Plasmacluster Technology Demonstration Effectiveness in Reducing Airborne Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), a World’s First

For the first time in the world, a device, developed by Sharp Corporation, equipped with Plasmacluster technology, which exposed an airborne novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to Plasmacluster ions for approximately 30 seconds, has effectively reduced the infectious titer of the virus by more than 90%. This achievement was accomplished in collaboration with Professor Jiro Yasuda of the National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Professor Asuka Nanbo (a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology) of the same institution, Professor Hironori Yoshiyama of the Department of Microbiology, Shimane University, Faculty of Medicine (also, a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology), and Nagasaki University, an internationally respected authority on infectious diseases research.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in December 2019. By August 2020, this disease had already infected more than 25 million people and taken the lives of 840,000 individuals globally. This outbreak is an emergency faced by our society and made it necessary to take immediate countermeasures across a wide range of fields.

In 2004, Sharp demonstrated the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology against feline (cat) coronavirus, a member of the Corona viridae family. In the following year of 2005, Sharp also demonstrated its effectiveness against the original SARS coronavirus (SARS- CoV), which caused the outbreak of 2002-2003 and is also genetically similar to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Now, Sharp has demonstrated its effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 in airborne droplets.

On the day of the launch, Dr Jiro Yasuda, Professor of National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University said, “Disinfectants such as alcohol and detergents (surfactants) are well-known to be effective to reduce the risk of the virus on materials. However, for infection via aerosols (micro-droplets), there are few effective countermeasures such as a mask. Today, we demonstrated the effective inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in airborne droplets by using Plasmacluster technology. We expect it would be useful to reduce the risk of infection in real spaces like offices, homes, medical facilities and vehicles too”.

Since 2000, Sharp has been demonstrating the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology by working in collaboration with independent third-party research organizations around the world. So far, numerous independent research organizations have proven its clinical efficacy in suppressing the activity of harmful substances including new pandemic influenza viruses, drug-resistant bacteria, and mite allergens, as well as in reducing bronchial inflammation levels in children with asthma.

Plasmacluster and the Plasmacluster logos are registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation.

Research Details –

■ Overview of Verification Test

• Testing organization: National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID)/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University
• Verification test apparatus: Virus testing device equipped with Plasmacluster technology

Plasmacluster ion concentration: Approx. 10 million/cm3 (in the vicinity of the Plasmacluster ion generator)

• Test space volume: Approx. 3 liter
• Control study: Comparison using the device described above without Plasmacluster ion generation
• Validation virus: Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
• Test method

• Pass the aerosolized virus through the test devise from the generator
• Recover the aerosolized virus after exposure to Plasma cluster ions
• Calculate the infectious virus titer of the recovered virus solution by a plaque assay*

* A standard assay to evaluate the number of infectious virus in the sample

Results – 

Table 1 Effect of Plasmacluster ions on infectious titer of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) suspended in the air

	Without Plasmaclusterions	With Plasmacluster ions	Reduction
Infectious virus titer (number of plaque)	1.76 x 104	1.54 x 103	91.3%

Note: