Pennsylvania-based company manufactures air filtration system to combat covid-19

As covid-19 continues to spread throughout the state, one Pennsylvania-based health care technology company is using its air filtration technology in an attempt to slow the virus.

LifeAire Systems, based in Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania, teamed up with Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to mitigate airborne transmission of the coronavirus.

“LifeAire’s revolutionary air filtration system can protect us as we work to mitigate covid-19’s spread and in the future as we return to life as we once knew it in buildings like schools, shopping centers and office spaces, among other public places,” said DCED Deputy Secretary for Technology and Innovation Steven D’Ettorre. “It will help protect us against other infectious airborne viruses that could threaten our health and safety in the future.”

LifeAire CEO and founder Kathryn Worrilow spent much of her science career working in the field of in vitro fertilization. In that position, she began researching commercial air filtration systems to protect embryos, but found that none existed. That, she said, was the genesis of LifeAire.

“We designed, tested and implemented a system that would deliver the air that we learned was so critical to our success and the ability to offer the highest level of patient care,” Worrilow said.

Their technology is now installed in over 50 health care centers throughout the country.

“Because we designed our system to protect the human embryo, we set the bar very high,” she said.

But as the covid pandemic worsened, the company realized they could pivot to meet a growing need. They miniaturized their flagship technology for use in an array of spaces, ranging from airports and police departments to commercial office spaces and long-term care facilities.

“We had a proven technology and we pivoted as a company to help in a greater way,” Worrilow said.

LifeAire’s systems are designed to kill airborne viruses and bacteria, including covid-19. It was even designed to protect against anthrax.

This emphasis on air filtration has become increasingly important after the World Health Organization acknowledged that the coronavirus can be spread through the air, particularly in indoor settings. Airborne transmission, health experts say, is much more likely than contracting the virus by touching surfaces and objects that haven’t been properly disinfected. Since these discoveries, businesses have turned to indoor air purification technology as another weapon in the fight against covid-19.

LifeAire’s products vary depending on the site and need. Some of their systems replace existing ductwork, while other options plug in to the existing ductwork.

Cleaning N95 masks

The company also began manufacturing decontamination units for N95 masks. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — and N95 masks in particular — have been in short supply throughout the pandemic. LifeAire designed a countertop box that uses their technology to decontaminate N95 masks, without using chemicals. Reusing masks helps ease the demand for PPE. This technology is currently undergoing FDA review.

LifeAire has ramped up manufacturing during the pandemic.

While the current emphasis is on using the technology to mitigate covid-19, Worrilow said LifeAire’s air filtration systems offer benefits even past the pandemic.

“It obviously kills covid, but it’s important to think beyond covid,” she said. “It’s also important to think about the viruses and bacteria that are seasonal or somewhat permanently in place.”