Second AT Research Partners Patent Issued to Address Pandemic Challenges

GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 11, 2022, AT Research Partners received official notice from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that their application for patent protection would be issued, their second in less than a year. Specifically, Brady, et.al, #11,219,255 has been issued under the "COVID 19 accelerated review program" following their first patent, #10,934,168, issued in May 2020.

The latest invention addresses the pandemic's airborne infection risks using bioactive sterilization of inhaled and exhaled air with a primary application in the care of contagious patients. Those suffering from Covid-19 can easily exhale billions of virions that, despite protective gear, too often sicken caregivers, especially nurses, as well as hospital porters, cleaners, and respiratory physicians and technicians.  As such, the invention could protect the healthcare staff from inhaling ambient pathogens from unprotected patients, as well as help stem transmission from them during treatment.

The design is engineered into a light, wearable mask offering unimpeded, comfortable airflow. The bioactive system employs safe, household products and is configured to physically remove and destroy both pathogens and allergens using a unique process of liquid filtration – resulting in air sterilization unmatched by current mask materials.

The importance of absolute pathogen removal and the limitations of conventional masks can be highlighted with both numbers and scale. While it has been estimated that the amount of global pandemic viral particles exceeds the total grains of sand on earth, in mass, "all the world's" COVID 19 virions would not fill an ordinary Coke can. Yet, this pathogen has sickened and killed millions with unrelenting airborne efficiency with astonishing mutagenic capabilities, including the most recent and pervasive Omicron variant.  Clearly, predictions about when or how the pandemic will end have been both dire and overly optimistic, as it enters its third year.

AT Research Partners expects to license the air sterilization mask technology to suitable manufacturing companies for global availability.  Once commercial partners are established, the invention is expected to offer important benefits in health care and many other settings. A combination of design, accessibility, and affordability would provide protection from dangerous microbes beyond the current pandemic, from seasonal flu to a range of respiratory diseases in confined quarters such as manufacturing facilities, food packaging plants, public transit, and schools.

About the Innovation and AT Research Partners: The title of newly issued US Patent #11,219,255 is, "Self-contained, mobile breathing apparatus or appliance that supplies pathogen and endotoxin free, rhythmically breathable air to the wearer or treated space through active, continuous bio-deactivation and destruction of bacteria, fungi, viral and allergenic/antigenic matter safely when using benign, household, rechargeable filtration media."  AT Research Partners are affiliated with the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN, UNC and A&T University, Greensboro, NC) and with Kepley BioSystems infectious disease and other notable initiatives. AT advises a new academic curriculum regarding intellectual property (IP) when taught at JSNN and STEM education and more broadly with respect to industry policy. Visit www.atresearchpartners.com to learn more.

Media Contact:
Anthony L. Dellinger, Ph.D.
Founding Member of AT Research Partners
ATResearchPartners.com
Phone: +1-703-675-0277
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE AT Research Partners