel pathogens and therefore prevent or mitigate future epidemics of novel viral pathogens. The solution enabled by the proposed project is a relatively low-cost portable or ceiling-mounted device to be operated in health care settings, offices, schools, public transit, or other locations where the risk of disease transmission is high. The device would provide a continuous antiviral effect in thousands or millions of locations while operating within safe limits for human exposure. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to validate the concept of a non-contact viral inactivation method that relies on resonant energy transfer from microwaves, and to demonstrate the efficacy in viral assays under operation parameters that are safe for humans and within regulatory guidelines. To accomplish this, a miniaturized and cost-effective high power pulsed microwave source and antenna is required. To this end, a prototype device will be developed that consists of a high-power vacuum electronics device, such as a magnetron or a traveling-wave tube, a custom and novel high voltage power source, and firmware and controls. The power supply will be designed to drive an existing vacuum device, by means of a regulated high-voltage output in the kilowatt range and a floating low-power auxiliary power source. To control pulsed operation, a control algorithm will be implemented in a microcontroller. The prototype will be characterized and used to expose viral samples in common viral growth assays, followed by a quantitative assessment of the antiviral effect. The outcome expected is a functional prototype that achieves significant reduction, e.g., 2 logs, within safe limits that will serve as a blueprint for a novel class of antiviral devices.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.