Foamille against bioaerosol

Public toilets represent a potent source of infection because of their high frequency of use and reduced hygiene. During urination and after flushing, an aerosol (bioareosol) is produced that spreads well beyond the bowl itself thus yielding hygienic problems and leading to infections. In returning to everyday life after the emergency phase linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people worldwide will spend most of the day away from home, either for work or free time, and they will have to use public toilets. We propose to use an innovative foam, with specific persistence and adhesion properties, that traps urine droplets and inhibit the formation of aerosol from the impact of liquid jets on walls. A foam layer, sprayed into the toilet bowl, can revolutionize/innovate the use of public toilets, avoiding the spread of viruses and bacteria.

The frequency of urination is approximately four to seven times a day, for a total of about 1000/2000 ml of urine per day. Overall, in our lifetime we spend over 100 days urinating. The use of public toilets has always been a problem for the risk of infections. As reported in the medical literature, many bacteria and viruses, when seeded into toilet seats and in the bowl, can spread through direct contact (78%) and through aerosol droplets (81%), able to travel and to reach even the lower respiratory tract (Verani M. 2014).

In the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies highlighted that toilet bowls and sinks were sites of contamination with SARS Cov2, suggesting that toilets are indeed a potential site of transmission. Chinese scientists showed that many patients have contaminated faeces, even after pharyngeal samples were negative (Chen C. 2020, Ong SWX. 2020). During urination it is impossible to prevent bioaerosol formation by conventional means.

Moreover extensive sanitization of walls and all the ceramics in every single restroom after each  person is not always feasible, it is expensive, it is time consuming, and can lead to excessive usage of detergents which are harmful for the people and for the planet.

Foamille is a specific foam able to completely suppress the generation of droplets and of bioaerosol in bathrooms. It can be easily sprayed into the toilet bowl before using it and can be flushed away, with the standard amount of flushing water once the urination is completed. The foaming composition presents important characteristics: it contains biodegradable components which are environmental friendly, it has a cleaning action, it is not toxic for humans or harmful for the surface, it is stable regardless of temperature, humidity, and ventilation conditions, it does not leave any visible and unpleasant residual (smell or appearance), it prevents aerosol droplets formation under several urination conditions (amount of fluid, flow rate, height, geometry of the vase, etc.), it is useful to use outside home or on travel, a widespread use would reduce the need for frequent sanitization.

As we begin to live in the new normal world, to use a public restroom can become a problem. Our solution is useful for anyone who needs to use a public toilet. The specific foam can be used in medical facilities (private and public hospital, nursing homes), workplaces (public offices, companies, banks, schools and universities), transportation (stations, trains, ferries, cruise ships and airplanes), consumer uses (restaurants, hotels, spas, theatres, cinemas, public events), and it can also be used by people who travel and/or spend a lot of time away from home.

This solution will be applicable to all countries in the world as the foam is packed in a practical spray bottle that everyone can use. The foam could also be provided by an automatic dispersion system activated by motion sensors for toilet bowls in specific environments, like “accessible” toilets or for kids’ usage.

Our team of scientists proposes a new solution that would make significant improvements in problems of sanitation of public places, like public toilets, schools, universities, hospitals: an innovative foam, different from all those already existing, to prevent bioaerosol generation in public toilets. On the market, many products have cleaning and sanitizing properties, but Foamille is the only one able to trap urine droplets and to inhibit the formation of aerosol generated by the impact of liquid jets on walls and the subsequent toilet flushing. n.102020000006820).

Indeed, despite all new configurations of toilet bowls or urinals, the impact of the urine flow upon the fixture walls or water reservoirs within creates a backsplash of droplets travelling towards surrounding surfaces, and the user of toilets or urinals. Foamille is a unique product as it is not only a detergent and a sanitizer but it is the first foam able to inhibit bioaerosol and to prevent the spread of infective agents.

For the first time, a special chemical formulation has led to a foam, one of a kind, able to change the use of public toilets forever. This is a global problem, which will persist even after the sanitary emergency due to SarsCov2. 

Our solution is an innovative cleaning foam which is able to eliminate droplets produced during the urination process and after toilet flushing.

Through an extensive experimental campaign, we have found that a thin foam layer, deposited in the toilet bowl before use, can avoid the spread of viruses and bacteria and all contaminated droplets. It is biodegradable, safe and suitable for adults and kids.

In order to test the effectiveness of our foam we have built up a sophisticated set-up in the Fluid Dynamics laboratory of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, which replicates the physics of the urination process in public toilets. The efficacy of the proposed foam has been demonstrated by a sample of absorbent paper on which there are no blue droplets (equal to 0% of occupied surface), thus proving the absence of bioaerosol deposit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWVUGPvwmmY).

