ProtectivAir is the first in a range of innovative solutions planned from Mackwell Health, which has been launched as a new division of the Mackwell Group of companies.
With the emergence and rapid spread of Covid-19 Coronavirus, ProtectivAir helps to protect health workers, first responders and other key workers.
ProtectivAir comprises a UV-C disinfection chamber worn on a belt or harness which is connected to a comfortable face mask. Within the chamber, energetic UV-C photons pass through the infectious micro-organisms, damaging their nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) which disables their ability to replicate and infect the body. The use of UV-C in disinfection/decontamination is widely accepted and all published data confirms that UV-C is an extremely effective germicidal agent.
ProtectivAir is the first product to emerge from the recently announced partnership between Mackwell and Medi-Immune, whose team of expert scientists and engineers have gained international patents for the technology.
ProtectivAir is backed by a substantial range of evidence which conclusively demonstrates its effectiveness, safety and usability. This includes tests at Public Health England, Porton Down (PHE), where a range of pathogens were passed through the device, with laboratory measurements on the treated air showing multiple orders of magnitude reduction. A further qualitative test showed that influenza virus was deactivated by the device to the extent that it did not result in infections being contracted.
Nick Brangwin, Mackwell CEO, said: "The health market makes a tremendous amount of sense for us as a business, given our 40-year experience in life safety products, and our expertise in electronics, lighting, design, manufacture and regulatory approvals. We see ProtectivAir as the perfect first step to a range of solutions, all backed by science, that will make the world a much safer place in these challenging times."
Compared with other forms of PPE equipment, ProtectivAir has numerous benefits. It protects to significantly higher levels against viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza and is re-usable. Its five-year design life shows a fast return on investment compared with disposable PPE.