Two UK manufacturers are collaborating on the design and production of an ultra-violet (UV) air steriliser that could help healthcare and other indoor settings significantly reduce the risk of Coronavirus as part of an effective infection-control regime.

Solihull-based air sterilisation specialist Pathogen Solutions and Birmingham-based electronics manufacturer CHH CoNeX are ramping up the production of Medixair, a portable air sterilisation solution that is proven to eliminate airborne viruses and bacteria.

The patented product, which is the result of 15 years’ development work, was initially derived to help combat hospital acquired infections.

Following extensive testing over the past few years, the solution has since been installed in Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow among other healthcare environments around the UK.

Now, as the world takes action to improve infection control processes, Medixair is playing a significant role, since Coronavirus shares the same morphology as other viruses which the solution eliminates.

There is substantial evidence to indicate that SARS-COV-2, the Coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, can be passed from person to person in tiny droplets called aerosols, which travel through the air and accumulate over time.

Medixair combats this by providing 24hr airborne infection control. The 110W unit employs high-intensity ultraviolet light to decontaminate the air within indoor environments.

The portable machine works by drawing air into the unit and exposing it to UV light which is a proven method for killing bugs. The clean air is then re-circulated back out of the unit. When deployed within medical wards or other indoor settings, the device can provide an additional and effective level of support against infection.

Tim Hughes, managing director of CHH CoNeX, the company responsible for the assembly of Medixair units, said: “Medixair operates differently to typical fogging machines and uses UV light to clean the air.

This method has been used for infection control for several decades. In fact, back in the 1980s researchers found that UV lamps were effective in preventing transmission of tuberculosis and similar technology is now being recommended for use in combatting Coronavirus.

“Medixair has been proven through several trials, including some with individual NHS Trusts where it has successfully intervened in the airborne cycle of MRSA and other pathogens.”

John Burrows, director of Pathogen Solutions, added that Medixair is already in demand across the world.

He said: “In addition to interest from domestic customers, we also have demand for Medixair from Indonesia, the Philippines and Europe. Products such as this are going to play a key role in keeping indoor areas safe in our new-normal.”