LYON, France– At CES 2022 in Las Vegas, on 5 January, the French medtech AIRXÔM will unveil the world’s first active mask providing protection from the effects of air pollution, viruses and bacteria. This process is made possible by technological innovations incorporated into the mask, the result of 100% French-based R&D know-how.
Formed in Lyon, in 2019, by Vincent Gaston and Franck Glaizal, respectively the chairman and the managing director of AIRXÔM, the company was founded on the basis of two observations:
- The first of these is that atmospheric pollution is a major health issue; the deaths of 8.7 million people in 2019 were linked to complications caused by air pollution. It can be the leading cause of premature deaths in France, and it has now been established as playing an important role in the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
- The second is the on-going need for large numbers of people to have effective viral and bacterial protection, involving in France:
- 20% of the population who suffer from respiratory allergies,
- millions of people affected by respiratory illnesses such asthma (alone affecting 4 million French people),
- around 971,300 employees in the health sector.
AIRXÔM: the 1st active, respiratory protection mask
The present most widely used solution to cover all these problems is the surgical mask. Generally adopted since the start of the pandemic to slow the spread of the virus, this mask has some obvious limitations: it is not re-usable, not 100% effective, and acts only as an initial barrier, unable to eliminate bacteria, viruses or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
It is in this context, and to respond to these increasing challenges that AIRXÔM is launching the first active protective respiratory mask, the only durable solution which:
- filters micro and nanoparticles
- provides complete protection from viruses (including SARS COV 2), bacteria and volatile organic compounds (NOX, nitrogen monoxide, toluene, benzene, etc.),
- provides the user with the best protection/breathability,
- offers a strict returns and recycling programme.
The emission of UV rays on a catalyst destroys viruses, bacteria and volatile organic compounds. This patented catalytic process amplifies the action of the silver and copper particles contained in the different filtering supports.
As a result, the destruction of pathogens or pollutants from the size of microparticles to nanoparticles is guaranteed.
The effectiveness of the AIRXÔM mask has been verified by an experimental protocol carried out by independent laboratories with recognised expertise in the field (VIRNEXT: virus; CONIDAIR: bacteria; French National Metrology and Testing Laboratory: volatile organic compounds).
For instance, the virucidal tests carried out by the VIRNEXT Research Technology laboratory in Lyon demonstrated its effectiveness for:
– SARS-CoV-2, 99.94 % destruction,
– H1N1, 99.99 % destruction
– Adenovirus, 99.94 % destruction.
