After the VI-2500 air purifier operates continuously
for 15 minutes in a 25m3 room, the concentration of submicron
particles in this room decreases by a factor of 6. The overall protection
factor of a surgical mask, enhanced by the ionic purifier, is about
30 (this takes into account the finding that considerable improvement
of the filter characteristics was partially suppressed by the leakage
effect, see Phase 2 results). Thus, the number of submicron particles
inhaled by a person is reduced by a factor of 6x30=180, instead of
about 4 by a surgical mask alone. The air volume inhaled during a
one-hour exposure is 1.8m3 assuming that the breathing
rate is 30 LPM. Some examples are presented below. The green color
indicates that the estimated number of bioagent particles is below
ID50; the red color indicates that the estimated number is above ID50.
INFECTOUS
AGENT
(inhalation route) |
TYPE |
ID50 |
AIRBOURNE
MICROBIAL
CONCENTRATION, M-3 |
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ORGANISMS
INHALED DURING 1 HR. AT 30 LPM. |
UNPROTECTED |
SURGICAL
MASK ALONE |
SURGICAL
MASK + VI-2500 |
| Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis |
Virus |
10-100 |
102 |
180 |
45 |
1 |
103 |
1,800 |
450 |
10 |
| Coxsackie A21 |
Virus |
18 |
102 |
180 |
458 |
1 |
103 |
1,800 |
450 |
10 |
| Influenza A-min or simulants |
Virus |
80 |
2 x 102 |
360 |
90 |
2 |
103 |
1,800 |
450 |
10 |
| Influenza A2-max |
Virus |
790 |
2
x103 |
3,600 |
900 |
20 |
104 |
18,000 |
4,500 |
100 |
| B. anthracis |
Bact. |
8,000-15,000 |
4
x104 |
72,000 |
18,000 |
400 |
105 |
180,000 |
45,000 |
1,000 |
|