SBIR Phase II: Rapid disinfection using compact plasma reactors

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的广泛影响/商业潜力满足了社会对非热能、经济和高效的解决方案的需求，这些解决方案用于对医疗设施和日常生活空间中常见的致命病原体进行消毒。商业机会在于开发一种非热能、便携式、安全和经济的灭菌设备，用于受病毒、细菌和真菌污染的材料。这项拟议的技术将用于目前最先进的灭菌技术缺乏的领域。它在低温下运行，是温度敏感型设备所必需的，环保，产量高，只需很少的维护，并包括一个内置的混合系统，用于复杂表面几何形状的灭菌。应用包括对个人防护设备(PPE)、手术工具、医疗器械、食品、饮料等进行消毒，使其免受有害病原体的侵害。潜在市场包括医疗设施、医疗器械公司以及食品和饮料公司。主要影响将发生在拥挤的设施和社区环境中，这些地方需要对物体进行快速消毒。此外，该技术还可以与制冷机组等现有系统集成。这项技术有望通过预防医院获得性感染、新冠肺炎的进一步传播以及未来可能的疫情来挽救生命。这项SBIR第二阶段项目提出了一种在低温下操作、复杂几何结构、低能源和低成本的灭菌设备。这些领域目前还不是单一的、最先进的灭菌技术所能解决的。该解决方案基于有源等离子体模块(APM)。此前，研究确定了APM对SARS CoV-2及其替代品在金属、塑料和织物上的效力，以及实现灭菌所需的操作条件(暴露时间、臭氧要求和功率)。该项目的目标包括开发原型，包括(I)针对生物安全级别(BSL)-2和-3病原体的效力测试，(Ii)周期时间、臭氧要求和功率需求，(Iii)满足安全限制的实用臭氧去除系统，(Iv)材料兼容性数据，以及(V)用户友好的控制界面。该团队还将检查APM质量控制、满足所需产品规格的能力以及反向工程威胁的管理。成功完成第二阶段将产生一个市场就绪的原型，具有针对各种病原体的灭菌数据和客户采用所需的产品规格。该项目将推进高效臭氧灭菌的研究。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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) Phase II project addresses the societal need for a non-thermal, economical, and efficient solution for sterilizing deadly pathogens that are common in medical facilities and everyday living spaces. The commercial opportunity lies in developing a non-thermal, portable, safe, and economical sterilization device for materials contaminated with virus, bacteria, and fungi. The proposed technology will be used in areas that are lacking in current state-of-the-art sterilization technologies. It operates at low temperature, necessary for temperature-sensitive equipment, is ecofriendly, has high throughput, requires little maintenance, and includes an inbuilt mixing system for the sterilization of complex surface geometries. Applications include sterilizing personal protective equipment (PPE), surgical tools, medical devices, food, beverages, etc. from harmful pathogens. The addressable market consists of healthcare facilities, medical device companies, and food and beverage companies. The major impact will be in crowded facilities and community settings where rapid disinfection of objects is required. Additionally, the technology can be integrated with existing systems like refrigeration units. The technology is expected to save lives by preventing hospital-acquired infections, the further spread of COVID-19, and possible future outbreaks.This SBIR Phase II project proposes a sterilization device that operate at low temperatures, works with complex geometries, and is low energy and low cost. These areas are not currently addressed by one single, state-of-the-art sterilization technology. The solution is based on an active plasma module (APM). Previously, research established APM efficacy against SARS CoV-2 and its surrogate on metal, plastic, and fabric, and the required operating conditions (exposure times, ozone requirements, and power) to achieve sterilization. The objectives in this project include prototype development with (i) efficacy tests against BioSafety Level (BSL)-2 and -3 pathogens, (ii) cycle times, ozone requirements, and power demands, (iii) a practical ozone removal system to meet safety limits, (iv) material compatibility data, and (v) a user-friendly control interface. The team will also examine APM quality control, the ability to meet required product specifications, and management of the reverse-engineering threat. Successful Phase II completion will result in a market-ready prototype with sterilization data against various pathogens and product specifications required for customer adoption. The project will advance research on power efficient ozone sterilization.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.