Electrical Discharge Technology Targets Bird Flu Virus

Jul 6, 2009 15:23 Hideyoshi Kume, Nikkei Electronics

Daikin Industries Ltd had a briefing session on the effect of its streamer discharge technology, which three-dimensionally generates high-oxidative fast-speed electrons, on the removal of bird flu viruses of human origin (A-type H5N1) July 2, 2009.

If the fast-speed electrons generated by the streamer discharge technology are irradiated for three hours, 100% of bird flu viruses are broken down and removed, according to the company.

The streamer discharge technology, which was developed by Daikin Industries in 2004, features a wider discharge area than glow discharge. Therefore, it generates a large number of fast-speed electrons, realizing a resolving power about 1,000 times stronger than that of glow discharge. In the experiment in breaking down and removing A-type H1N1 flu viruses in 2004, 99.99% of viruses were eliminated after 24 hours of irradiation.

National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) of Vietnam verified the effects of the streamer discharge technology on bird flu virus. The technology removes 100% of the viruses in three hours, said Le Thi Quynh Mai of Virus Department at NIHE.

"'After observing the cytopathic effect^* for seven days, I am sure there is no virus at all.' This was Dr Mai's conclusion," said Kenkichi Kagawa, a senior researcher of the Development Group, Daikin Environmental Laboratory.

*Cytopathic effect (CPE) is a morphology transformation seen in cultured cells infected with viruses. It is possible to know the existence of virus by observing the change that occurs when viruses proliferate.

This time, Daikin Industries used the streamer discharge technology whose irradiation capability is about 1.5 times higher than that of the previous technology, Kagawa said. The company will release an air washer equipped with the discharge device used in the latest verification test in about September 2009.

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