A new anti-viral mask which kills 99.9% of COVID-19 virus within five minutes of contact has been launched.
Aimed at all types of industry, from hospital and care homes, to schools, to the retail & leisure industries, Pro-Larva differs from conventional masks because, as well as protecting those around the wearer, it protects the wearer themselves, using copper nanoparticle technology developed in the UK.
Antony Legge, chairman of the parent company Pharm2Farm said: “Conventional surgical-type TR2 masks only block virus from exiting the mask – they don’t have an active mechanism for killing it once it’s trapped in the mask. Pro-Larva has been designed to use existing barrier technology but also to combine it with α-virion, a copper nanoparticle technology that kills 99.9% of the virus once it is trapped in the mask.”
This viricidal layer is effective for up to seven hours. Current surgical masks are only effective for around two hours, which requires health care professionals in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) to wear between four to ten masks per day.
Because of Pro-Larva’s longer effective life this can reduce the number of masks required, therefore reducing costs for the hospital or care home. Pro-Larva is also self-sterilising – killing COVID-19 on contact means there is no infection risk from discarded masks after use, removing any potential biohazard.
The effectiveness of the mask against Coronavirus and Influenza has been tested by an independent laboratory and a leading UK university. It has also received European regulatory approval and carries a CE mark.
The Pro-Larva idea was developed by scientists at Pharm2Farm led by Dr Gareth Cave. Pharm2Farm recently installed a face mask production line in Nottingham, UK and are working with European and global face mask manufacturers to scale-up the supply of Pro-Larva to meet demand.
Dr Gareth Cave, founder of the technology and Pharm2Farm, said: “Helping healthcare professionals protect themselves, their co-workers and patients is very important, and we are keen to support the NHS. However, there are many other categories of frontline workers we are looking to engage with – from schools to care home workers, to the retail and leisure industries – who could benefit from this next generation mask.”
