Texas school district is first to use the world's only biodefense indoor air protection system™ to "catch and kill" airborne coronavirus
Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) has partnered with Slidell Independent School District to deploy IVP's s1 air filtration technology, a Monzer Hourani invention, proven to immediately eliminate 99.999% of airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus
Aug 19, 2020, 16:09 ET
SLIDELL, Texas, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As school bells ring across the state and children begin to return to school, parents' concerns for their children's safety are heightened. Integrated Viral Protection (IVP), a transcontinental partnership initiated and led by inventor Monzer Hourani with three manufacturing companies – U.S.-based Dust Free, LP, Canada-based Engineering CPR, and Mexico-based Instalaciones y Especialidades Metalicas SA de CV – has partnered with Slidell Independent School District to deploy IVP's s1 air filtration technology, proven to immediately eliminate 99.999% of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus on contact.
Future deployment of the IVP technology are slated for schools in Florida and Texas to safeguard school reopenings.
Integrated Viral Protection's s1 model is an affordable, mobile, plug-and-purify device proven to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 (99.999%), anthrax spores (99.8%) and other airborne contaminants through a heated filter without impacting the temperature of the ambient air. For a video explaining IVP's novel family of mobile and building-installed Catch and KillTM air filtration and purification solutions, please click here.
"The time for action is now," said Monzer Hourani, inventor of IVP's BIODEFENSE INDOOR AIR PROTECTION SYSTEM™ and CEO of medical real estate development company Medistar Corporation.
"Let us engineer our way out of this crisis and be more prepared for the next. Lives are being lost daily, and we need to accelerate manufacturing and installation of this critical biodefense system which is the only technology proven to remove the coronavirus from the air instantaneously. Partnerships between public and private entities are critical to making this protection available for as many as possible, as rapidly as possible."
"IVP's air filtration technology takes away much of the worry and allows us to focus on what is most important," said Taylor Williams, Superintendent of Slidell ISD. "This filtration system is currently deployable, it's doable, and it's proven effective. It's a big step to returning children to childhood, and signaling that education is a priority." IVP Air's s1 units are a fundamental component of Slidell's safety protocols, funded in part by support from the CARES Act. See Superintendent Williams' first day of school comments by clicking here.
The s1 unit adapts for use in large spaces including cafeterias, gyms, hallways, libraries and auditoriums. The devices feature a boost circulation mode for high-traffic areas and a quiet circulation mode for use during classroom instruction.
A peer-reviewed study demonstrating how the heated air disinfection system has been proven to kill 99.999% of SARS-CoV-2 on contact (and a range of other airborne pathogens including anthrax spores) was published in Materials Physics Today.
"Initiated and led by Monzer Hourani, this transcontinental partnership is a testament to the benefits of the recently enacted United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the power of our three countries working together to solve a global problem," said Garrett K. Peel, MD, MHS, FACS, executive vice president and managing director of Medistar Corporation, and principal of IVP. "This is a pivotal moment in our world's history where leadership and partnership will be the determining factors of our global response to this pandemic and our preparations for the next."
"I could not be more proud of Slidell ISD," said Texas State Representative Phil King, whose district includes Slidell. "This technology will provide unparalleled safety and peace of mind. This just shows you don't have to be big to lead in Texas—just smart, innovative and willing to take a different path."
A new study shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious for up to 16 hours, underscoring the urgency for indoor air protection. The IVP s1 school unit is capable of powerfully recirculating the air in a standard-sized classroom, exceeding the re-opening guidelines issued by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
The results are independently endorsed by premier researchers including Professor Gang Chen at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): "Timely work with significant real world implications;" Professor George Crabtree, Director of JCESR at Argonne National Laboratory: "…will effectively serve as a mask for indoor ventilation;" and Professor Paul Chu, Founding Director at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at University of Houston (Father of Superconductivity, Nobel Prize Nominee and National Medal of Science Awardee): "…as a much needed single hope in this long depressing pandemic."
The research team is led by Dr. Zhifeng Ren, Director, Texas Center for Superconductivity at University of Houston and Dr. Luo Yu, along with Dr. Faisal Cheema at University of Houston College of Medicine under the leadership of Dean Steve Spann, Vice Chancellor and Vice President of Research and Technology Transfer, Dr. Amr Elnashai and Chancellor and President Renu Khator, Dr. Slobodan Paessler, Distinguished Chair of Biodefense at Galveston National Laboratory and colleagues, including Dr. Johnny Peterson and Dr. William Lawrence, Texas A&M University, Vice Chancellor of Engineering and National Laboratories, Dr. Kathy Banks, Associate Dean for Research, The Texas A&M Experiment Engineering Station, Dr. Joe Elabd and Director, NanoBio Systems Laboratory, Dr. Arum Han and John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
The patent-pending BIODEFENSE INDOOR AIR PROTECTION SYSTEMTM is FDA Compliant to Enforcement Policy for Sterilizers, Disinfectant Devices and Air Purifiers During the Coronavirus Disease - 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency | 21 CFR 880.5045 Medical Recirculation Air Cleaner and 21 CFR 880.6500 Medical UV Air Purifier | Class II Device) and permitted by the FDA to be sold during the Coronavirus Disease. For more information on IVP, please visit IVPair.com.
ABOUT INTEGRATED VIRAL PROTECTION (IVP)
Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) is a technology solutions company that specializes in the design of biodefense indoor air protection systems, such as its recently tested product shown to be 99.999% effective at killing the COVID-19 virus. The patent-pending technology is currently in compliance with FDA's Enforcement Policy for Sterilizers, Disinfectant Devices and Air Purifiers During the Coronavirus Disease - 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency. Data from scientific peer reviewed publications show significant promise for reducing the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the air, safeguarding people against the dangerous, life-threatening pathogen. IVP has formed a public/private partnership with a team of scientists, engineers, and virologists and has collaborated to develop a promising biodefense indoor air protection system that combats COVID-19 in commercial, transportation, residential and personal environments.
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SOURCE IVP Air