SBIR Phase I: Viral inactivation in air and on surfaces across large areas by safe, non-thermal, non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is a new and safe non-contact method and device to inactivate viruses in air or on surfaces and objects. The non-chemical method proposed is scalable and can be quickly adjusted to target novel pathogens and therefore prevent or mitigate future epidemics of novel viral pathogens.

The solution enabled by the proposed project is a relatively low-cost portable or ceiling-mounted device to be operated in health care settings, offices, schools, public transit, or other locations where the risk of disease transmission is high. The device would provide a continuous antiviral effect in thousands or millions of locations while operating within safe limits for human exposure.

This SBIR Phase I project proposes to validate the concept of a non-contact viral inactivation method that relies on resonant energy transfer from microwaves, and to demonstrate the efficacy in viral assays under operation parameters that are safe for humans and within regulatory guidelines. To accomplish this, a miniaturized and cost-effective high power pulsed microwave source and antenna is required.

To this end, a prototype device will be developed that consists of a high-power vacuum electronics device, such as a magnetron or a traveling-wave tube, a custom and novel high voltage power source, and firmware and controls. The power supply will be designed to drive an existing vacuum device, by means of a regulated high-voltage output in the kilowatt range and a floating low-power auxiliary power source.

To control pulsed operation, a control algorithm will be implemented in a microcontroller. The prototype will be characterized and used to expose viral samples in common viral growth assays, followed by a quantitative assessment of the antiviral effect. The outcome expected is a functional prototype that achieves significant reduction, e.g., 2 logs, within safe limits that will serve as a blueprint for a novel class of antiviral devices.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.