TEXTILES.ORG
Swiss hygiene company Livinguard has announced that its technology for disinfecting textiles has been shown, through scientific testing, to destroy human coronavirus 229e. The new research revealed that textiles treated with Livinguard’s technology can destroy pathogens of all kinds upon contact, including human coronavirus 229e, and the protection is sustained through multiple uses and washes.
The treatment is currently being used on face masks and can be applied to any textile, enabling the highest level of hygiene and protection to be embedded into a broad variety of consumer products across numerous industries. Tests were recently completed at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Department of Environmental Studies. The company reports that over 99 percent of Human coronavirus 229e that comes into contact with Livinguard treated textiles are destroyed.
Livinguard is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the results of the testing. Livinguard face masks are not yet available for sale in the U.S. nor is it yet cleared by the FDA. Masks treated with the Livinguard technology are available in other parts of the world, with current manufacturing in Portugal, Israel, Sri Lanka, Jordan, UAE, India and China. In the U.S., Livinguard treated masks are expected to be available in just weeks. ReadyOne, a manufacturer of battle dress for the U.S. Military based in El Paso Texas, is set to manufacture the masks in the U.S.
“We are enthused and grateful to be able to offer a powerful tool in the fight against coronavirus,” Sanjeev Swamy, founder and CTO of Livinguard, said. “The unique characteristics of Livinguard will provide users with an unprecedented level of safety. This is particularly important as shelter-in -place orders are eased.”
The Livinguard mask is a multi-barrier mask composed of three separate filtration layers. The principle underlying the technology is its ability to destroy microorganisms upon contact, including bacteria and viruses, and to do so continuously and permanently. According to the company, its technology has been found to be nontoxic to both skin and lungs, unlike metal-based solutions. This has the potential for applications in a variety of consumer products and numerous industries such as medical, personal hygiene and care and air filtration.
Livinguard is a hygiene technology platform based in Zug, Switzerland. It licenses its patented technologies to companies from various industries to improve the health and well-being of consumers. Livinguard AG operates in Switzerland, Germany, USA, Singapore, Japan, India, and South Africa.