Toronto, ON — A Canadian company has launched wall-mounted technology it says can detect the presence of COVID-19 in the air, which triggers an alert system to provide real time notifications of the pathogen’s presence to facility managers.
Kontrol Energy Corporation says the product —BioCloud—aims to allow outbreaks to be contained before they occur and can be used in schools, hospitals, long term care facilities and mass transit vehicles including planes, trains and buses.
“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,” said Paul Ghezzi, CEO of Kontrol. “Today, we have that in BioCloud. It will be an invaluable tool to enhance the existing system of individual testing and contact tracing.
“We can now detect the virus and assess the effectiveness of HVAC systems by continuously sampling air quality in real-time.”
According to the company, BioCloud comes after extensive and independent lab testing in tandem with experts in the field, including Dr. David Heinrichs, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Western University.
“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. Our results are absolutely conclusive,” said Dr. Heinrichs.
With COVID-19 cases expected to spike across the country this fall and into the winter season, BioCloud commercialization and distribution plans are in high gear.
Gary Saunders, VP of Kontrol, confirmed that the company anticipates having the first working units in Canadian schools by November of this year, at an estimated cost of USD$12,000.
“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,” he said.
The detection chamber in each unit is fully replaceable after it comes in contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can be disposed of safely and replaced for continuous use.
Kontrol BioCloud Sensor. (CNW Group/Kontrol Energy Corp.)