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An Irish medical technology company working in collaboration with the Defense Forces has developed a washable mask spray that will provide almost complete protection against the Covid-19 virus.
The spray, when combined with a wipe that has already been developed and is already on the market, will become an important weapon in the fight against the virus.
An independent evaluation of the product’s decontamination efficacy by the French military laboratory NeoVirTech showed that it led to a large reduction in viral load on human skin under experimental conditions.
It was developed by NUI Galway’s Aquila Bioscience, and tests found that its revolutionary pathogen capture technology safely removes 99.99% of the virus that causes Covid-19 from human skin.
The former commander of the Defense Forces artillery school, Lt. Col. Ray Lane, conceived a project to develop an anti-bioagent device while working with his military colleagues in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Col Lane, now retired, was recognized worldwide as an explosive ordnance and bomb disposal expert and after returning from his tour of duty in Kabul as part of a small Irish contingent, he continued to work on his idea of providing protection against contamination. biological. threat.
The dangers of biological attacks were part of three courses on “marauding terrorists”, which he organized in Curragh, and attended by representatives from 48 countries, focused further on the project before it became a collaborative effort with Aquila , what the anti-Covid wipe and now the spray.
Aquila says this is the first time that a natural, non-toxic technology, free of harmful chemicals, has been shown to remove Covid-19 from human skin so effectively.
He says the technology is saturated in a large, individually packaged, sterile wipe. The Anti-Bioagent Decontamination Device (ABD) is free of alcohol and toxic chemicals and can be used safely and frequently on sensitive areas of the human body, including the eyes, nose and mouth, without causing adverse side effects as well as in sensitive equipment. such as computer screens and non-corrosive surfaces.
It was originally developed to protect first responders and defense force personnel from possible biological attack from agents such as anthrax, plague, and ricin.
Aquila Bioscience has now redirected the technology to make it available to government and corporate organizations as a decontamination solution in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
The ABD device is approved by the Department of Education for use as personal emergency protective equipment (PPE) in 4,000 primary and post-primary educational institutions in Ireland and is used by the Defense Forces.
Aquila founder and professor of glycoscience at NUI Galway, Lokesh Joshi, said: “This innovative and revolutionary technology is a game changer for future pathogens and infections
control and pave the way for safer decontamination methods that do not harm humans or the natural world. “
The independent evaluation was carried out by the French laboratory, which has experience in virology using donor human skin from cosmetic surgeries.
Col Lane said that in 2014 he and his colleagues at the artillery school had worked closely with Professor Joshi and his staff to further test their mutual capabilities.
“With the active support of the European Defense Agency, we analyzed the threat from biological agents and designed scenarios for Professor Joshi. This ability will save many lives, “he added.
The project is fully supported by Enterprise Ireland, whose Horizon 2020 National Director Garrett Murray said it was a great development and a great example of an Irish start-up that was engaging with national and European research systems to support your scaling strategy.
The company is now looking at options for a large-scale manufacturer and development of an AB shield, a bottle containing the liquid to spray over a reusable mask and provide full protection.
It has also started recruiting scientists with financial support from a € 1.9 million grant from the EU accelerator fund.
Irish independent
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