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The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has registered a patent for an electronic mask used to kill viruses. As we have seen in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, a virus outbreak or pandemic may cause many global and social And economic issues. In particular, the epidemic has highlighted the need for protective clothing, such as masks and other protective equipment, which can protect the public from exposure. Although some studies have shown that it takes hundreds to thousands of COVID-19 virus for a person to be exposed to COVID-19, other studies have shown that even only 10 virus particles can cause a virus infection. Viruses accumulated on masks and protective equipment may also transfer to the user’s hands or clothes and cause infection in the future. This clearly shows that the effectiveness of protective clothing is extremely important, and any improvement to this effectiveness may even mean the difference between life and death.
The multidisciplinary research team of UAE University led by Dr. Mahmoud Al Ahmad is responding to this challenge. They developed and patented a device that has two flexible graphene electrodes (providing a low rated DC current of 1 µA to 100 mA and a voltage of 3 volts) connected to a power source such as a power source to power the device. The two electrodes are fractal and intersecting, so there is an equal space between different electrode “fingers”. This fractal and intersecting nature increases the surface area and provides more space for virus contact. The device can be connected to any protective clothing, such as a mask. The space is large enough to allow sufficient airflow to allow the user to breathe. The backing material is made of suitable flexible plastic or polymer materials, such as polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) sheets, which can conform to the shape of the user’s face when the mask is fixed .
When the device is energized, one electrode is positively charged and the other electrode is negatively charged, creating an electric field (~20MV/m) and causing current to flow through or through any viruses located in or near the space. Therefore, the virus is either completely destroyed, or partially destroyed, or at least incapacitated and rendered harmless. The device settings, such as current rating and application period, can be adjusted to be effective against different types of viruses. The device can also be connected to any type of protective clothing.
The second application of the device is its function for vaccine development. By applying alternating current superimposed with a direct bias voltage, the infectivity of the virus is affected, and the physiological function and infectivity are destroyed. It can then be used to make a vaccine against the same type of virus.
Professor Ahmed Ali Murad, deputy dean of research at UAE University, said that the university supports and encourages innovation in many fields. The university supports the ideas of researchers and faculty through the Office’s Patent and Intellectual Property Department, and contributes to the protection of these ideas and the rights of registered researchers and universities through an electronic system that allows researchers to submit ideas and then perform scientific research on them And review. Legally through the law firm allows the idea to be patented within 7 months.
He added that this patent is part of the university’s efforts to find the best solutions to global health challenges, especially those related to virus transmission and public health protection, because health is considered one of the university’s research strategic priorities. He also added that we are proud and pleased to contribute to strengthening the country’s efforts to protect the health of the community, and we look forward to the next step to start marketing this patent.
“This work is of great interest to the scientific community; it will open up new areas of search to provide smart solutions to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mahmoud Ahmed, associate professor of engineering at the University of the United Arab Emirates. “Although this concept needs more development before being applied to PPE, this is a good start in this direction.”
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