A compact spray can allow to deposit the foam very easily, thanks to the convenient dispenser, compact enough to be used outside the home and on travels. Also, an automatic dispersion system could be easily installed, useful for anyone and especially for people with disabilities.

Importantly, sprayed foam effect is suitable for all users.

The hygienic conditions of public toilets and specifically of toilet seats can play an important role in the transmission of infectious diseases. The bioaerosol produced during urination and after flushing, contains countless virus and bacteria which can spread both through direct contact with the surfaces on which it is deposited or by inhalation, reaching the lower part of the respiratory system (Gerba CP. 1975). The production of bioaerosol in public toilets was observed for the first time in the ’50  by Jessen and thanks to subsequent studies it was possible to demonstrate that droplets of bioaerosol remain suspended for some minutes after flushing, even after the water has evaporated (Johnson DL. 2013).

Moreover, with the arrival of COVID-19 pandemic, our habits are radically changing. Fear of contagion lead us to avoid crowded places, thus making the return to normality after the emergency phase hard to face and complex. This tendency negatively affects social behaviors and economic activities. We need our kids to go to schools, we need to use public transportation, we need to resume travelling and for all this happening we need to use clean and safe public toilets. The use of our foam Foamille will allow us to urinate and use the toilet flush safely, without infectious agents around or on us. So, we will have cleaner and more sanitized toilets everywhere thanks to this innovative product able to eliminate the formation of bioaerosol. Foamille will be useful for COVID-19 pandemics, for other upcoming infections, but also for everyday life away from home.

Currently the foam has been extensively tested but it’s not on the market yet. The bottle spray has already been developed, moreover the whole team is working to design an automatic dispersion system, with a position sensor capable of distributing the foam for each new user.

We have potential to reach millions of users within one year and billions in five years.

Already within the next year, we hope to distribute the product all over the word.

We thought Foamille as a spray can or on an automatic dispenser system especially in all public toilets but also for private customers. The idea is to realize also a pocket version to be used during travels or in places where it is not provided.

Providing this foam in all public toilets of offices, schools, airports, universities etc. will make people confident despite of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We plan to sign commercial agreements with distributors to pursue a B2B logic. In addition, in the next few weeks, we plan to submit a scientific paper.

We have an active industrial plant ready to produce the foam with low production costs and great availability of all the chemical components.

In 5 years, we plan to scale up and explore many markets worldwide, also thanks to the possibility of shipping the spray can. Moreover, we plan to organize commercial agreements with foreign governments where necessary.

The principal issue is sourcing adequate funds to scale up this project and the production of the foam.

The initial funds would be used to produce a Foamille batch and to distribute it to selected Italian institutions or businesses (hospitals, universities, airports, restaurants, etc), in order to examine the preferences and needs of customers and to promote daily usage of the foam.

Through additional funds, we would have the opportunity to reach all the other countries in the world. A potential barrier is that we will have to sign many agreements with other countries with specific regulations, however we are confident that the components of the foam are already allowed to be used worlwide. Moreover, support both commercial and legal will be needed to better deal with future business obstacles.

Concerning the lack of initial funds, we are applying for grants and we are confident that we will find investors interested in the project who can help us to bring the product to the markets, with innovative strategies and advertising campaigns. Moreover, we are about to start a crowdfunding campaign that will give us the possibility of receiving additional funds and making our foam known worldwide.

Finally, we would like to expand the distribution of Foamille all over the world, despite we are conscious that this is not a straightforward process. Since we will have to face the issue of commercial agreements with other countries each with its own specific regulations, we think that through legal and technical support, we can go overcome this barrier.

We have worked hard to provide a valid solution that addresses a pressing need in our community. We are sure that our foam is a first in class product, it is easy to use and likely to be very well received by the general public.

The Team is currently composed of 4 people. The two creators and leaders of the project are university professors of Medicine and Engineering respectively, the other two are postdoctoral researchers, working full-time on the project. All team members have experience, passion and vision with a strong record of scientific production.

Prof. Arcangelo Liso: Professor of Medicine (Hematology) in the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Italy. His research interests concern generation and diagnostic development of monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy and tumor vaccination, study of gene expression profiles, computational biology applied to the study of the immune system. He his author of three patents.

Prof. Roberto Verzicco: Professor of Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Industrial Engineering University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and Professor of Continuum Mechanics at the Gran Sasso Science Institute, both in Italy. His research interests concern computational and experimental fluid dynamics, direct numerical simulation of turbulence, complex–geometry flows and fluid/structure interaction.

