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IoT Stars awarded a grant from Innovate UK fast track grant for innovative technologies to fight Covid-19

June 15 2020: IoT Stars awarded a grant from Innovate UK fast track grant for innovative technologies to fight Covid-19

We are proud and excited to have been selected among over 8000 applications for the ‘Business-led innovation in response to global disruption’ challenge.

Project title: Mundus-UV Smart System for Protective Mask Access, Disinfection and Reuse.

A study conducted by the Institute of Medicine (Bailar JC, et al. Reusability of facemasks during an influenza pandemic. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press; 2006)  found that during a public health emergency, such as pandemic influenza, there would be an expected shortage of Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFR). Given that vaccines can be lengthy to develop and difficult to produce, as was demonstrated with the H7N9 avian influenza strain, adequate supplies of primary infection control measures, including respiratory protection, must be maintained.

The availability of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is a not only a necessity for healthcare workers but Public authorities worldwide have started to consider the use of face masks in public as a condition to gradually lift confinement. The critical shortage of such face masks is likely to worsen until a vaccine is found.

The Mundus-UV project is based on the results of a 5 year long study which looked at the disinfection of face masks using UV germicidal irradiation and their safe re-use for up to 10 times.

Semiconductor LEDs can provide uniform and consistent illumination doses to disinfect not only N95 face masks but also the surfaces of objects such as baby bottles, smartphones or re-usable cups. The technology is already used for decontamination in large hospital environments in the US and Canada and in Korea for the disinfection of vehicles. The consumer systems on the market today use only a fraction of the minimum dose required to kill corona viruses but this project will make the technology reliable and affordable to benefit both citizens and professionals in their everyday life.