Cleanbox Technology to Help Combat COVID-19 PPE Shortage by Allowing Safe Reuse of N95 Masks
CARLSBAD, California, May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart tech hygiene company Cleanbox Technology, Inc. has announced a new product, the CleanDefense™, a point-of-use mask decontamination product in response to SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Cleanbox's patented technology uses UVC light in an LED to decontaminate hard-to-clean products worn on the face or head. With a focus on high risk contagion transfer points, its core products were designed for Augmented & Virtual Reality Head Mounted Devices (HMDs). Cleanbox products have been proven to safely eliminate 99.99+% of viruses, bacteria, and fungi within seconds.
UVC is a wavelength of light that does not occur naturally in the atmosphere, so viruses do not have a resistance to it. Unlike UVA and UVB rays (sunlight & tanning bed lights), which are not generally used as disinfectants, UVC is safe for decontaminating materials including fabrics, plastics and acrylic.
The use of UVC in an LED instead of traditional mercury tubes or bulbs has the advantages of generating no heat or harmful toxins, as well as keeping the product environmentally-friendly. Cleanbox products also have built-in safety mechanisms that can interrupt the cycle to prevent risk of exposure to UVC light.
"We actually started with the most difficult form factor first," said Amy Hedrick, CEO and Co-Founder of Cleanbox. "Virtual & Augmented Reality headsets are made up of many different materials and delicate electronics that have multiple surfaces which are hard to reach. They are much more difficult to clean than say cell phones".
With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) - in particular, N95 respirators (N95s) - and the re-use of masks without proper decontamination placing users at increased risk due to viral load build up, Cleanbox quickly pivoted and produced two solutions.
A retrofit for cleaning masks was designed for Cleanbox CX1 models and was fast-tracked, with concept to manufacturing in just 10 days. The CX1 had already been adopted by global customers across healthcare, education, enterprise, and entertainment, and a number of Cleanbox customers generously donated their CX1 units along with retrofits to hospitals around the world. These units, which allow healthcare workers and first responders to safely disinfect their N95s have now been deployed at institutions such as Children's National and Northwestern University Medical Center.
In parallel, Cleanbox developed a new product due to launch this summer, specifically addressing the need to disinfect PPE at scale. CleanDefense™ is a lightweight, point-of-use mask decontamination product that cleans four masks in a one-to-two minute cycle, with the ability to decontaminate up to 100 masks per hour.
"I was truly impressed with how efficiently the team at Cleanbox was able to transition their efforts to meet an urgent need and provide a solution to protect our frontline healthcare workers. What a great example of small business ingenuity in times of need", said Dr. Robert Louis, MD, FAANS, the Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Hospital.
Going forward, Cleanbox will continue providing its solutions to essential workers and first responders – not only in hospitals, but also police stations, dispatch centers, care homes, firehouses, and other facilities that continue to tackle the spread of contagions such as COVID-19. The use of CleanDefense™ is not limited to healthcare workers and first responders, as its portable design makes it ideal for airports, retail centers, entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants, and any other business requiring workers to wear masks.
About Cleanbox Technology
Founded in 2018, California-based Cleanbox Technology, Inc. is a premium, eco-friendly smart tech hygiene company, specializing in the UVC decontamination of hard-to-clean products that sit on the face or head, in proximity to high-risk contagion transfer points of the eyes, nose, and mouth. Cleanbox's patented products use UVC light in an LED, providing safe, hospital-grade decontamination without the need for chemicals, heat, or liquids. Cleanbox products are designed for head-mounted displays (HMDs), surgical and protective masks, eyewear, personal electronics (headphones, phone, tablet, pager), and accessories (keys, earbuds, controllers, gloves). Cleanbox products have been independently proven to kill 99.99+% viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
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