2020 has exposed us to all kinds of new terms and technology. Temperature checks have become commonplace, as has contact tracing, and masks are now a normal part of everyday life. Today, a publicly-traded company in Canada released information on a new piece of technology that may help fight exposure to the novel coronavirus indoors. The wall-mounted BioCloud device sends real-time alerts when it detects COVID-19 in the air. It is designed to work in schools, hospitals, mass-transit, and long-term care facilities.
BioCloud’s parent company, Kontrol Energy Corporation, says the technology is a “game-changer” in the fight against COVID-19. It says the heart of the BioCloud device is a detection mechanism it calls a ‘Virus Capture System.’ Samples are collected through the air in a non-invasive proprietary inertial impact viral collider, according to Kontrol. “This device utilizes a combination of three independent capture techniques that allows for intact virus sampling while also achieving a high capture ratio,” the company says. “No need for complicated swabs, clinical blood tests, or interaction with medical personnel. The BioCloud continuously monitors the air in an environment and indicates the presence of the virus in real-time.”
The company states that 90-92% of transmission of COVID-19 is through the air and that the BioCloud device facilitates monitoring very small air-born particles. “There is a critical need for technology that can provide us with assurances that the workplaces, schools, healthcare environments, and other spaces we physically occupy are safe and free of infectious disease,” Paul Ghezzi, Chief Executive Officer of Kontrol said. “It will be an invaluable tool to enhance the existing system of individual testing and contact tracing.”
Each unit costs $12,000 and comes with a detection chamber that can be safely disposed of and replaced once it is exposed to the novel coronavirus. “We can now detect the virus and assess the effectiveness of HVAC systems by continuously sampling air quality in real-time,” Ghezzi says. The company says the technology has been vetted by independent lab testing. Dr. David Heinrichs, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Western Ontario believes the lab testing is conclusive. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this technology can quickly and effectively detect an array of airborne pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19,” Dr. Heinrichs says.
Kontrol Energy notes that it has prepped its supply chain to be able to immediately meet demand for BioCloud units for thousands of schools. “We’re currently on track to have the required manufacturing capability to meet the production volumes of up to 20,000 BioCloud units per month,” Gary Saunders, a VP of Kontrol says. The company is hoping to tap into the Canadian federal government’s $2-billion allocation of funds to help schools safely reopen. It received a $50,000 government grant from the National Research Council of Canada earlier this year.
Kontrol is now seeking certification from CSA (formerly the Canadian Standards Group) to show that the BioCloud product has been independently tested and certified. The company says that the device can also detect Legionnaires Disease, SARS, MERS, and Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. “This technology will allow for measurement of many different viruses, bacteria, and fungi beyond the immediate need for the virus that causes COVID-19,” Dr. Heinrich says.
Applications of the technology go beyond the classroom. Additional industries it could be of interest to include mass transportation, particularly aviation. “Aircraft, where perhaps the air is being recycled every 15 minutes, buses, subways, and anywhere crowds gather in tight spaces for prolonged periods of time,” Ghezzi told Canadian broadcaster CBC. Kontrol received approval for an initial government grant of $50,000 from the National Research Council of Canada to accelerate its new Covid-19 testing technology. Shares of the company on the Canadian stock exchange were up 62% after the announcement last week.