Low-cost device for active saliva droplet filtration and pathogen inactivation

Abstract

This work presents a device capable of performing sanitization in environments using an electrostatic filter and ultraviolet light. Recognized techniques were employed in an innovative and low-cost construction model, like Corona Discharge and UVC germicidal light, using elements of easy acquisition and construction. The device consists of a tube with several electrostatic filters. On one side of the tube, an exhaust fan is installed to collect the air to be disinfected. So the air passes through the tubes with the electrostatic filter, which is responsible for collecting the particles suspended in the passing air, attracting them to the metal surface. Allied with this, UVC lights are also inserted in the structure, ensuring greater effectiveness in decontaminating the air that passes through the tubes. In the posterior side to the exhaust fan, the disinfected air is returned to the original environment. A Fluid dynamics simulation was made to investigate the airflow in a room. Standard strains for antimicrobial susceptibility testing were used for bioaerosols assay. The result is a low-cost equipment with great potential to deactivate several kinds of viruses, most especially the Sars-CoV-2 (Coronavirus), that is the main responsible for the global health crisis, designed to be used indoors with low ventilation.