The war against COVID-19 has been ongoing for almost two years. Unfortunately, once a vaccination was established and the world started to feel hopeful, a new variant surfaced, and it is already infecting people.
Getting ahead of the coronavirus is an endless challenge that everyone is going through. Bright minds from all over the globe are working day and night in hopes of finding a solution. However, it seems that the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) invented a device that could give us all multiple steps ahead.
Researchers from the UAEU designed an electrical device that kills airborne viruses. The university has had a whole team that had been working on the project. Mahmoud Al Ahmad, the associate professor of engineering at UAEU is leading the team. They’ve managed to get the idea patented and now they’re looking for investors to start production.
“These masks can be multi-layered,” said Professor Mahmoud. “Whenever something is coming, like a virus, it will burn. Like the lamps that kill the mosquito in your house. It will kill it.”
The device is fairly affordable, as it is made of flexible metals. However, it still needs funding to be produced on a massive scale and sold cheaply. Moreover, this invention is not exclusive to the coronavirus; the device can be adjusted to destroy different kinds of viruses as well.
The university is always looking for new ways to fight global health issues and protect the local community. Professor Mahmoud stated that the team’s work is beneficial to the scientific community. He said, “While the concept will require more development before being applied to PPE, it is an excellent start in this direction.”
The device
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The new device has two electrodes, one is positively charged and the other is negatively charged. The electric field generated destroys any virus that’s close enough. It can also be adjusted to be effective for different viruses.
Masks usually collect viruses on their exterior and can be transferred to the wearer’s hands and other surfaces. This device can dismantle the viruses, which lowers the chances of getting infected, even if the virus was on the person’s hand or clothes.
“One layer will have electrodes and there will be spacing between these electrodes to allow for breathing,” said Dr. Mahmoud.
Additionally, the device is very small and can be attached to any kind of cloth; such as a face mask. It looks way better than the battery-powered, huge, air-purifying masks. The device is powered by a small coin battery that’s strong enough to zap any virus in its vicinity, but not strong enough to hurt the wearer.
Maybe one day this mask can be accessible for everyone, revolutionizing preventive healthcare.
