ENOX: Reducing Spread of COVID-19

Problem: COVID19 from breath of infected people can reach surfaces, including clothes, linens, and survive for hours to days. Transmission to other people may happen through contact with these surfaces followed by random touching one's face. 

Limitation of available solutions: Most cleaning reagents eliminate contamination that occurred prior to the cleaning, without preventing on-going exposure, and are less efficient on fabrics, plastics and porous materials.

Solution: ENOX embeds Nitric Oxide gas (NOX), an antimicrobial (antibacterial and antiviral) agent, into products to prevent bacterial and viral transmission. Embedded NOX is gradually released to the surface when exposed to humidity in the air and desaturates viruses and bacteria. Embedding is done in a dishwasher/refrigerator-size Station.

Impact: (1) Stations in retail store can waive the need to quarantine returned clothes, and (2) NOX can provide pro-active protection to healthcare personnel that will use embedded masks, gloves and clothes.

COVID19 was recently reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (March 17, 2020) [1] to survive on plastic surfaces for more than 48 hrs, indicating that aerosol and fomite transmission is plausible, since the virus can remain stable and infectious on surfaces up to 2-3 days. These findings suggest that contact with virus-containing surfaces can lead to viral transmission, facilitating spread and super-spread events. We require new means for pandemic mitigation efforts in order to proactively reduce viral stability on fabric, plastic and polymer products, particularly those used in medical settings including masks, gloves and clothing.

Microbial transmission is beyond COVID-19, and is also a major cause for deaths and other life-threatening complications due to nosocomial (healthcare-acquired) infections, leading, in the US alone to almost 100,000 deaths per years.

ENOX embeds Nitric Oxide gas (NOX), an antimicrobial (antibacterial and antiviral) agent, into products to prevent bacterial and viral transmission.  Embedding is done in a dishwasher/refrigerator-size Charging Station.

NOX is a gas that is naturally produced by the body and plays a major role in innate immunity; notably in the respiratory system. Embedded NOX is gradually released to the surface when exposed to moisture or humidity in the air and desaturates viruses and bacteria. Release continues over a period of days providing proactive protection.

Embedding process: Products are inserted into the Charging Station. Air is sucked out of the station, creating a vacuum for a few minutes, and then the station is filled with NOX to replace the air. Process ends by removal of NOX and purging the station with air or nitrogen. The length of the charging cycle depends on the products to be charged, and would take less than an hour for thin materials such as gloves or fabrics to several hours, for catheters and breast implants. Following the charging process, there is no need for any additional handling. For long term storage products may be sealed in a non-permeable package.

Retail Market

Retail market suffered ...

Disposables:

1. Gloves, masks, gauzes, other products shown to serve as potential viral spread points
2. Catheters, tracheal tubes, tubes of ventilation units, central lines

ReUsable:

1. Clothes, lab coats, masks
2. Items made of fabrics and plastic

ENOX solution addresses the need to slow the spread of an emerging outbreak, and is applicable beyond COVID-19 to viral, bacterial and fungal transmission, because NOX is unique: (1) potent antimicrobial, (2) normally produced by cells of our immune system rendering it safe in the concentration range used, and (3) No reported resistance or appearance of resistant strains after exposure. Risk of viral and bacterial transmission can be reduced if healthcare providers will use proactive protective equipment, and if frequently touched clothes and other non-packaged products in retail stores are refreshed between customers.