Antiviral Polymers for Development of Rapid Reuse, Next Generation PPE

摘要 口罩和其他形式的个人防护设备（PPE）减少和/或预防 交叉感染和传播的可能性在职业环境中至关重要， 可能遇到气溶胶化的病原体（即，COVID-19重症监护病房等）。因为病毒和 微生物可以在表面存活几个小时到几天，呼吸器面罩和其他形式的PPE 已经被病原体污染的皮肤可能成为穿戴者的第二感染源， 其他，从而限制它们为一次性使用。近几个月来，这导致全球范围内N95呼吸器短缺 以及我们国家的医疗专业人员对更好的PPE资源的不可否认的公开请求，以帮助减轻 在高风险职业环境中受污染的个人防护设备造成病毒交叉感染的危险。那里 是科学界和商业界迫切的道德义务，以开发下一代的反 病毒资源，以保护在这一流行病和未来流行病前线的专业人员的职业安全。 为了实现这一目标，海岸科学公司。与Dave Spivak教授（APTEC）合作， 共同开发抗病毒聚合物涂层，用于快速重复使用的个人防护装备。利用已知的盐 结晶机制，证明通过水合作用和随后的人体重结晶杀死病原体 呼吸，我们假设使用改性的聚合物盐将同样提供SARS CoV-2灭活， 提高机械性能，以改善与N95掩模的熔喷纤维的相容性，与食盐相比。 我们将开发具有高渗透压和高抗病毒性的聚乙烯亚胺（PEI）支化聚合物 活性炭（AC）是一种粘附在活性炭（AC）基底上的活性炭，用于调节聚合物负载和过滤器孔径。 这种智能、响应性材料系统可用于修改N95口罩中使用的吹塑聚合物纤维过滤器 和/或作为抗病毒涂层沉积在其它形式的PPE上。预计这项技术将扩展到 N95口罩的使用寿命超过单次使用建议，可提供多次使用的保护。 在第一阶段，Seacoast将建立概念验证，证明拟议的系统可应用于N95制冷机 以增强病毒消除并延长面罩寿命。抗病毒聚合物将利用简单， 模块化、高产化学，与可扩展、多克批次和低成本解决方案兼容 处理.这些聚合物将被溶液沉积到N95口罩中使用的吹塑聚合物纤维过滤器上， 用AC进行表面处理。我们将评估几何、机械和吸湿性能 这些新材料，证明其诱导渗透效应的能力（与非聚合物盐溶液相比） 在结构上类似于病毒包膜的膜上传播。Seacoast将向下选择顶部材质， 这些初始实验，并在受监管的BSL 3实验室中针对可行的COVID类似物进行测试，以证明 功效所提出的病毒消除材料预计将促进坚固的抗病毒药物的出现。 用于SARS CoV-2和新出现的变种（delta，mu等）的下一代快速重复使用PPE的涂层。

Abstract The ability of face masks and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce and/or prevent the possibility of cross-infection and transmission is of critical importance in occupational environments where aerosolized pathogens may be encountered (ie. COVID-19 intensive care units, etc.). Because viruses and microorganisms can survive on surfaces for a few hours to several days, respirator masks and other forms of PPE that have been contaminated with pathogens can become secondary sources of infection for the wearer and others, thus limiting them to single use. In recent months, this has led to N95 respirator shortages worldwide and an undeniable public plea from our nation’s medical professionals for better PPE resources to help mitigate the dangers of viral cross-infection from contaminated PPE in their high-risk occupational environments. There is an urgent moral obligation for the science and business community to develop the next-generation of anti- viral resources to protect the occupational safety of professionals on the frontlines of this and future pandemics. Towards that aim, Seacoast Science, Inc. in collaboration with Professor Dave Spivak (APTEC) propose the co-development of antiviral polymer coatings for application in rapid reuse PPE. Leveraging a known salt crystallization mechanism, proven to kill pathogens via hydration and subsequent recrystallization from human breath, we hypothesize the use of a modified polymeric salt will equally provide SARS CoV-2 inactivation while enhancing mechanical properties for improved compatibility with melt blown fibers of N95 masks vs. table salt. We will develop Polyethyleneimine (PEI) branched polymers with increased osmotic pressure and high antiviral activity that are adhered to a substrate of activated charcoal (AC) to tune polymer loading and filter pore size. This smart, responsive materials system can be used to modify the blown-polymer fiber filters used in N95 masks and/or deposited as anti-viral coatings on other forms of PPE. The proposed technology is anticipated to extend the useful lifetime of N95 masks beyond the single use recommendation, affording protection over multiple uses. In phase I, Seacoast will establish proof-of-concept that the proposed system can be applied to N95 respirators to augment virus negation and increase mask lifetime. Anti-viral polymers will be synthesized utilizing facile, modular, high-yielding chemistry that is compatible with scalable, multi-gram batches and low-cost solution processing. These polymers will be solution deposited onto the blown-polymer fiber filters used in N95 masks, which have been surface-treated with AC. We will evaluate the geometric, mechanical, and hygroscopic behavior of these novel materials, demonstrating their capacity to induce osmotic effects (vs. non-polymeric salt solutions) across membranes structurally analogous to viral envelopes. Seacoast will down-select the top material(s) from these initial experiments and test them against viable COVID analogues in a regulated BSL3 lab to demonstrate efficacy. The proposed virus negating materials are anticipated to facilitate the advent of rugged, anti-viral coatings for the next-generation of rapid-reuse PPE for SARS CoV-2 and emerging variants (delta, mu, etc.).