Work and personal experience with immunocompromised patients within the hospital of prof. Arcangelo Liso and the fluid dynamic skills of prof. Roberto Verzicco led to this scientific collaboration which aims at solving the bioaerosol problem and the spread of infections in public toilets. Both professors are well recognized leaders in their fields and have a proved impact carrier with a track record of professional successes.

They both have served the international scientific community for over two decades by joining evaluation panels, organizing international conferences, and leading well-funded large multi-disciplinary projects. Daniela Coda is a biotechnologist and Valentina Meschini is an applied mathematician, both are postdoctoral researchers who contribute to apply for grants, write and plan the crowdfunding campaign.

For this phase, for the project we are partnering with the following Italian research institutions:

- University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (https://web.uniroma2.it/home/newlang/english): it was established in 1982. It is one of the biggest and most relevant university in Italy, it is fully engaged in promoting an international dimension of studies and hence participates more and more actively in international research.

- University of Foggia (https://en.unifg.it/): it was founded in 1999. From its birth, the university has expanded and consolidated all the initiatives and activities aimed at improving and qualifying the teaching methodology, research, international relations (by participating in a large number of international cooperation projects promoting students’ and teachers’ exchange) and services to students.

- University of Pisa (https://www.unipi.it/index.php/english): was officially established in 1343, although a number of scholars claim its origin dates back to the 11th century. It is a public institutionwith twenty departments, and high-level research centres in the agriculture, astrophysics, computer science, engineering, medicine and veterinary medicine sectors. 

- Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) (https://www.gssi.it/): is an international PhD school and a center for research and higher education in the areas of Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Social Sciences. The GSSI has been instituted as a new Italian graduate school of advanced studies in 2016.

- University of Perugia (https://www.unipg.it/en/): it was erected in 1308 and is one of the oldest universities in Italy and one of the most accredited, offering a wide variety of courses in all fields of education and a stimulating multicultural environment.

Our solution is Foamille, a specific foam to trap all bioaerosol droplets. It is a unique product of its kind that guarantees everyone to use a public space safely.

The project is to provide spray bottles for single users and an automatic dispersion system for toilet bowls, with a position sensor capable of distributing the foam for each new user, and subsequent refill cartridges for any kind of companies, offices, and associations.

Our value proposition is the use of the foam by the community to eliminate the spreading of infectious diseases in public toilets. This way, it would also be possible to reduce the need of frequent toilet sanitization and of detergents sometimes causing poisoning.

The key resources and activities are represented by a valid team to carry on the project and improve it more and more, the funds necessary to continue the design of the automatic system with sensors, for large-scale production and for distribution all over the world.

Channels and key partners are sanitizer producers, health sectors, hotel chains, banks, pharmaceutical industries, in addition to the support of our universities.

Key customers include health agencies, transport companies, schools and universities, hotels and restaurants, big companies and in general places with high traffic of people.

Currently, the expected amount of total investments is equal to $68,500 over the next two years. A relevant weight depends on the costs of advertising/marketing in order to communicate the strength of our foam and the costs of shipping to reach different international markets.

We are currently addressing multiple sources of funding:

- Applying for grants 

- Working on a crowdfunding campaign

- Seeking seed capital

Our revenue model takes roots in a B2B approach for which it will compute a royalty of 6% on the turnover generated by the partners which will produce the final product.

Our final goal is to improve the life of billions of people that need to use public toilets to return to a new normal life. Our solution, not only will reduce the spreading of the virus in this pandemic period, but it will be useful in the future as well as it minimizes the risks of any infection and optimizes water consumption.

Foamille is a useful product for schools, universities, offices, banks, restaurants, bars, hospitals, cinemas, theatres and crowded places with high flux of people.

Therefore, our innovative approach has the potential to positively impact human lives worldwide, it is feasible, scalable and it is environmental friendly.

As already mentioned we plan to develop our final product and to start distribution on the market, and for this we need experts in large-scale production/distribution and marketing.

We would like to partner up with organizations or associations that are able to financially support and advertise this project everywhere in the world. Moreover, we would like to address also communities of developing countries to improve their low hygienic and sanitary conditions.

Our goal is to contain the spreading and transmission of infectious diseases due to virus and bacteria in public toilets. This is an every-day problem which in this period is underlined by the sanitary emergency of SarsCov2 in view of returning to public places. To this aim we have developed an innovative foam, with specific persistence and adhesion properties, that traps urine droplets and inhibits bioaerosol formation, due to the impact of liquid jets on the water walls, during urination and subsequent flushing which expands well beyond the cup itself. A product like this can innovate the use of public toilet all over the word.