UK ambient scenting company Signature Aromas has been placing their essential oil-based systems in hospitals to help reduce infections from airborne pathogens. The company’s Purazone system has been shown to be effective in destroying the deadly superbugs MRSA and C. diff, as well as many bacteria and fungi. The Purazone is under clinical trial at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. According to the company, trial results will be ready before the summer. Meanwhile, you can look at the impressive kill rates they’ve got so far.
Coincidentally, this is exactly one year after an Air Sense post about the initial UK trials (see Scent machines used in war against hospital superbug).
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Hey there,
If you study closely, it looks like their machine that kills bugs is a purifier – and the air must cycle through the machine in order to achieve the efficacy rate or “kill” rate.
If this is true – what makes it any more efficient than a HEPA filter? commonly used everywhere to eliminate 99.9% of bateria
The study from MMU that you noted previously – achieved a 90% and 92% reduction in ambient airborne microbes –
this study only collected ambient air samples –
but this was achieved in a MRSA heavy environment- by merely scenting the air- and efficacy rates were achieved continuously over a 6 month period with no MRSA outbreaks during the period.
The diffences in the studies (one by a noted MRSA researcher) is that
the Signature Aroma’s purifier only cleans air that actually passes through it – (cannot be fully effective in an open setting with doors and windows)
and the MMU study was effective in an open environment.
HEPA filters on airplanes also kill 99.9% microbes – but the air is only passed through in this closed environment – 12-15 times per hour -
And we all know how effective airplanes systems are -
The SARS virus infected people 7 seats away – killing many, infecting a couple of dozen-
In essence – people pick up viruses and bacteria on airplanes – using purifying systems – because you cannot catch enough bacteria between the air cycles and carrier’s (people’s) breathing cycle
Just Sayin’
I read with interest the comments from Russell but the eolas test house strongly recomenede that we did not put a hepa filter into the input of the Purazone as their work had shown Bacterial growth on the Hepa under test and open conditions plus we needed to sterilise the unit as it is designed to be portable.The system is now under Clinical Trial by the NHS at a lead trust Hospital in the U K . A further interesting note is that the UVC will also Oxidise V O C,s to reduce malodour in open areas.