Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a filter that can be used to protect healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. The nylon-based nano-coated filter uses polymer coating on cellulose paper and was developed using electro-spinning process.
The coating properties are optimised to efficiently remove sub-micron sized dust particles in the air. The filter media is currently being field-tested and once validated through field trials it will be recommended for bulk manufacturing. K. Arul Prakash, Department of Applied Mechanics, said: “The nano-coating fabricated through the electro-spinning process has fiber diameter less than one micron and can be positioned according to the need to enhance surface/depth filtration for healthcare workers or public responders. This novel filter with multiple nano-coating can filter particles of the order of one micron size.”
Nano Air Mask has produced PURE-MSK respiratory masks that are available for general purchase at NanoAirMask.com. PURE-MSK is an FDA-cleared respirator mask made from nanofiber. Lighter than a sheet of paper, PURE-MSK’s nanofiber material filters out more than 95% of particulate matter that are the size of 0.3 microns or larger. One nanofiber strand (0.1 microns) is 1,000 times smaller than a strand of human hair (100 microns), enabling PURE-MSK’s mask to block out harmful contaminants such as pollutants, smoke, allergens, aerosols, bacteria, and even water, while allowing for relatively unobstructed airflow through the mask.
Surfix B.V., together with its shareholders Qurin Diagnostics B.V. and LioniX International B.V. have developed bio-photonic nanochips for cancer detection and other applications. The company has also initiated an accelerated development plan to allow mass-scale COVID-19 diagnosis and immunity detection with the financial support and in close collaboration with PhotonDelta.
The desktop testing device will yield reliable test results within 5 minutes and is scheduled to be available for commercial exploitation within 6-9 months. The device will be built around a photonic biochip using LioniX’ mature and proven silicon nitride based integrated optics technology (TriPleX™), a key technology within the PhotonDelta ecosystem.
Directa-Plus is using graphene in face masks to enhance personal protective equipment. The graphene-enhanced facemasks are designed for use by commuters and in the workplace, as well as during a wide range of leisure activities.
The dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic G+ mask will confer a wide-range of benefits to consumers looking to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. This includes, but is not limited to; a naturally bacteriostatic quality which helps prevent bacteria growing and reproducing on the mask, a high filtration level, and improved respiratory performance allowing users to breathe easier, both literally and figuratively.
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. has received a report on the first batch of samples that were submitted to Western University’s ImPaKT Facility Biosafety Level 3 lab (UWO) for virucidal efficacy testing. The batch-testing program’s focus is to confirm and measure virucidal potency of the graphene oxide-based silver nanoparticle composite inks that were produced at ZEN’s Guelph lab. The company prepared five different formulations with varying oxygen contents and silver nanoparticle loadings for testing at a concentration of 4g/L. All five variations with concentrations diluted to as low as 0.16g/L reduced viral replication. These formulations slowed growth of the COVID-19 Coronavirus in a media designed to replicate human cells.
ZEN has also signed an international collaboration with UK-based Graphene Composites Ltd (GC) to fight COVID-19 by developing a potential virucidal graphene-based composite ink that can be applied to fabrics including N95 face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for significantly increased protection. Once the development, testing, and confirmation of the graphene ink’s virucidal ability have been completed, the ink will then be incorporated into fabrics used for PPE.
Dotz Nano has entered into a $1.53 million agreement with Hong Kong’s Universal Exports Group to supply its ValiDotz security markers to medical face masks required for government stockpiles and national health services. The markers will be applied to a total 100 million masks to ensure quality and authenticity. Universal will initially apply the ValiDotz to 30 million masks, with a follow-up order of up to 70 million masks subject to customer demand.As part of the two-year agreement, Universal will also become the sole and exclusive distributor for Dotz in South Africa and China for face masks, medical gowns and gloves, and other medical protective gear. In return, Dotz will grant Universal three million unquoted options with an exercise price of $0.048 vesting on a pro-rata quarterly basis with a term of three years.
Chitra Magna, a RNA extraction kit, has been developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), India, as a tool for isolating RNA from swabs for COVID 19 tests. The protocol for the kit uses magnetic nanoparticles to capture and concentrate the RNA from the patient sample. This is of significant advantage because even if some viral RNA disintegrates during storage and transportation of the patient samples, all of it is captured by the magnetic bead-based extraction technology. The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and, when exposed to a magnetic field, give a highly purified and concentrated level of RNA. As the yield of PCR or LAMP test is dependent on getting an adequate quantity of viral RNA, this innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases. The Institute has filed for a patent for this technology, which is simpler than in imported kits. The technology of Chitra Magna has been transferred to the Agappe Diagnostics Ltd Ernakulam. The company has already taken the Chitra GeneLAMP-N technology, which uses RT-LAMP for identification of the N gene of SARS-COV-2.
Sona Nanotech Inc., a developer of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests, has announced that its rapid detection, COVID-19 antigen test’s laboratory validation studies of performance levels have resulted in a test sensitivity of 96%, test specificity of 96% and a Limit of Detection (“LOD”) of 2.1 x 102 TCID50. Sales of the tests will now be permitted under a ‘research use only’ label until full regulatory authority is granted, in relevant territories, at which time the ‘research use only’ label requirement would be lifted.
Technology transfer to manufacturers is currently underway to produce tests to meet current and expected demand. Darren Rowles, CEO of Sona Nanotech, commented, “These excellent performance results are underpinned by our unique nanorod technology and completes a further milestone achieved for Sona along our path to bring a quality rapid test to market at scale. This will allow expansion of testing by governments, help ease the burden on healthcare systems, keep healthcare workers safe by allowing them to know their status on a daily basis and assist in softening restrictions by providing a quick and simple means to screen individuals. Our team have worked tirelessly to bring this product to this point in a record time and my thanks goes out to all involved in progressing the test this far.”
Avalon GloboCare Corp., a clinical-stage global developer of cell-based technologies and therapeutics, has signed a strategic partnership with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Austria to develop an S-layer vaccine that can be administered by an intranasal or oral route against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease.
The principal investigator of the co-development project is BOKU’s Professor Uwe B. Sleytr, an eminent member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.Professor Sleytr is a pioneer of applied surface layer (“S-layer”) nanotechnology, based on the repetitive protein structures that make up the outer surface of microbial cells. Dr. Eva-Kathrin Ehmoser, Professor and Head of the Institute for Synthetic Bioarchitectures at BOKU, serves as the co-principal investigator of the COVID-19 vaccine program. Avalon and Professor Sleytr have jointly filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) pertaining to the nanoparticle S-layer based vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
The research is part of an ongoing and broader collaboration between Avalon and BOKU that will utilize S-layer technology to accelerate additional vaccine programs for other respiratory infections including different strains of the flu (influenza A/B), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other viruses. As part of the partnership, Avalon is also actively exploring other practical uses of S-layer technology including targeted drug delivery, diagnostic devices, and therapeutic applications.
Nicoya will receive advisory services and up to $299,190 in research and development funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to develop a portable COVID-19 diagnostic test called Atlas.
This funding comes as part of a joint challenge issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program. The saliva-based test will be able to detect COVID-19 infection in less than 20 minutes, with an easy-to-use device that can be employed in a variety of settings. The company has developed a nano-structured sensor surface uses localized SPR (LSPR) to deliver repeatable, highly sensitive kinetic data.
