CUBUSAN enables continuous disinfection of indoor air without chemical agents
Eliminating odors, reducing germs – these issues have been a core topic at Wintersteiger AG for many years, for example when it comes to the hygienic drying of work clothing or ski boots in ski rental stores. With the development of the Sterex plasma technology, Wintersteiger has succeeded in taking another big step forward: Sterex uses cold atmospheric plasma to eliminate up to 99.99 % of all viruses*, bacteria, and fungal spores from indoor air and on surfaces – including SARS-Cov-2 viruses and their mutations.
An adult breathes an average of 12 to 18 times per minute. Every exhalation spreads aerosols, which may also contain viruses. Depending on the pathogens, these aerosols can remain in the air for several hours. The risk of infection therefore increases when several people are present indoors together. With the development of the Cubusan air disinfection device, the Wintersteiger Group has succeeded in greatly minimizing this risk. The new development works on the basis of Sterex technology and uses cold plasma to eliminate up to 99.99 % of all bacteria, fungal spores, and viruses – including SARS-Cov-2. A single one of these cubes, measuring just 19 x 19 x 19 cm, can clean up to 120 m3 of air. Thanks to its high effective power, the Cubusan is perfect for use in all rooms in which larger numbers of people gather together. The new development is far superior to the FFP2 face masks, which are effective for just a short period of time.
Together with external research partners, Wintersteiger has succeeded in getting the Cubusan CP-120 air disinfection device ready for series production after a development period of just six months. The first 5,000 devices can be manufactured and delivered by the end of April 2021, after which capacity will be gradually ramped up to 10,000 to 15,000 units per month. The devices have been running at full capacity at Wintersteiger since November 2020. “We've been using Cubusan in our meeting rooms for several months now,” says Daniel Steininger, General Manager of the Division Sports & Hygiene at Wintersteiger. “Since then, we've been able to conduct meetings without masks again, without a high risk of infection. The facts speak for themselves: we haven't had a single instance of coronavirus transmission at a meeting yet.”
During the development process, Wintersteiger also turned to the renowned Center of Excellence for Technical Hygiene and Applied Microbiology in Malsfeld. The center's head and assessor Dr. Ulrich F. Schmelz led the investigations in the accredited "Umwelthygiene Marburg" laboratory. The laboratory is accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 for microbiological investigations and the investigation of pharmaceutical products and medical devices (DAkkS Berlin). This means that the laboratory has extremely high quality standards that are applicable worldwide, ensuring the validity of the results. Thanks to the speed with which the Cubusan eliminates aerogenic germs and due to the high degree of efficiency, the microbiocidal potency of the hydroxyl radicals is up to 100 times stronger than the filter performance of FFP2 masks.
While conventional air circulation systems draw in the air in the room and filter and/or irradiate it with UV-C light depending on the system, the new air disinfection device from Wintersteiger eliminates the germs directly where they occur, continuously and evenly throughout the room. In doing so, the device takes nature as a role model and produces multiple mini summer storms, so to speak. The electrophysical technology is based on the action of hydroxyl radicals (OH). These molecules are produced in nature by water vapor in combination with sunlight – for example after a thunderstorm, when the first rays of sunlight burst through the clouds and the air is noticeably fresher and cleaner. Hydroxyl radicals are therefore sometimes also referred to as the "detergent of the atmosphere". The plasma generator in the cube produces a mixture of air and cold atmospheric plasma, in which countless numbers of these highly reactive hydroxyl radicals are formed. They are distributed evenly throughout the room by the built-in fan and natural diffusion and clean the air of viruses, bacteria, and fungal spores with an efficiency of up to 99.99 %. Even if the room is briefly ventilated or a door is opened, the Cubusan continues to work reliably because sufficient hydroxyl radicals are generated on an ongoing basis. A space of at least 3.5 m² should be available per person and the room should continue to be ventilated regularly.
One device is sufficient for a 50 m2 or 120 m3 room, while any number of cubes can be installed in larger rooms. Furthermore, the cube is very quiet at 32 dB, consumes less energy than a 25 W light bulb, is odorless and absolutely harmless to health even when operated continuously. It combats viruses and bacteria without chemicals, ozone, or UV-C. As a so-called "plug and play" product, it is also fully maintenance-free and has no lights or filters that need to be replaced. “Thanks to its straightforward operation and high degree of efficiency, our new air purification cube will provide a valuable service anywhere that people congregate in enclosed spaces,” predicts Daniel Steininger. “I'm thinking, for example, of meeting and seminar rooms, classrooms or waiting rooms, as well as stores, restaurants, and recreation rooms in senior citizens' and care homes. We are convinced that we can make an important contribution to reduced infection rates in these places with the Cubusan.”
This approach is also advocated in the position paper of the Association for Aerosol Research in Cologne (https://www.info.gaef.de/positionspapier). In the "golden rules for preventing infection", the installation of air purification devices is recommended anywhere where people must remain in closed rooms for long periods.
More information on the Cubusan air disinfection device can be found at: www.cubusan.com
* The process thus eliminates native bacteria and fungi (RKI Class A), as well as viruses (RKI Class B*, limited virucidal action; virucidal against enveloped viruses) in such a way that the risk of infection is reduced to a very low level during continuous operation. The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus and its mutations are also included in the efficacy spectrum.